Detained at Customs

[SalishSea 17,970]

OP,  does your fiancé still want to be with you if the US green card is off the table, and you’d have to permanently move to Nigeria?  Might be a good question for him…..

[SteveInBostonI130 3,471]

41 minutes ago, Shelldb said:

CBP called using the airport phone. 

 

 Thank you.  This rules out the possibility of fraud.  

 

Please let us know how this works out.  I believe you mentioned that you will seek a lawyer on Monday.  Do a free consultation and ask if they had any experience in similar cases.  Some lawyers can lead you to believe they can help, only to find out later they never had experience with K1 visa revokes by CBP.

 

My intuition is that they saw the text about "Fake Marriage" in your chat and marked that as a reason, not because of suspected marriage fraud (or this could be a secondary reason), but because of being married when the K1 requires the beneficiary to be single to enter.  

[Redro 4,611]

In all seriousness, @Shelldb I am sorry this is happening to you. 

And I feel for your partner. 

 

Being taken to secondary is not a fun experience. And being held at the airport for two nights sounds extremely unpleasant. 

I've read O'Hare is one of the unfriendliest airports when it comes to international arrivals. If something was "off" about your partner's answers when he arrived. 

Referring to you as "my wife", not knowing where he was going to stay, being evasive with answers I can see why he might be pulled into secondary and had his phone searched. 

 

If you want to move forward with this relationship, you should request a FOIA so you can read through the incident. 

A month or so ago, another USC's girlfriend was deported and the FOIA they received helped them understand the steps they'd need to take to stay together. 

 

As @Family mentioned. If you want to continue the relationship, this will be an extremely long and expensive process (think 3-4 years). You will have to take more trips to Nigeria and you might have to hire a lawyer and file a waiver (maybe 2). If money is not an issue. Go for it! 

 

But, you've mentioned you do not trust him and last week you believed he might be using you. So, personally, I would protect my wallet and my heart and walk away from this relationship. 

 

With the options in front of you. I would actually prefer he entered the US without issues and had decided to live in the US without adjusting through you. 

Better to know you were scammed and can start re-building your life as opposed to not really knowing the status of your relationship and if you can trust your partner. 

Edited May 22, 2022 by ROK2USA

[Ryan H 3,818]

**Derailing post removed.**

[Ted277 40]

8 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

How would the luggage of a detained traveller be able to be picked up?  That makes no sense.  They would never separate the luggage from someone they intend to deport/deny admission to.

 

6 hours ago, African Zealot said:

I think this thread is getting derailed. Whether he put his baggage on the next flight personally or someone else did or not is immaterial. We have already alerted OP that some of the things don’t sound right and it could be a scam. She’s received calls from border patrol which convinces her it’s not a scam. We should accept that part.

 

I think going forward postings should be focused on helping her with this ban etc, not questioning those extraneous inconsistencies about whether yhe said fake marriage or fake engagement etc. It couldn’t be a fake marriage because there’s no marriage.
 

OP, my understanding is your phone calls and senator and attorney can do absolutely nothing to revive the k1. It is totally dead. Next thing is to FOIA to make sure you know exactly what went on, go visit and marry him if you still want to continue, apply for Cr1 with a ban waiver and wait.

 

Nothing more to add really. Namaste and good luck.

It’s crazy how people neglect the call for help and start saying rubbish that doesn’t make sense and still want OP to answer their stupid questions. She asked for help, and you guys are making her regret asking for help here. That’s why I won’t ask for help in this platform anymore. They act like they care but make fun of your problem, say and leave without giving a single help. 

[SalishSea 17,970]

9 minutes ago, Ted277 said:

 

It’s crazy how people neglect the call for help and start saying rubbish that doesn’t make sense and still want OP to answer their stupid questions. She asked for help, and you guys are making her regret asking for help here. That’s why I won’t ask for help in this platform anymore. They act like they care but make fun of your problem, say and leave without giving a single help. 

This is a forum where anyone may respond to posts.  She is getting feedback on her situation.

 

If what you mean by "help" is placating and saying "everything is going to be okay," then no, that isn't usually the feedback given here.  

[TBoneTX 45,649]

Another post has been removed, and its author is warned that unpleasant administrative action is next if there's one more such instance.

 

VJ Moderation

[TBoneTX 45,649]

7 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

She is getting feedback on her situation.

In addition, exceptional effort has been expended in trying to wring the facts and happenings from the OP, and in trying to make sense of what has been learned.

[SalishSea 17,970]

Just now, TBoneTX said:

In addition, exceptional effort has been expended in trying to wring the facts and happenings from the OP, and in trying to make sense of what has been learned.

Yup.  It's a conundrum for sure, and without knowing the details, it is difficult to give specific advice as to OP's next step.

[Timona 4,208]

1. I've read everything, even the post by OP showing CBP phone number that called her.

2. I've also read and understood the baggage transfer. 

 

Now, having a knowledge or two about how scams happen, I won't be surprised that though that number is CBP, it actually wasn't CBP. Yes, there are ways to do that. My own number has called me a few times. So, it wouldn't be hard for someone to use CBP contact of POE to call you. Is this what is called spooking? I don't know.

 

Anyway, you do know these numbers are public and can easily be found online. Best way to find out is call CBP yourself or go to them at the airport. 

 

My bet is that he's already in US at someone else's house.

 

You should have booked his ticket yourself and not use a travel agent. The travel agent might be on this too. Had you booked it yourself, you would have had better information if he indeed did board or not.

 

How old are you two? @Shelldb

Edited May 22, 2022 by Timona

[Maki&Kiki 123]

Did he perhaps try to marry somebody else from USA in the past and CBP found that out? That mighthav triggered them to go through his phone and check if the relationship is real. They seen whatsup messages showing relationship was not doing well. OP stated that she believes that she was being used for green card and that there were some red flags..Who knows what else they found on his phone. Sorry that this happened to you. 

[Redro 4,611]

Reading through the entire thread. 

 

Reasons to believe OP's fiance was stopped by CBP and refused entry.

 

1.) He entered on the 19th and she was contacted twice on the 19th (according to screenshots provided). 

2.) He is flying via Qatar. Qatar Airways is in the One World Alliance. American Airlines and British Airways are part of that alliance. 

3.) She called the airline to ask about his whereabouts and they told her he didn't board his flight out of Chicago.

3.) She has called CBP and they've given her some information (the flight he is booked on and when he is flying). - She says she contacted American Airlines but I'm not sure if a worker is authorized to give a stranger someone's flight details. 

 

Reasons to think it is a scam and the partner has a friend calling her and pretending to be CBP:

 

1.) Stating the passport has been stamped "fake marriage" One thinks they would stamp it with the code for misrepresentation... 

2.) Giving information about the nature of the chats and stating "They fight too much and she doesn't love him". Who relayed the information? The fiance or CBP?

3.) The third call asking OP if she picked up his luggage. In my experience, you have to re-check your luggage when transferring from INTL to domestic. And if OP's partner arrived in Terminal 5 at O'Hare I'm wondering how the luggage got from baggage pick up to the flight leaving from Terminal 3.... 

 

My money is on he is on a flight back to Qatar right now. And he will be in Nigeria on Sunday or Monday depending on layovers. 

If this is a scam and OP's partner is still in the US with an authorized stay of 90 days I am extremely impressed by the thoroughness of the plan. 

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by ROK2USA

[Shelldb 44]

5 hours ago, Timona said:

1. I've read everything, even the post by OP showing CBP phone number that called her.

2. I've also read and understood the baggage transfer. 

 

Now, having a knowledge or two about how scams happen, I won't be surprised that though that number is CBP, it actually wasn't CBP. Yes, there are ways to do that. My own number has called me a few times. So, it wouldn't be hard for someone to use CBP contact of POE to call you. Is this what is called spooking? I don't know.

 

Anyway, you do know these numbers are public and can easily be found online. Best way to find out is call CBP yourself or go to them at the airport. 

 

My bet is that he's already in US at someone else's house.

 

You should have booked his ticket yourself and not use a travel agent. The travel agent might be on this too. Had you booked it yourself, you would have had better information if he indeed did board or not.

 

How old are you two? @Shelldb

I did call CBP a couple of times, it was definitely them. I booked the reservation myself through British Airways and Yes, when he didn’t show up I went to American Airlines ticketing agent and they advised he was not on the flight. I contacted AA again and got his new flight information. I wasn’t born yday. 

[African Zealot 1,455]

Why are posters working extra hard to assert that the call from CBP was a scam despite OP confirming multiple times that it wasn’t? I really don’t get it! Because the fiancé is from Nigeria?

 

Are there some brownie points for catching a scam that perhaps I am missing?

[Ted277 40]

46 minutes ago, African Zealot said:

Why are posters working extra hard to assert that the call from CBP was a scam despite OP confirming multiple times that it wasn’t? I really don’t get it! Because the fiancé is from Nigeria?

 

Are there some brownie points for catching a scam that perhaps I am missing?

I just don’t get it man. If the fiancé is from UK, they won’t be working this hard I guess.