SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — A windowless room inside San Francisco International Airport is drawing scrutiny over how U.S. immigration authorities detain travelers, including lawful permanent residents.

Federal officials refer to the space as an “in-transit lounge,” but immigration attorneys and former detainees told the San Francisco Chronicle that conditions resemble detention.

A Chronicle investigation found that more than two dozen immigrants were held in the room this year, most of them green-card holders with prior arrests. Some remained there for more than three days, despite Customs and Border Protection guidelines generally limiting airport detention to 72 hours.

Federal data cited by the Chronicle shows CBP has held more than 400 people at international airports for longer than 72 hours since January, including 146 lawful permanent residents.

SFO recorded the second-highest number of extended detentions after Miami. Through July, 25 people were transferred from SFO to Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities after spending more than 72 hours at the airport. Nineteen of them were green-card holders.

Some detainees were also transported to SFO after arriving at other California airports.

One 67-year-old lawful permanent resident told the Chronicle that agents detained him after he arrived at Fresno Yosemite International Airport on a flight from Guadalajara, Mexico. He said officers handcuffed his hands and ankles before transporting him more than 180 miles to SFO.

The man, who has lived legally in the United States for 50 years, said he spent eight days in airport detention before being transferred to an ICE facility.

He described the experience as “psychological torture,” saying he slept upright in a chair under constant lighting, wore the same clothes throughout his detention and was unable to regularly check his blood sugar despite having diabetes.

He asked the Chronicle not to identify him because he feared publicity could affect his immigration status.

Immigration attorneys say travelers with prior arrests can be flagged during customs inspections, including in cases involving nonviolent offenses or records that have been expunged by state courts.

Travelers may then be questioned, separated from their luggage and phones, and moved into secured airport holding areas while immigration officials determine whether they can enter the country.

Attorneys told the Chronicle that lawful permanent residents were more frequently released after additional screening in previous years and given appointments for later immigration proceedings. They say some green-card and visa holders are now spending days in airport detention before being released or transferred to ICE custody.

Customs and Border Protection did not respond to the Chronicle’s detailed questions about the SFO cases.

CBP spokesperson Jaime Ruiz said the agency provides ports of entry with guidance requiring fair and dignified treatment and expects officers to follow federal law, regulations and court decisions.

Ruiz also said travelers seeking admission to the United States are responsible for establishing that they are eligible to enter.

Federal immigration law allows authorities to deny entry or begin removal proceedings in certain circumstances, including cases involving some criminal convictions.

The SFO cases have raised questions among immigration attorneys about compliance with detention limits, access to medical care and detainees’ ability to communicate with relatives and legal counsel.