But the situation with Ally, the lawyer said, is part of a growing trend of rejections at the border where no specific grounds for refusal are given and the "common denominator is that these are Canadian Muslim travellers."

"It's really frustrating when you don't know the case against you," Ali said.

The CBP spokesperson said that by law, the agency "strictly prohibits profiling on the basis of race or religion."

According to Statistics Canada, Canadian residents made 27.7 million trips to the United States in 2018. That year, trips to the U.S. represented almost 73 per cent of travel outside of Canada. In the first quarter of 2019, Canadian residents made 6 million trips to the United States.

Statistics Canada doesn't track the number of Canadians refused at the U.S. border. A request to CBP for the number of Canadians denied entry to the U.S. was not immediately returned.

Visas are not usually required for Canadians to enter the United States unless they intend to immigrate, work or invest in the country. But under U.S. law, there are over 60 grounds to be refused entry into the United States including health reasons, prior criminal record and if border agents perceive the visitor as a security risk.

Until Ally's issue is resolved at the border, Ali said the Peel police chaplain's file with the CBP is probably flagged, and entry into the U.S. is unlikely.

While Ally hopes the issue is resolved soon so he's free to visit his family and friends in the U.S., he said missing the wedding still stings.

"That's the thing, you know we missed that memorable and historical event that even if we were cleared to go now we can't attend that wedding and that's the hurtful part."

The experience, according to Ally, was "traumatic," particularly for his sons. Ally said his son Yusuf, who is non-verbal, has special needs and uses a wheelchair, did not understand what was happening and why the family couldn't leave the small area where they were held by border officials.

"It's just an unnecessary impact on the minds of the boys," he said. "They just want to keep doing things so they don't have to think about it."

Disclaimer: These poll results are not scientific. They are the informal findings of a survey presented to the readers of The Mississauga News and Brampton Guardian and reflect the opinions of those readers who have chosen to participate. The survey is available online to anyone who is interested in taking it.