Travel
Woman Detained, Questioned About Abortion At LAX: Report
The Australian traveler told The Guardian she was detained and interrogated at LAX and asked whether she was pregnant or had an abortion
LOS ANGELES, CA — An Australian traveler was asked whether she had an abortion while passing through Los Angeles, she told The Guardian.
Los Angeles International Airport was one of two stops on Madolline Gourley's June 30 trip from her home in Brisbane, Australia to Montreal, she told Patch. She had planned to house- and cat-sit in Canada while on vacation, The Guardian reported.
But her travels were cut short when US Customs and Border Protection denied her entry and deported her back to Brisbane claiming she had broken the conditions of the U.S. visa waiver program, which does not allow for travel for any type of compensated employment.
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Officers took her to a detention room, interrogated her, patted her down and took her fingerprint and photo, The Guardian reported.
During their interrogation, officers repeatedly asked Gourley if she was pregnant. When Gourley responded no, the border official asked her whether she had a recent abortion.
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US Customs and Border Protection told The Guardian they take allegations of unprofessional employee behavior seriously and has standard procedures for evaluating misconduct claims.
Read the full story from The Guardian.
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