I am no stranger to political repression and censorship. I lived in Germany for five years and as a Palestinian journalist involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy, I suffered repeated harassment at the hands of the German authorities.

My husband, a German citizen, I am an American citizen, and have become accustomed to being held for hours at a time, being subjected to invasive interrogation about our travels, and having a thorough search of our property without clear reasons. However, we are shocked to find that these strategies aimed at intimidation and weakening have now been adopted by the United States to target Palestinians in the ongoing genocide.

I have always known that citizenship offers limited protection only, especially when objections are involved. But deep down, I still believe that freedom of speech, fearless right to speak means something in my country of birth.

I was wrong. The harassment we suffered when we arrived in the United States on March 24 undermined this fantasy. Our Palestinian identity, our political work, our family relationships - all of which make us permanent goals not only in Germany, but now in the United States.

Before departure, four agents approached me as we were at the gate of Frankfurt Airport and identified themselves as DHS officials. They said they were looking for my husband and they just bought water and juice for our son for the time being.

"We just want to make sure your ESTA visa is organized," said one of them.

They took his passport, flipped over it and took pictures of each page, while one of them stayed on the phone, conveying the message. They asked about our visit to Gaza in 2022 after seeing the Rafah border stamp.

"Where are you going to Gaza?" asked an agent.
"Khan Yunis," my husband replied.
“Where is your family living now?”
“It’s everywhere,” he said. "Due to the war, they lived in the tents that Russ brought."
"What did you do while you were there?"
"Visited family," he replied.

It's obvious that we're targeting. I didn't see other passengers accepting similar checks. This means that the DHS is either actively studying passengers before leaving the United States, or (even more disturbing) German authorities are communicating directly with the Department of Homeland Security to mark the background and political activities of “suspicious” travelers.

After arriving at Newark Airport, NJ, my husband and I were separated and asked separately, and each of us was still holding a sleeping child. Those who question us do not identify with themselves. I believe they are DHS agents, not border police.

They first asked me about the purpose of my trip and my trip to Gaza. They wonder who I met in Gaza, why I met them, and whether anyone I met was affiliated with Hamas. At one point, an official deliberately became ambiguous, rather than mentioning Hamas, and asked “anyone in (my) family is part of the Gaza government”.

Once, they asked me if I had encountered violence by Israeli soldiers and I replied, “Israeli soldiers are not in Gaza in 2022.”

“Did anyone in your family experience violence during this war?”
"Yes," I replied. "Fifty people were killed."
"Does there any Hamas supporters among them?" is the response I received.

It seems that political affiliation can justify incineration of a family. It is like children, elders, mothers, who are reduced to numbers, must first be questioned for their loyalty before they can admit death.

They knew I was a journalist, so they asked to know the last article I wrote and what was published. I told them that this is Mondoweiss’ work on Mahmoud Khalil’s kidnapping, in which I also warn the dangers of Trump administration policies. This seems to add to their scrutiny. They asked for my email address, my social media account, and wrote down my phone number without explanation.

Then they took our phone. When I asked what would happen if I refused, they made it clear that I had no choice. If I don't comply, my cell phone will still be taken from me and if my husband doesn't comply, he will be deported.

When they finally returned to our electronics, they sent my husband a shocking warning: "You have no problem here seven times. Stay away from political activities and everything will be fine."

The legal counsel then advised me not to attend any demonstrations during our stay, not even myself. Our actions, our words, and even our silence are under surveillance, and anything can be used with us.

What happened to us was not random. This is intentional. Its purpose is to scare and intimidate us. Whether in Germany, in the United States or elsewhere, the goals of these strategies are the same: make us feel small, isolated, sinful, and fearful. They want us to doubt the value of every word we write, question every protest we join to devour every truth before reaching our lips. They want us to forget the people we lost.

Fifty members of our family were murdered in a US-backed genocide in Gaza. Under the roar of bombs and the silence of the world, fifty souls have their own dreams, laughter and love. The stories of our family are no different from those of thousands of others – these stories disappear from the headlines but live forever in the hearts of survivors.

They want us to quietly bear this unbearable weight, bow and continue to live as if our world is not torn apart. But we don't bow.

This is why they fear us; they fear someone who refuses to disappear. Palestinians who dare to speak, organize, simply witness are marked as dangerous.

I was warned that talking about our experience at the airport would make the next encounter even more severe and even more punishing. But we must remember: There is nothing this country can do about us and can compare with what the people of Gaza do. Our passport is just paper. Our phones are just metal and glass. These are things they can confiscate, things they can destroy. But they cannot eliminate our voices, our memories and our commitment to justice.

On our way out, the officer asked my husband the last question: "What do you think of Hamas? Are they okay?"

He replied: "I am worried about fighting genocide, which has given the lives and freedom of my family and my people. I am not interested in answering anything else."

That should be all our attention. Nothing can disperse our urgency, the undeniable fact: a person is being slaughtered and our responsibility is to stand with them.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own views and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.