My son called from the airport with a tremble in his voice that immediately made my stomach tighten. He was supposed to be boarding an international flight, but instead he was standing near the check-in desk staring at four unfamiliar letters printed across his boarding pass: SSSS. He had asked an airline employee what they meant, but the explanation had been vague. All he understood was that he could not proceed exactly like the other passengers.

Within seconds, my mind raced through every frightening possibility. Had something happened with his passport? Was his name connected to someone else’s record? Would he miss his flight—or worse, be detained? My son kept saying he had done nothing wrong, and I believed him, but neither of us understood what was happening. Then an airport employee approached and told him he needed to follow them for additional screening. His voice became quieter. “Mom,” he whispered into the phone, “they’re taking me somewhere else.” And then the call suddenly ended.