Attorney Amir Makled Detained at Detroit Airport After Representing Pro-Palestinian Protester

Makled, questioned for 90 minutes by federal agents, alleges government targeting of attorneys handling politically sensitive cases.

Amir Makled, a Michigan-based civil rights attorney, was detained and interrogated by federal agents for 90 minutes at Detroit Metro Airport on April 8, 2025.
Makled, who represents Samantha Lewis, a pro-Palestinian protester arrested at the University of Michigan, believes his detention is tied to his legal work on politically sensitive cases.
Federal agents inspected Makled’s phone contact list but were denied full access to the device, which he argued contained privileged client information.
Customs and Border Protection officials defended the detention as a routine national security measure, denying any political motivations behind the search.
Makled criticized the incident as part of a broader trend of government intimidation targeting lawyers and a threat to the rule of law.