In a statement that has sent shockwaves through the diplomatic community, Mohamad Safa, a United Nations representative and human rights activist, announced that he has cancelled his visit to New York to deliver remarks at the United Nations Headquarters, citing fear of arbitrary detention by U.S. immigration authorities.
Safa posted the announcement on social media, warning: “The ICE may decide that I am a gang member, and I’ll be locked in prison for a year with no charges, no hearing, no trial, no right to consult a lawyer, no phone call. The US is not safe to visit.”
His words follow a growing international trend: multiple U.S. allies—including Germany, the United Kingdom, and Denmark—have issued or updated travel advisories warning citizens about increasingly unpredictable and harsh treatment at U.S. borders. These advisories emphasize that even those with valid visas or travel authorizations have been detained, questioned, and, in some cases, deported without explanation.
The Trump administration’s renewed enforcement of the Alien Enemies Act, combined with new ICE directives allowing detentions based on alleged affiliations rather than charges or convictions, has created an environment of legal uncertainty. In recent weeks, multiple foreign nationals, researchers, and students have been detained under vague claims of “national security concerns,” including Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral researcher at Georgetown, and Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident and Columbia student.
Safa’s decision is more than symbolic. It underscores the diplomatic cost of the United States’ erosion of civil liberties and the growing perception that it no longer respects international norms, even for invited UN delegates. International law typically affords a degree of immunity and protection to visiting diplomats and observers. That a UN-affiliated figure would feel unsafe entering U.S. airspace reflects the severity of the moment.
The Crustian Daily has previously reported on the Trump administration’s expansion of detention powers, its use of wartime legal frameworks in peacetime, and its weaponization of immigration enforcement as a tool of political repression. With Safa’s warning now going viral, the White House faces increasing scrutiny over whether the U.S. can still credibly host international summits, or even fulfill its obligations as a host nation to the United Nations.
Reported by Casey Clearview for The Crustian Daily.
