Are Khizr Khan’s Travel Privileges Really Under Review?

The same day the White House went public with its revised travel ban, Khizr Khan — one of Donald Trump’s harshest critics, both before and after the election — reportedly cannot travel outside of the United States. According to Ramsay Talks, a Canadian organization that organized a luncheon featuring Khan scheduled for March 7th in Toronto, the keynote speaker had to cancel at the last minute. Why? Per an official statement on Facebook, Khan’s “travel privileges are being reviewed” — thereby rendering international travel momentarily impossible.

CTV National News broke the story, but initially didn’t provide an explanation of their source. In numerous Twitter updates, the Canadian outlet subsequently said Ramsay Talks had sent them a version of the statement they ultimately released online, and when they tried to reach Khan himself, he replied: “I have no comments to make.” However, Khan did offer “his sincere apologies” to the event’s ticket holders via Ramsay Talks, as well as a vague statement about the matter:

“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. 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.”

However, aside from CTV’s initial reporting and Ramsay Talk’s official statement, very little is known about what caused Khan to suddenly cancel his speaking engagement. As Politico notes, next to no details are known about what was meant by “traveling privileges.” What’s more, no credible explanation about what the supposed review entails — and whoever is conducting it — has been offered. Aside from Khan and Ramsay Talks, no other sources of information have come to light.

Khan and his wife, Ghazala Khan, made headlines over the summer when they addressed the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Holding a small pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution, Khan — whose son Army Captain Humayun S. M. Khan died in Iraq — berated then-Republican nominee Trump for his apparent lack of basic civics knowledge.

UPDATE: The State Department issued an official response to Khan’s claims about his travel privileges being under review. According to BuzzFeed News, a department official explained American citizens with a valid U.S. passport can leave and re-enter the country at will. However, “it is the decision of each individual country to determine whether to admit any U.S. citizen.”

As for the Canada Border Services Agency, their official response clarified it “does not contact travelers” visiting from the U.S. They also have no idea who told Khan about the apparent review of his traveling privileges.

(Via Politico)