Fort Lauderdale: The son of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali was reportedly detained by immigration officials at a Florida airport and questioned about being Muslim.

Lawyer Chris Mancini has told Louisville's Courier-Journal 44-year-old Muhammad Ali Jr and his mother Khalilah Camacho-Ali, the second wife of Muhammad Ali, arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on February 7 after returning from Jamaica.

Mancini said officials questioned Ali Jr for nearly two hours, repeatedly asking him, "Where did you get your name from?" and "Are you Muslim?"

Officials continued questioning Ali Jr after acknowledging he was Muslim, he said.

Ali Jr was born in Philadelphia and holds a US passport.

US Customs and Border Protection officials say they "cannot discuss individual travellers but all international travellers arriving in the US are subject to CBP inspection".

AP