US government apologized after Canadian minister was asked twice to remove his turban, despite passing security checks

DETROIT, MI. (NEWS 1130) – The federal innovation minister is speaking out about an incident in the Detroit airport, where he was told to remove his turban.

It happened as Navdeep Bains was trying to fly back to Toronto, following economic meetings in the US in April, 2017.

He was put through additional security where agents demanded he remove his turban. He didn’t and after passing more scans was allowed to leave.

However, Bains says it didn’t end there. “[I] was asked to come back from the gate, back to the security checkpoint to remove my turban once again and once they realized my position, who I was — I was ultimately allowed to fly.”

Bains doesn’t know how far it would have gone if he wasn’t a politician.

He feels discrimination has no borders and he hopes by coming forward it can be an educational moment about diversity and inclusion. “Discrimination has no borders,” adds Bains. “I was very frustrated and disappointed that this occurred. Ultimately, I was allowed to fly but it was because of who I was and that should not be the case.”

Canada’s foreign affairs minister sent a letter of concern to her counterpart stateside. After that, the US government acknowledged that the officers made a mistake and apologized — an apology Bains accepted.

Bains says it was the first time in his life he had anything like that happen, but notes he had a similar issue returning from a family vacation in Antigua.