It appears that UCLA law professor Khaled Abou El Fadl is a very intelligent and scholarly academic, as he reminds us of his credentials throughout his opinion piece. (“What message was the U.S. government trying to send when it detained me at the border?” Opinion, Dec. 8)
Considering the political climate of the world, he should be able to figure out why he was, no doubt like many of us, stopped by Homeland Security agents upon reentering the United States.
Instead of dramatically complaining, El Fadl, as an American citizen, should feel relieved and secure that our border agents, though not recognizing him as a publicly important figure, did their job quickly and thoroughly and within an hour or so ascertained his proper identity.
He is correct to note that the meaning of American citizenship seems to be eroding, but for a variety of other reasons — and certainly not due to the vigilance or lack thereof of our border agents.
Louise Delaney, La Crescenta
