Re:Canadian journalist's detention at US border raises press...
by schoen on Saturday December 03, 2016 @12:07AM
(#13094417)
I didn't get a good feeling from your comment's contrast between "a woman from Jamaica" and "normal folks".
Surely being from Jamaica is a thing that normal folks do, if that's where they're from.
Re:Canadian journalist's detention at US border raises press...
by edblarney on Saturday December 03, 2016 @09:34AM
(#13095798)
A) At the Canadian / American physical border crossing, you get mostly Canadians and Americans, not other nationalities.
B) A lone Jamaican, with a car full of luggage
C) No travel reservations
D) Jamaica is a poor country, likely higher rates of immigration issues.
These are red flags.
The 'border game' is a game of probabilities.
Re:Canadian journalist's detention at US border raises press...
by Spoom on Friday December 02, 2016 @11:30PM
(#13094311)
Per your last comment, you'd likely hit a three year or ten year bar. If they determine that you ever lied to them about anything, they can bar you from entering the country for life.
Border staff often have a set of rules they have to follow, a lot of it is to ward off attempts at illegal migration.
Getting into America or Canada via that border is rather common.
When I was at the Canadian border once, a woman from Jamaica, with a carload of luggage was denied entry essentially on the same basis - no proof of return travel, reservations etc. - they essentially suspected she was trying to gain illegal status. Which is not entirely unreasonable in that case, but even then, tricky.
The rough part is how normal folks get caught up in the policies.
The one about dope is particularly pernicious - if you admit to 'having ever smoked dope' to American border agents - they can deny you entry for quite a long time. That one's a little crazy-crazy if you ask me, just a bad policy.