WASHINGTON – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported today that an Oregon Muslim who traveled by ship to Europe because he is on the U.S. government’s “no-fly” list has been detained in the United Kingdom when he disembarked in Southampton.

CAIR recently sent letters to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and FBI Director Robert Mueller seeking assistance for 23-year-old Michael Migliore, who is trying to travel to Italy to live with his mother. Migliore’s mother told CAIR that she received a call from law enforcement authorities in the U.K. who said her son had been “arrested.”

American officials told Migliore, a dual citizen of the United States and Italy, that he is on the no-fly list when he tried to take a flight from Portland, Ore., to Italy. Migliore believes he was placed on the list after he refused to be interviewed by the FBI without an attorney present.

Because of the no-fly list restrictions, Migliore purchased a train ticket from Portland to New York City and a ticket for travel by sea from New York City to Southampton. He left Oregon on September 1 and arrived in the United Kingdom today.

“We are in contact with the family and with officials in the United Kingdom to determine why he is being held and whether his detention is at the request of American officials,” said CAIR Staff Attorney Gadeir Abbas. “We are concerned that Mr. Migliore’s detention is due to his placement without due process on the no-fly list and maintain that the United States must protect an American Muslim traveling abroad just as it would any other American citizen.”

Abbas said CAIR has dealt with a number of cases in which American Muslims are placed on the no-fly list or barred from returning to the United States without explanation.