Surprise! Gold Star father Khizr Khan may have been lying when he said his “travel privileges are being reviewed” by American authorities. Once a speaker at the Democratic National Convention, Khan shot to fame after holding out a copy of the Constitution and lambasting then Republican-candidate Trump in front of an audience of Democrats. Now he’s back in the news, or better yet, fake news.
On Monday, Khan claimed that he was barred from traveling to Canada after he was invited to speak at a conference.
Event organizers quickly jumped at the opportunity to blame the Trump administration, suggesting that Khan’s travel restrictions were somehow connected to the White House’s latest executive ban on refugees from six Muslim-majority countries.
“This turn of events is not just of deep concern to me but to all my fellow Americans who cherish our freedom to travel abroad,” stated Khan, according to a Facebook post published by event organizer Ramsay Talks. “I have not been given any reason as to why. I am grateful for your support and look forward to visiting Toronto in the near future.”
But as SF Gate rightly notes, “U.S. citizens don’t need visas to enter Canada, or even the electronic travel authorizations required of all other foreign visitors there.”
Given the fact that Khan has been a citizen for over 30 years, it would take an unprecedented, markedly extra-judicial step from the federal government to bar the Gold Star father’s travels.
“As a general rule, the United States cannot prevent passport-holding citizens from traveling if they have not been charged with a crime,” reports SF Gate, adding:
Public records indicate that Khan has no criminal history, either at the federal level, in Charlottesville, where he lives, or in Silver Spring, his previous place of residence. Furthermore, U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Politico that, as a rule, it does not contact travelers before their trips.
Khan’s claim has further been undermined by the Canadian government.
“We are unaware of any restrictions regarding this traveler,” affirmed a spokeswoman for Canada’s Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen.
To date, Khan has not explained his predicament to media outlets seeking clarification.
Khan’s son, Humayun, was killed in Iraq in 2004, when he valiantly sacrificed his own life to save his fellow soldiers. Humayun was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart posthumously for his unquestionable valor.