trouble entering US

[FlatJack]

Sorry for the long post. I'm posting my story to ask advice as to what anyone recommends do from activist standpoint, is there any hope of having "sense" added to the Patriot Act?

I am a Canadian who lived half his life in the US. I was a landed immigrant to US in 1980 and lived there til '99, with a brief stint back in Canada for University. I am an honorably discharged veteran of the US Army. My whole family lives in the US, I married an American and I brought her back to Canada with me and we now have a 1.5 year old (Canadian) son.

On the US thanksgiving weekend I was traveling back to US to visit my brother and his family (in PA). We were stopped by customs, I was asked if I'd ever been arrested, to which I answered no.

My family and I were brought into an office with two way mirrors (and no heating as far as I could tell). I was brought into another room searched, frisked, told to come clean about my criminal record. I was pretty scared they had me mistaken for something serious. They were asking me questions about my job in Canada, I work in software development, they were asking me if I was a hacker, which scared me because I am not and don't appreciate being accused so flippantly, I was their amusement.

Long story short, they had found in my past (how I don't know) that I had been arrested for shoplifting in Canada in 1989, this was during my stint as a university student. I was relieved they brought up this long forgotten but minor infraction as I interpreted it. I thought to myself; is that all this is about?

I was denied entry into the US and now require an I-192 waiver for advanced permission to enter the US, about 9months and 300US$ later. Needless to say I won't be going "home for Christmas". I guess it's a new zero tolerance policy from the Patriot Act. Apparently it's common now, Canadians are denied entry for the most petty offence no matter how long ago.

This really burns me inside, I lived half my life in the US, my parents, brother all live there. I used to go to the US all the time. My LRRP platoon was on alert in Germany when Reagan bombed Tripoli, that's the closest I came to 'serving' in a hazardous environment but it was my small participation in the "war on terror". I was a somewhat gung-ho soldier back in the day (we called it hardcore, I volunteered for everything that made you wince). I find this a surreal sort of irony.

The way I was treated in Buffalo's dilapidated 50s era Customs offices and mocked by their questions because of the work I do really left a bitter taste. I went back to Canada that night and naturally got pulled over by Canadian Customs because of being denied entry to the US.

What a difference. I was treated with respect, was NOT made to wait for hours (trying to pacify a restless 1.5 year old baby) in a room with two way mirrors wondering what is going on. We were in and out of Canadian customs' modern open interiors in minutes. It made me proud to be Canadian and made me really feel bad for the sorry state of the reactionary US right now. I really, honestly love the US as much as such an abstract is possible, but needless to say we're not talking right now.

I'm tempted to tell US Customs to take their I-192 and stuff it and never set foot on US soil again! But I can't, I have a son who deserves to see his American in-laws and the rest of his immigrant Canadian family.

[The Doctor.]

1. Buffalo is headed the way of Detroit....

I have family who lived there and their politics are killing the community. People leave in droves and their solution to the loss of revenue is to raise taxes.

I'll bet Canada could buy Buffalo and Niagara Falls dirt cheap and get a lock on tourism.

(You'd have to replace all the officials though)

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. On behalf of the real americans that remain in this country,

I apologise.

I am reminded of the German Jewish WWI vets who, when arrested, pulled out their medals and said, "how can you do this to me?"

I have always thought the organization and duties of Homeland Security most closely resembled those of the Gestapo or KGB.

[hlthe2b]

3. I'm sorry for your experience, but apparently Canada is denying entrance

to Americans with any previous conviction--even on traffic violations, without going through a similar very extended and expensive effort to get a waiver or pardon, or whatever it is called.

I had planned a trip with three other college friends this Fall--two whom had "technical" DUIs 20 or more years ago and one who had a reckless driving conviction while driving though a small southern town's infamous "speed trap." We've been told to expect at least six to eight months to go through the process necessary. While I admire Canada's taking DWI seriously, I know that my own college town did frequent "traffic sweeps" during Greek initiation weeks and convinced those that they stopped but who were not obviously drunk to plead no contest, thereby knocking the fine down to $20 or so--that of a minor traffic offense... So, lots of students caught up in it did so, to avoid having to call someone for bail and having to go to court--even if they would not likely have failed a breathalyzer test. Little did they know it would leave them technically with a DUI conviction.

So, I don't know if the US bit is "tit for tat," but either way, it seems quite excessive.

[FlatJack]

4. it's bad for either side

sorry about that hlthe2b. It's equally wrong for either side I think. It's just taking advantage of our closness to play this game of "moral" superiority. If I were a Brit with DUIs I have to think it would take more than a casual glance at a computer screen to bring up my infractions. So in effect you only hurt those closest to you.

FJ

[Kellanved]

5. not trouble per se

But having to fill out all those forms and the Mugshot & Fingerprints sure is questionable and frightening - especially considering that there is no guarantee whatsoever regarding the use of that data.

It's the thing I really like when coming back to Europe: no queues, friendly officers and "just" a quick passport check. The US is behaving a lot like the GDR used to.