Immigration harrasment and possible mistreatment

[Tradewind 6]

I am not going to file a complaint. I now understand the system. I want them to catch the bad guys.

My wife will be fine. She just was annoyed with that treatment but I guess its the game they play or the duty they do.

I accept it and she will have to. The system is not perfect but I can accept how they do it to a certain extent.

[Tradewind 6]

From what all you have added and they drug test that was performed to me it sounds CBP was more suspicious if she was hauling drugs rather than anything else.

That’s a normal procedure why they are visiting who they are going to see and counter question back to her question what your husband is doing, where are his business etc.

Not everyone who enters US is always clean, you would not believe how much effort are put in bringing in drugs and entering US with counterfeit docs, entering US with fraudulent intent.

If she had like 6.5 months in US in a year that itself is another flag as in general even with multiple entry visa normally one is allowed to stay for max of 6 months in US.

The drug test (ion scan) was done in Panama before she got to Houston. It is normal to swipe purse and carry on's at the airport there. No mention of drugs in Houston USA immigration.

[Tradewind 6]

From what all you have added and they drug test that was performed to me it sounds CBP was more suspicious if she was hauling drugs rather than anything else.

That’s a normal procedure why they are visiting who they are going to see and counter question back to her question what your husband is doing, where are his business etc.

Not everyone who enters US is always clean, you would not believe how much effort are put in bringing in drugs and entering US with counterfeit docs, entering US with fraudulent intent.

If she had like 6.5 months in US in a year that itself is another flag as in general even with multiple entry visa normally one is allowed to stay for max of 6 months in US.

I thought it as 6 month max per visit. I am sure 99% it is, but not positive 100%

[Teddy B 17,252]

I thought it as 6 month max per visit. I am sure 99% it is, but not positive 100%

Yes 6 month max per visit, but it's not a revolving door. Rule of thumb is to spend more time in your home country than in the US or it appears you are living in the US. The number and frequency of trips also comes into play.

[Tradewind 6]

Yes 6 month max per visit, but it's not a revolving door. Rule of thumb is to spend more time in your home country than in the US or it appears you are living in the US. The number and frequency of trips also comes into play.

Is it implied not to be a revolving door or is it written?

One question they asked Whats your husbands name? Where does he live? Why is he in the United States?

[Teddy B 17,252]

Is it implied not to be a revolving door or is it written?

One question they asked Whats your husbands name? Where does he live? Why is he in the United States?

It is implied, but pretty much an unwritten rule. The more trips and more time in the states, the more scrutiny one will face as you have found out. Most people with normal lives and family cannot afford to be away from their home country for extended periods of time, so you can see why it looks suspect to border patrol. In my opinion your wife was pretty fortunate to be allowed entry this time.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Teddy B

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I thought it as 6 month max per visit. I am sure 99% it is, but not positive 100%

They prefer you spend only half a year in the US. So while some people successfully do multiple month visits, sometimes you get the one who flips out about it and is a stickler for the "rules".

Honestly it sounds to me like they are more suspicious of your relationship because they think she's living in the U.S. and that you're planning on filing for residency or something. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Like I said before. She did good with her answers or they wouldn't have let her through. She did good by not getting hysterical. She did good by not letting them see her cry.

[Boiler 45,486]

This is the land of the 2 week vacation.

[MrsB2012 10]

Hi There- I'm sorry to hear about how your wife was treated and just wanted to chime in... I'm a USC with a US passport and the last couple of times I returned from Denmark from visiting my now husband, I was grilled by the CBP officers. This happened twice at Dulles and once at Atlanta. I'm a 31 year old female and was traveling by myself each time. These entries were for visits that spanned over a 7 month period with the duration of my visits to Denmark lasting 6.5 weeks, 5.5 weeks and 4.5 weeks. (I had lost my job and had the time and means to travel quite a bit while I was looking for a new position)

I'm not quite sure why they asked me so many questions, some of which were borderline inappropriate, and why they were so skeptical of me. I guess what I'm getting at is that it doesn't matter if you're a citizen or tourist, everyone is subject to the same scrutiny.

As someone pointed out above, your wife is a 29 yr old female, traveling alone from a country known for drug trafficking and has had several entries into the US in the past year. If I were the CBP officer, I would have been skeptical too... Good thing is that she's here now. Just be careful because next time they might not let her into the country...

[Harsh_77 718]

I thought it as 6 month max per visit. I am sure 99% it is, but not positive 100%

6 months is not per visit 6 months in a year, I am not sure is Panama is a corridor for drug transport but what I was pointing was either here or in Panama if they feel a person is having unusual movements, frequent trips etc.

They can think she was a drug carrier and hence a little more questioning, as in most cases when drug carrier are questioned more who they are visiting and what they will be doing etc. they break down.

[hmh33 117]

Guess what I'm getting at is that it doesn't matter if you're a citizen or tourist, everyone is subject to the same scrutiny.

As a US citizen with guaranteed entry to the USA, what's to stop you from telling CBP to go piss up a rope? How much questioning are you legally obliged to endure? Do you have to answer?

[Moomin 292]

OP, your wife has a tourist visa so she can enter the US, right?

Here are your words;

My wife entered the USA today after visiting her family in Colombia. I am here in California waiting for her and we plan to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas here. I did not want to spend a month in her family home with her parents and 4 brothers and sisters so I remained in the US. . ]We normally live in Panama and she entered the country with a flight return itinerary to return in January to Panama.

As far as I know, unless she's been in home country as well, then the i94 (original entry date) is not reset. Meaning she could've traveled directly from US to Columbia and then back to US. Is her home country Panama? If so, the clock is not reset by traveling to another country and back to US. If home country is Panama, then she's still more or less living 50/50 in the US with you.

But yes, file a complaint, that's about the best advise anyone can give you.

Edited November 9, 2012 by moomin

[MrsB2012 10]

As a US citizen with guaranteed entry to the USA, what's to stop you from telling CBP to go piss up a rope? How much questioning are you legally obliged to endure? Do you have to answer?

Exactly. Pretty ridiculous. Yes, of course you have to answer. I looked at the CBP in Atlanta and said, "Are you done yet??? I'm about to miss my connecting flight..." Then he stamped my passport and told me to have a safe trip. Two times going through Dulles, I was asked about my job, where I worked, how long, what I did there, how much time off I get per year, whether or not I liked my job, etc. I was actually unemployed but said that I had a job because I didn't want further questioning about how I was able to afford so many trips over to Europe. I was also asked where I had been, who I was visiting, why was he living in Denmark, how long had I known him, where did I meet him, did I stay with him the entire duration of my trip, etc, etc. I wanted to stare at them and say, "SERIOUSLY???", but I didn't. I've never once had an issue flying into Los Angeles, in fact, it's usually fastest there.

[Teddy B 17,252]

As a US citizen with guaranteed entry to the USA, what's to stop you from telling CBP to go piss up a rope? How much questioning are you legally obliged to endure? Do you have to answer?

Give this a try and then come back and let us know how you made out with that.

[Harsh_77 718]

As a US citizen with guaranteed entry to the USA, what's to stop you from telling CBP to go piss up a rope? How much questioning are you legally obliged to endure? Do you have to answer?

They can question you to their hearts content.... if one is USC does not mean they cannot question you.

Most cases they cannot refuse an entry to USC... but they can definately question USC about the visit, what they have in the luggage etc.

Worst case scenario they can detain a USC, put thru drug screening (which is time consuming) and make you miss your connections (if you have any).