Published Mar 9, 2026, 3:44 PM EDT Amber VanWort is a freelance writer who specializes in travel news. Her passion for US based travel began when she found herself in Nevada in 2024 for a wedding. She was particularly amazed by the contrast of Las Vegas’s dazzling lights next to the vastness of the desert, not far from the strip. Before that trip, she had contributed to various online travel publications, helping others discover new far away places and encouraging people to be a tourist in their own city. Prior to contributing to TheTravel, Amber wrote for publications including WorldAtlas, Narcity, HouseDigest, and Hunker. When she is not writing, she can often be found checking Ontario provincial parks off of her bucket list, or drinking too many iced coffees from her favorite local spot. A U.S. citizen who was recently detained at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport was almost reported missing after spending close to 30 hours in custody. Sundas Naqvi, known as “Sunny” by friends and family, was detained by federal immigration agents at the airport due to her “recent travel history” following a work trip to Istanbul. Naqvi, along with five colleagues, was detained at the airport in Chicago upon returning from her trip. She was then later moved to a facility in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Naqvi’s sister, Sarah Afzal, said she almost filed a missing persons report after she was unable to get confirmation on her sibling's whereabouts from local or federal police. Afzal spoke with NBC5 Chicago regarding the scary situation. “She was right here and then she was in Wisconsin,” Afzal told the publication. “It was terrifying.” Naqvi and her colleagues were eventually released, but not without the help of their families and the local community. Officials Say Naqvi Was Detained Without Proper Cause, Calling The Incident “Terrifying” Kevin Morrison, a Cook County Commissioner, spoke with reporters near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center in Broadview. Morrison noted, “What occurred on Thursday and Friday was a U.S. citizen detained with no cause. All she was told was that there was some curious travel history, but they had no cause to detain her for those 30 hours.” "We need transparency, we need accountability and we need to make sure that we are incredibly mindful of the steps we must take as a nation to protect all of our civil rights and civil liberties. The fact that this could happen to any U.S. citizen should terrify us all," Morrison added. What makes Naqvi’s recent detention experience especially alarming is the lack of information provided, both regarding her whereabouts and the reason for detaining her. Naqvi’s sister explained that without location pings from Naqvi’s iPhone, they would never have known where she was, adding that police lied about Naqvi’s location. “We were told that she wasn’t here we saw her location on in the middle of the facility, we saw her location in Wisconsin in the middle of the facility,” Afzal said. “The cops were lying to our faces.” This, of course, is not the first time a traveler has been detained at a U.S. airport or border crossing. Last December, TheTravel interviewed a Canadian who was detained and rejected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) three times without explanation. Chicago O'Hare International AirportCredit: Shutterstock More recently, a British tourist detained by ICE for 45 days despite having a valid tourist visa warned against traveling to the U.S. while President Trump is in charge. Prior to these incidents, Canada was similarly warned to avoid U.S. travel after it was revealed that a Canadian child was detained for 51 days. Still, with cases like these seemingly happening at a higher rate than usual, frequent travelers may be left wondering about their rights. Know Your Rights: What Citizens Should Expect On A Return Trip To The U.S. U.S. Customs and Border Protection speaking with travelers at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall AirportCredit: CBP Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons U.S. citizens who travel abroad may be subject to an interview with CBP (Customs and Border Protection). During this interview, officers may ask about the following: Your citizenship The nature of your trip Anything you are bringing back to the United States that you did not have when you left. According to the CBP website, officers also have “legal authority to search you, your baggage or your vehicle. If asked to, place your opened baggage on the exam station. After the exam, you will be asked to repack and close your baggage.” Customs and Border officers can not, however, ask you about your religious beliefs or political opinions. "If you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident who has maintained status, you do not have to answer questions about your religious beliefs and practices or political opinions, and you cannot be denied entry to the United States for declining to answer such questions," the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) explains. "If customs officers persist in asking you such questions, you can request to see a supervisor," the ACLU adds. What To Do If A Friend Or Family Member Is Detained At A U.S. Airport (Or Elsewhere) A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer is inspecting a vehicle at the U.S. border.Credit: CBP Photograph/Wikimedia Commons In situations like this, it can be difficult to know what to do, but locating a friend or family member who has been detained at the airport or elsewhere is a good first step. According to the CBP website, you can search for loved ones who have been detained longer than 48 hours using the ICE Detainee Locator or by calling (866) 347-2423. For non-U.S. citizens being detained by ICE or CBP, you can also ask the immigration officers directly where your loved ones are being detained. It’s also wise to get the Enforcement and Removal Operations case officer’s full name, along with their phone number, email, and fax number.