The superintendent of a Vermont public school system says federal authorities detained and interrogated him for hours at a Houston airport this week after returning to the US from Nicaragua.

Wilmer Chavarría, 36, said he was whisked away by federal Customs and Border Protection agents Monday evening while attempting to use the Global Entry program at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. He was eventually separated from his husband and questioned for four to five hours in what he described as a “bizarre” and “traumatizing” experience.

During the encounter, Chavarría said, agents made homophobic remarks, threatened him and denied him access to an attorney.

“I don’t wish this on anybody,” he said. “It’s utterly terrifying, as a US citizen, to be told you have no rights and you should stop talking about your rights.”

A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Chavarría’s detention was first reported by Seven Days, a Burlington newspaper.

Chavarría was born in a refugee camp on the border of Honduras and Nicaragua during the Nicaraguan Revolution. After completing high school in Canada, he moved to the US for college in 2008 and attained his citizenship a decade later. He remains a dual citizen of Nicaragua.

A former teacher and principal, Chavarría has served for two years as superintendent of schools in Winooski, just outside of Burlington. The most diverse school district in the state, it drew notice earlier this year when it adopted a “sanctuary school” policy seeking to prevent federal authorities from using school resources to enforce immigration laws.

Chavarría’s own family has firsthand experience with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. His brother, sister-in-law and two nieces chose to “self-deport” from Vermont to Nicaragua earlier this year after losing temporary immigration protections. The local high school held an early graduation ceremony for the nieces prior to their departure.

During Chavarría’s detention this week, he said, agents appeared focused on inspecting his electronic devices, including a personal cell phone and a district-issued tablet and laptop. Chavarría said he repeatedly made clear that the agents were welcome to search his personal files but not those pertaining to the district, citing student confidentiality laws. He ultimately allowed them to inspect the devices, once they promised not to access work-related files.

At various points during the questioning, Chavarría said, agents appeared skeptical that he was a school superintendent and that he was married to his husband, Cyrus Dudgeon.

“I don’t know how many married couples have to prove to the United States government that they are real,” Chavarría said.

The two were kept apart as agents questioned Chavarría.

“It felt frightening not knowing what was happening to Wilmer,” Dudgeon said.

Chavarría was eventually released without any explanation as to why he had been detained. He and Dudgeon missed their connecting flight. The next day, Chavarría received notice that he had been terminated from the Global Entry program. He said he expects to visit family in Nicaragua again but is “terrified of doing so.”

Nicole Mace, vice president of the Winooski School Board, said she was “outraged” by Chavarría’s treatment.

“I don’t recognize this country anymore,” she said. “What is happening? It’s horrifying.”