US airline security cracking down on ‘Congressional’ terrorists
No one is immune from the US government’s no-fly list, according to a recent encounter with a California-based Congresswoman.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s staff was rebuffed when they tired to print her boarding pass online at an airport kiosk in Boise, Idaho.
The congresswoman was told by a United Airlines employee that she was on a terrorist watch list.
“I handed over my congressional ID and he started laughing and said, ’I’m going to need an ID that has your birthday on it,’” Ms Sanchez said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press.
The airline employee confirmed they had the wrong person.
Transportation Security Administration spokes people confirmed that name mix-ups do happen.
“Generally, what happens is people have a name that is very similar to someone who is on the no-fly list,” said a spokesperson.
Rep. Sanchez has been a frequent critic of the no-fly list, representing a district that contains thousands of Arab Americans.
The Congresswoman said it has taken several months at times to get constituent’s names off the no-fly list.
Report by David Wilkening
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