Immigration harrasment and possible mistreatment

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Yes she told the complete truth to them. Lying to Federal agent is 5 years I have been told. Not to mention losing visa privledges.

I wasn't suggesting lying, but rather asking if she mentioned those pertinent facts right away.

[Xanax 349]

Sounds standard. Enjoy Thanksgiving/ Christmas.

[Tradewind 6]

I wasn't suggesting lying, but rather asking if she mentioned those pertinent facts right away.

I am sure she did when asked. She was quite confused why she was being grilled. I knew you were not suggesting she was lying. I appreciate your comments.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Tradewind

[ANC_____007 4]

this is horrible and i can't believe how everyone here is justifying what was done to his wife. This is not humane and this is just ridiculous. We are just forgetting that as human we have some rights and we have rights to be treated with respect, doesn't matter who it is.. they all should be treating her with some respect. if they don't want her to be in the country, then deny her .. dont give her the visa, or dont allow her to come to USA, but don't disrespect her and humiliate her like this. why are we accepting this as "standard procedure"? what is so Standard about it?

is that the standard we have to live by now? come on guys.. we deserve to be treated as human first and if you want to discriminate certain people, then dont hide it. Now i know many of you here will say no no it is not discrimination... how is it ok for you to go from England to USA on 90 day visa as many times as you want, but not ok for her to travel to USA with a visit visa? why they are humiliating her but not other visitors from european countries?

I think we need to say "NO" it is not ok for them to do it and stand up for it.

[Boiler 45,525]

There have been plenty of posts on a similar basis from people using the VWP.

There is actually one ongoing now.

[JTB11 1,079]

this is horrible and i can't believe how everyone here is justifying what was done to his wife. This is not humane and this is just ridiculous. We are just forgetting that as human we have some rights and we have rights to be treated with respect, doesn't matter who it is.. they all should be treating her with some respect. if they don't want her to be in the country, then deny her .. dont give her the visa, or dont allow her to come to USA, but don't disrespect her and humiliate her like this. why are we accepting this as "standard procedure"? what is so Standard about it?

is that the standard we have to live by now? come on guys.. we deserve to be treated as human first and if you want to discriminate certain people, then dont hide it. Now i know many of you here will say no no it is not discrimination... how is it ok for you to go from England to USA on 90 day visa as many times as you want, but not ok for her to travel to USA with a visit visa? why they are humiliating her but not other visitors from european countries?

I think we need to say "NO" it is not ok for them to do it and stand up for it.

I cant help but respond to your comment. I am European and was visiting my fiance on ESTA, which technically should allow you multiple entries of up to 90 days (we were not engaged then). I had been there for 3 months in 2011/2012 and then came back again after 4 month break for 2 more months and each time I was given a hard time - very hard time. At first I was very upset because I was being asked questions that were irrelevant (so i thought) and was even sent aside to have a second interview the first time around.

Honestly, after my anger surpassed, I realized that it is their job to ask you questions and make sure that you are not misusing your visa. It is so because many people do misuse it which makes it hard for everyone else. I know it is not a nice feeling especially when all you want to do is visit someone you love and spend as much time as possible with them but that is how it is. I ended up apologizing to them for the fact that I did come for extended time period even if it was within regulations. I did not overstay or break any rules but I can also appreciate why it would have been suspicious.

Point being - this is not a country specific thing. Everyone who is in any way "suspicious" will be grilled no matter what country they come from. What is on your side is the truth, in my opinion. I had answered all the questions I was asked truthfully and was let thru and will not be coming back this year for sure

[Xanax 349]

ANC, it appears you are unaware of what actually takes place when someone comes from a vwp country. They are held to the same standards at POE as any other vistor. This is not discrimination, this is CBP doing their job(s).

[CJ8611 6]

They are just doing their jobs. I experienced the same when I traveled to the US with my husband, shortly after our wedding here at home. I was questioned, or rather, interrogated, for almost an hour, and my husband too. And they twisted some of the stories. 2 officers questioned me alternately. I even remember one officer telling me "You bought a $1000 ticket so you can hang out with your husband for a month after your wedding? I'm not buying that" Haha! I was so tempted to say yes I can afford it. But rather, I just said "Yes, I don't know what else to say, that's the truth." They kept on saying, are you sure you are telling the truth? You're not going to change your status while here in the US? etc.

I too have traveled a few times to the US before we got married, but those other times I visited relatives, I just took some side trips to visit him.

I guess it's normal proceedings when travelling to the US on tourist visa, but married to a USC. But with my experience, I didn't find them rude, just really inquisitive, just like the ones you see on the tv series CSI when they interrogate suspects, lol!

[bigdog 376]

i would assume that if they are beginning to question her traveling here and married to a USC, it may eventually result in a non entry, don't be surprised.

[Tradewind 6]

Holy smokes.

My wife arrived last night after immigration basically forced her to miss her flight. I have a whole set of new facts to report when I get it straight. 6:42 am here on the West Coast. I will describe in detail to you all after she wakes up and I review the story again.

She was crying when she called so I go some of the facts mixed up. The drug test for her clothes and bag was when she passed through Panama, Nothing in USA

I will be back reporting on this in about 3-4 hours. It will surprise everyone I think. We talked very late and we were both tired, I just want to get the facts straight.

I have to fly to Key West this week and back, gone for about 5 days to attend to our sailboat. I am passing through Houston, I am tempted to go to this guy (immigration officer) his superior and complain.

This whole thing was about personal irrelevant questions (at least to her). It was simply to intimidate her and whatever their job description does or doesn't say.

Nothing to do with multiple entry, nothing to do with how long she stayed before, nothing to do about misusing her visa.

She had a return airline ticket and he did not even ask about it until she brought it up. She was not crying at the interview, she was mad but she held it back and was respectful to the agent. She was crying on the phone with me not with them.

I think everyone will be surprised at the questions asked to her. Stay tuned

P.S. It was not sexual

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Interesting, I thought the drug part was the most outlandish, and it turns out it didn't happen in the US. Is it true it was just for residue on her clothes? That's not a big deal.

Sorry she went through this, I'd focus on the fact that she made it and you are together now.

[dsmiami 0]

I am angry for you. They may have just been doing their job but in general CBP folks are a*holes.

Maybe its the high stress nature of their jobs, maybe its the fact that they have a god complex, maybe they feel inadequate that their purpose in life is stamping passports .

We put up with too much ####### from them because they hold our fate in our hands. We have to be all 'Yes sir" and "no sir" and be nice to them although they treat us and our loved ones like lesser beings.

f' em.

[Tradewind 6]

Very well said and written. Yes I believe it was a big power trip. I am 64 my wife is 29 and attractive in a nice girl mode.

The agent was around 28 with a big big attitude and power trip. Lots of questions to her about me. We went through interviews with the Panama embassy to get her visa. Turned down once and then approved the 2nd time with help from a US Senator. Everything about me and her should be on record. The whole thing was nonsense. I will have more info later on the questions he asked.

[Tradewind 6]

Their job must be boring and this was a way to spice it up. Take an attractive woman and exert max power for her. He put her in a mindset that he was about to deport her. Scare tactics and intimidation to the max. I guess thats the way they work to scare out the terrorists and the mules. Duck em Go Ducks!

[rlogan 2,036]

Don't be surprised that people accept this kind of behavior. For one thing Americans in general believe the same thing that the border patrol does - that we are the master race. So we have to keep the mud people out of our castle. It is not strictly race-based, we call it "American Exceptionalism", but it is the same arrogance.

In my immigrant forefathers time there were no papers, no fees, no border patrol - you bought passage on a ship and that was it. That was the definition of a free country, and why they came here - to escape governments who gave this kind of power to their petty tyrants.

They were "just doing their job" is the defense offered at Nuremburg by the Nazis, and sure - that's what we're saying now too. But it is only a matter of time before the police state is so pervasive that the people watching it done to others have the same thing done to them. I won't find joy in that because I'll be in the gulag too.