WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An organization of retired U.S. diplomats on Monday accused the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol of a “deeply troubling pattern” of discrimination and harassment against Black, Hispanic and other minority U.S. diplomats at U.S. border entry points.
The American Academy of Diplomacy made the allegation in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It urged him to order a review of incidents, take steps to “ensure equal treatment” of minority U.S. Foreign Service officers and make clear that their mistreatment is “unacceptable.”
The letter comes amid fresh scrutiny of discrimination and police brutality following the death of George Floyd, a Black resident of Minneapolis who died on May 25 after a White former police officer knelt on his neck, igniting nationwide protests.
The academy’s website describes the group’s mission as supporting and strengthening U.S. diplomacy and building public backing for its “critical role in advancing” U.S. interests.
The CPB and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In the letter, the academy said many minority Foreign Service officers describe enduring “regular and persistent discrimination and harassment” at border crossings by border officers, including refusals to accept standard diplomatic documents.
Black and Hispanic diplomats also have been placed in secondary examination without cause and subjected to “repeated and hostile questioning and delays,” it continued.
“This is made even more glaring when they travel with Caucasian colleagues who pass through with the same documentation,” the letter said.
In addition to citing media interviews with former U.S. diplomats who reported incidents of harassment, the organization said it has learned “that such incidents have often disrupted” the travel of minority Foreign Service officers.
Some incidents have come to the attention of the State Department leadership, but others appear to have gone “unaddressed,” it said.
(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Richard Chang)
