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Muhammad Ali Jr. detained by immigration officers at South Florida airport

By Alex Butler
Boxing great Muhammad Ali died at the age of 74 in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, June 4, 2016. He is shown surrounded by a battery of newsmen and photographers as he leaves the Federal Court here June 20, 1967, after an all-white jury found him guilty on charges of refusing to be inducted into the U.S. Army. He was given the maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine, but remained remained free on a $5,000 bond and his attorney will file an appeal. UPI
1 of 3 | Boxing great Muhammad Ali died at the age of 74 in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, June 4, 2016. He is shown surrounded by a battery of newsmen and photographers as he leaves the Federal Court here June 20, 1967, after an all-white jury found him guilty on charges of refusing to be inducted into the U.S. Army. He was given the maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine, but remained remained free on a $5,000 bond and his attorney will file an appeal. UPI | License Photo

Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The son of famed boxer Muhammad Ali was detained by immigration agents at a South Florida airport for hours, allegedly because of his religion.

Muhammad Ali Jr., 44, and his mother, Khalilah Camacho-Ali, arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Feb. 7 after returning from Montego Bay, Jamaica. The duo arrived home after speaking at a Black History Month event.

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Family friend and lawyer Chris Mancini told the Louisville Courier-Journal that they were "pulled aside while going through customs because of their Arabic-sounding names."

Camacho-Ali is Muhammad Ali Sr.'s second wife. She was released after she showed officials a photo of herself with her late husband, according to the report. Mancini told the Courier-Journal: officials "held and questioned" Ali Jr., a Muslim, for nearly two hours, "repeatedly asking him, 'where did you get your name from?' and 'are you Muslim?"

Ali Jr. was born in 1972 in Philadelphia and holds a U.S. passport. He and his mother currently live in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

"To the Ali family, it's crystal clear that this is directly linked to Mr. Trump's efforts to ban Muslims from the United States," Mancini said,

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President Donald Trump's Jan. 27 executive order banned all refugees from entering the United States for 120 days, banned Syrian refugees indefinitely and banned entry for people from seven mostly Muslim countries for 90 days.

"It is a very interesting twist in history," Mancini told NBC News. "His father fought for his religious rights, and now that Trump is president, he has to fight."

Mancini and the Ali family are considering filing a federal lawsuit, according to reports.

"This whole thing was triggered by his beliefs, the CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] is profiling," Mancini told NBC News. "He was only released about two hours later. This is a U.S. citizen, born in Philadelphia. They have no right to inquire into his religion. This is outrageous; what's going on in this country?"

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection representative told the Courier-Journal: "Due to the restrictions of the Privacy Act, U.S. Customs and Border Protection cannot discuss individual travelers; however, all international travelers arriving in the U.S. are subject to CBP inspection."

Muhammad Ali died on June 3 at 74-years-old, following a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease.

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The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer was also a champion for civil rights throughout his life. Ali was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President George W. Bush.

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