CBP, under criticism, says it follows rules amid concerns over extended holds at Seattle airport

Recent reports of travelers at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport being held in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody for extended periods have raised concerns as CBP justifies the holds.

Port of Seattle commissioners put out a statement on May 23 expressing their concerns over the recent reports of extended holds. This came after an Olympia resident named Maximo Londonio – a lawful permanent resident – was detained at the airport on May 15 for more than four days after returning from a trip from the Philippines.

Londonio was transferred to the Northwest Detention Center for an upcoming hearing, which has yet to be announced.

A CBP spokesperson defended the agency’s actions, telling The Center Square in an email that it ensures all travelers are treated with respect. The spokesperson added that CBP's mission is to “protect the homeland and ensure we are only admitting individuals who legally qualify under immigration law.”

The Port of Seattle commissioners noted the CBP's most recently published National Standards on Transport, Escort, Detention, and Search, which states that detainees should generally not be held for longer than 72 hours in CBP hold rooms or holding facilities. The reasons for any detention longer than 72 hours must be logged in a record system.

Londonio was held for over four days.

The CBP spokesperson said that it is “very rare” for a detained traveler to be held for the 72 hours.

The spokesperson added that the delays could be due to waiting for the entering agency to send CBP the correct accurate records or when records are requested over holidays or weekends.

But commissioners say CBP should work in a manner that avoids these delays and gives the public trust in its process.

“Every effort must be made to hold detainees for the least amount of time required for their processing, transfer, release, or repatriation as appropriate and as operationally feasible,” the commissioners’ statement read. “Prolonged detention without appropriate process not only raises serious concerns — it undermines public trust.”

CBP said that it requests records to verify a subject’s criminality “in order to get it right and protect the public from felons and those convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude.”