Representatives of a nonprofit group in the Chicago metropolitan area are demanding an investigation into a U.S. customs officer who allegedly used Chinese communist hate propaganda in his official capacity against artists from New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Yi Liu and Andrew Tu, president and vice president of the Mid-USA Falun Dafa Association, submitted their written request to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office inside Terminal 5 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on March 26.
“As the presenter of Shen Yun shows in the Greater Chicago area, we are deeply troubled by the discrimination experienced by our esteemed guests, the Shen Yun Performing Arts company,” Ms. Liu told The Epoch Times in a statement.
“Never did we anticipate that a federal government official, especially a customs officer, would delve into an individual’s personal beliefs. Such conduct not only violates federal government policy but also undermines the foundational principle of our nation.”
Three other artists with Shen Yun told The Epoch Times that they witnessed the behavior of the Chinese-speaking customs officer at the airport.
They say that in two cases, while artists were being processed by other customs officers, the man inserted himself into the process; and in one case attempted to gather information about the performers’ training facilities in New York.
In another instance, a dancer waiting in the queue heard the officer loudly say, “These people are Falun Gong.”
Ms. Du is a natural-born U.S. citizen, and all artists at the company are either U.S. citizens or hold valid visas.
Based in New York, Shen Yun is a premier classical Chinese dance and music company with a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture that is free of communist influence.
The Epoch Times has learned that the customs officer, who bears the last name Ho and came from Beijing, speaks both fluent Mandarin and Cantonese.
Ms. Liu and Mr. Tu, in their written request addressed to Chicago-based CBP Acting Area Port Director Michael Pfeiffer, called for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged discriminatory conduct of Mr. Ho.
Should the investigation confirm discriminatory behavior, appropriate disciplinary measures should be taken against the officer, and training programs should be put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future, they wrote.
A Chicago CBP watch commander with the last name Gray took the letter from Ms. Liu and told her that the agency was aware of the incident and looking into it, Ms. Liu said.
“We are taking this very seriously,” Ms. Liu said. “We will continue to communicate and follow up on this with the Chicago CBP office.”
About a dozen congressional offices have publicly criticized the customs officer’s conduct or expressed their disquietude in private.
When asked for comment on Ms. Steel’s letter, the CBP previously told The Epoch Times that it “responds directly to members of Congress through the appropriate channels.”
