CBP denies report from CAIR that Iranian-Americans are being detained at the Canadian border

Customs and Border Patrol is denying a report from the Council on American-Islamic Relations alleging that a directive was issued ordering the detention of Iranian-Americans returning to the U.S.:

Social media posts that CBP is detaining Iranian-Americans and refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false. Reports that DHS/CBP has issued a related directive are also false.

— CBP (@CBP) January 5, 2020

This all started thanks to this tweet from activist Hoda Katebi:

BREAKING: US CUSTOMS & BORDER PROTECTION NATIONALLY HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO DETAIN & "REPORT" ALL IRANIANS ENTERING THE COUNTRY DEEMED POTENTIALLY SUSPICIOUS OR "ADVERSARIAL" REGARDLESS OF CITIZENSHIP STATUS. 60+ Iranis held last night at the US/Canada border for 11+ hrs / thread

— Hoda Katebi هدی کاتبی (@hodakatebi) January 5, 2020

That tweet quickly went viral thanks to blue checks like Howard Dean, and many others:

In other words, if you are an American citizen of Iranian descent, don’t leave the US You may not be allowed back. This will be overturned in court, but that takes time. https://t.co/N4OSn0AZAY

— Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) January 5, 2020

BuzzFeed’s Hamed Aleaziz with the full CBP statement:

NEW: CBP says re: viral tweet :" Social media posts that CBP is detaining Iranian-Americans and refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false. Reports that DHS/CBP has issued a related directive are also false."

— Hamed Aleaziz (@Haleaziz) January 5, 2020

Additionally:

"Based on the current threat environment, CBP is operating with an enhanced posture at its ports of entry to safeguard our national security and protect the America people while simultaneously protecting the civil rights and liberties of everyone."

— Hamed Aleaziz (@Haleaziz) January 5, 2020

Reporters have yet to to substantiate the claims:

I get it, but the original allegation of a nationwide directive came from a single anonymous source in an advocacy press release, and hasn’t been substantiated.

— Dara Lind (@DLind) January 5, 2020

But they’re trying:

As a reporter, my role is not to 'back up' anybody but to lay out the facts, to the best of my ability.

A viral tweet & press release citing one anonymous source said there was a nationwide directive to detain Iranians at the border. CBP says that is false. I'm noting that. https://t.co/q7HrwFujxI

— Hamed Aleaziz (@Haleaziz) January 5, 2020

As far as the detentions/secondary interviews go, my colleagues & I are looking into that and speaking with those impacted & advocates. We will report what we get from there.

— Hamed Aleaziz (@Haleaziz) January 5, 2020

Here’s the press release CAIR put out: