The Latest: TSA says ID of Ali’s son confirmed at airport

The Latest on Muhammad Ali’s son being detained at the airport (all times local):

6:45 p.m.

The Transportation Security Administration says the agency confirmed the identity of Muhammad Ali’s son before he boarded a plane.

Attorney Chris Mancini says Muhammad Ali Jr. was detained for 20 minutes Friday as he attempted to board a JetBlue Airways flight home to Florida. Ali and his mother had travelled to Washington to speak to members of a congressional subcommittee on border security about a separate airport detention incident last month.

TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein says a call was made to confirm Ali’s identity when he arrived an at an airport check-in counter. She says he also was patted down because his jewelry set off a checkpoint scanner alarm.

Farbstein says the TSA doesn’t have the authority to detain passengers.

Ali believes he’s being stopped because he’s a Muslim.

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5:30 p.m.

A lawyer for Muhammad Ali’s son says he was detained and questioned at a Washington airport before being allowed to board a flight to Fort Lauderdale after meeting with lawmakers to discuss a separate airport detention incident last month.

Muhammad Ali Jr. was stopped at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after returning from Jamaica on Feb. 7. The late heavyweight champion’s son travelled to Washington on Wednesday to speak to members of a congressional subcommittee on border security about that experience.

On Friday, Attorney Chris Mancini says Ali was detained for 20 minutes as he attempted to board a JetBlue Airways flight. He spoke to Department of Homeland Security officials by telephone before he was allowed to board.

A spokeswoman for JetBlue referred questions to DHS officials.

Ali believes he’s being stopped because he’s a Muslim.