A green card holder who has lived in the United States since he was 5 spent 7½ days in a holding area at San Francisco International Airport without being able to speak with his lawyer, according to his attorney. The case highlights how travelers held for days at the airport can struggle to challenge their detention or understand the consequences of documents they are asked to sign. Tae Heung “Will” Kim, 40, was detained after returning from his brother’s wedding in South Korea. His attorney, Karl Krooth, said a misdemeanor marijuana conviction prompted the detention. Kim was permitted a few brief calls to his wife, but Krooth said border agents screened the calls to ensure Kim spoke only with her. Krooth reached Kim after he was transferred to a long-term detention facility. The lack of contact prevented Krooth from getting Kim’s signature or fingerprints to request government records and prepare his case. It also delayed a possible habeas corpus petition, a court filing attorneys use to seek the release of someone they argue is being unlawfully detained. “It’s like a black box for us attorneys,” said Christine Raymond, who has represented people held at the airport and said repeated efforts to reach clients were unsuccessful. Without direct communication, lawyers may be unable to learn a client’s account or identify an effective legal response. The airport’s holding room, which officials call an “in-transit lounge,” is inside the international terminal. Attorneys, former detainees and some elected officials describe it as a de facto detention center. Travelers, many of them green card holders with past encounters with the law, can be held while the government decides whether to admit them to the country. Because the terminal is a port of entry, federal law treats noncitizens held there as applicants seeking admission. Customs and Border Protection told Mission Local that applicants for admission do not have a right to a lawyer during primary or secondary inspection, unless they are in custody and the focus of a criminal investigation. The American Civil Liberties Union says agents have some discretion to permit calls to counsel. Attorneys say the impact is especially serious when people are held for days. Lawyer Ghassan Shamieh warned that a person who signs a document without legal advice may not understand its consequences, including the possibility of giving up a green card. Krooth said tired travelers questioned by officers may feel pressured to answer or sign paperwork. The extended airport detentions are part of a broader increase in immigration enforcement targeting travelers, according to the reporting. The Department of Homeland Security has said it reversed a Biden-era policy that allowed people unlawfully present in the United States to travel within the country, adding that the administration would no longer tolerate it. Marissa Hatton, a civil rights attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, said the absence of access to counsel can make it harder for lawyers in the Bay Area to file petitions before detainees are transferred to longer-term facilities. Krooth said the change has left some lawful permanent residents afraid to travel abroad, concerned they may be detained when they return.