According to Rabbi, his family's ordeal began earlier this month when they decided to come to California at the urging of his sister, Dr. Nasima Begum of La Habra. Begum, an infectious disease specialist who works in West Covina, said she notified Rabbi that their father's health had worsened and that he had been hospitalized for a day because of a bad fall just before Christmas.
On Jan. 13, Rabbi, 38, his wife, Rokeya, 36, and their two sons, Rakin, 14, and Raiyan, 8, boarded a Qantas flight in Sydney. About 18 hours later, they arrived at LAX and proceeded to the federal inspection station at Tom Bradley International Terminal. The family never made it out of customs.
During the next 24 hours, Rabbi said, officers repeatedly questioned him and his wife, patted them down and searched their luggage before transporting them and their sons to a detention center in a caged van. Then, he said, they were taken to a hotel with other detainees about 2:30 a.m., where they were placed under guard while they tried to sleep.
A few hours after arriving at the hotel, Rabbi said, they were awakened and taken back to LAX, where the family was eventually put on a return flight to Sydney. All the while, he said, customs officials gave them very little food and water -- just "a few biscuits" -- though they were tired and hungry.
"They asked us a lot of questions: What are your intentions? Where are you going?" Rabbi said. "After several hours, they did not believe us. These people treated us like we were bad people planning to do bad things."
Though Rabbi claims to have obtained visas, he might not have needed them. Australia participates in the United States visa waiver program, which means its citizens can travel in the U.S. for up to 90 days with only a valid passport.
"I was so shocked," Rabbi said. "As an Australian, you can go to the United States. You don't even need a visa."
During questioning, he said, customs officers became angry and accused him of trying to stay illegally in the U.S., although he had return airline tickets dated Feb. 5 and worth $6,400 in Australian dollars.
"I am working and making good money. My wife is working. We are in very good shape and trying to make a better future for our kids," said Rabbi, who is a taxi driver and whose spouse is a geriatric nurse. "I don't want to come to the U.S. to live."
