Customs issues - coming back into the USA

[Liz10976 0]

Has anyone ever had any problems coming back into the USA with an expired green card and the one year extension letter? My husband and I went to the UK a month ago to visit friends/family and had no problems coming back. He went back to the UK for 5 days without me and coming back in thru JFK they pulled him aside - in a nasty way and questioned the heck out of him! They even went as far as to question his extension letter saying it could've been fake. They kept him about 20-30 minutes. Good thing he had an hour and a half layover! Is there anyway to complain about how they treat those that have all of the proper documentation?? He's afraid to travel anywhere until the 10 year green card comes - and that's probably not until July at the slow rate they are moving!

[Ladylethal 12]

Probably just a nasty agent on a bad day. I think they randomly pick people to be nasty to so the idea of a tough customs remains up in the air so people don't try to abuse it?

I'm sorry he went through this, I am going to Brasil on August and hope I don't have these issues.

[payxibka 10,045]

Has anyone ever had any problems coming back into the USA with an expired green card and the one year extension letter? My husband and I went to the UK a month ago to visit friends/family and had no problems coming back. He went back to the UK for 5 days without me and coming back in thru JFK they pulled him aside - in a nasty way and questioned the heck out of him! They even went as far as to question his extension letter saying it could've been fake. They kept him about 20-30 minutes. Good thing he had an hour and a half layover! Is there anyway to complain about how they treat those that have all of the proper documentation?? He's afraid to travel anywhere until the 10 year green card comes - and that's probably not until July at the slow rate they are moving!

Customs did this or was it passport control?

[jasminelily 1]

That's one of the reasons that I refused to travel and move, of course there are other reasons like the application fees took up all my savings so I don't have money to pay for the air fare and got stuck in a little bitty rent place (ain't got money saved to buy a house).

I'm sorry that happened to your husband. If he wrote down the customs name, he might be able to make a complain. But all they're going to say is "sorry, will do an internal review that leads to never ending investigation = no result needed because you're going to give up/ not enough patience to fight with them". Also, unless there is recording with voice, then it's a "you say I say" case. Too bad the burden of proof always lies on us, not lies on the government to prove otherwise, that's the attitude after 9/11.

[shakysgirl 1]

I'm really sorry that happened to him- a similar situation happened to my husband while he was with me and our two American children in August. It was terrible and I was so angry I swear it's a good thing we had the kids with us or I would have ended up arrested! They were nasty and awful to my husband and his green card wasn't even expired at that point! We won't travel on the expired green card with extension- I know loads of people do without any problems but I won't take the risk. Too upsetting. I will never go through JFK again until my husband has his American passport.