Oh, it has been bad for a while. It is just that now they feel more emboldened than ever. And they are on a mission: the officials want to be the heroes. How bullying old ladies is going to make US safer/them heroes is beyond my comprehension. But they hope someone, one of the bullied people, will suddenly unleash a suicide vest. Then, they can see: see, I tod you, they were all our enemies. They envy us, they hate our way of life. They deserve to be treated like that. Then the officials and those who think like them will feel vindicated.
nope.
Previously an electronic finger print machine was there to take thumb and index finger prints.
The only time I was made to take full 10 finger prints was when I got naturalized.
Furtermore, there was a voluntary setup wher epeople provided voluntarily their personal information so they could get expedite transit and avoid the long queues. However, there are reports of people who already signed in for this program and used it before but are now being detained and questioned.
Iâm sure youâre right. Somebody needs to check on these immigration officials because any such abuse of power is dangerous, and also because this is bad for the US.
One out of every 18 Americans is employed, either directly or indirectly, in a travel or tourism-related industry.
https://www.selectusa.gov/travel-tourism-and-hospitality-industry-united-states
Yeap. Since GW Bush and continuing under Obama.
Though she mentioned it was her 117th visit to the USA. No time period was given. And they were questioning her about illegal work. Honestly, I would be suspicious if someone came in 117 times in a short period. Still they could have been a bit nicer.
I think that was the whole point of the article- that they werenât nicer and instead were insolent jerks.
I am a human being, so I do understand that these people might not be well-trained, but they now have carte blanche to be as horrible and belligerent as they want. Theyâve gone mad â theyâve got all the power that they want but they donât have the training.
They made me feel like such a crushed, mashed, hopeless old lady and I am a feisty, strong, articulated English speaker. I kept thinking that if this were happening to me, a person who is white, articulate, educated and fluent in English, what on earth is happening to people who donât have my power?
Like Icon mentioned, I think the officials have been emboldened in recent weeks.
Theyâve been bad for a long time. My worst experience was entering the US with my gf at the timeâŚthe immigration guy was just looking her up and down saying he liked Chinese girls himself and then casually mentioning eh didnât have to let me in because my passport looked a bit grotty.
Scum.
I think I have been in and out the States over 30 times, I think, including periods of residence/work, in like 20 years. The writer is nearly 60, in her lifetime she probably has been in and out 100 times, like I will probably be at her age. Heck if anyone traveling from Australia can be in and out of the US say,50 times in a year. In one piece I mean.
As for frequent travelers, we had these bunch of ladies who traveled every 2 weeks, once a month to the States, bought loads of clothes in LA, and took them back to the ol country for resale. I wonder how they are doing now. And yes, they paid taxes, and local hotels, and local food and transportation. They were a sure thing and great customers, experienced and organized like clockwork. But such logic is beyond the current batch of customs officials.
amazing ! Trump the great divider.
Other countries whos citizens are subject to such abuse should do the same to Americans visiting their countries.
tit for tat.
No. That is what they want. We are not like that and we should not do it.
Plus remember all the criticism when the Brazilians decided to also do fingerprinting and taking pictures? Remember the pilots flipping the bird?
No, its time the Americans got a taste of their own mediciine. And I am an American.
No. Please donât. Most of us Americans are just as sickened about these types of reports as you are.
I dont mean mistreating old ladies and old men and pregnant women. I mean being very visa conscious as well.
And what people can do is to NOT visit the USA , unless business requires. Go elsewhere. Go to Europe. Asia, Canada, Oz, anywhere but here (in the USA).
We got 100 thousand US residents in the ol country alone. Over a million tourists. And not enough manpower/infraestructure.
Personally, I refuse to renew my US visa. I will not transit nor visit. Not worth it. They are just holding their breath so something will happen to justify this and worse stuff to come, so better get out of the way.
America does have legitimate concerns after 911. But there should be better tools then the TSA (many members of which are apparently tools themselves).
Still, I think if you have a visa and are polite, for the most part you should be fine. Except if you hold citizenship from the nations that the Donald holds particularly worthy of âspecial mentionâ or have travelled there.
The US is turning into a Police State.
Just a shout out for the TSA though. Its a tough job. Hardly fun. Grim really. Garbage collectors might have more fun with their job.
The bottom line is: is the US any safer now? Donât think so.
I have never had any trouble with American immigration workers. Always friendly to me.
The only time I thought I was going to get refused entry to a country was Canada actually, at Langley.
In Hawaii and Guam they were a jovial bunch. Definitely got the aloha spirit. Leaving Guam at Christmas, the passport inspector there was a young guy having a right laugh with all the Koreans. He had my kids and I creasing up.
If this incident is true . It is deplorable indeed.
Details are lacking. He says he lived legally, but did not mention if he had a green card. He might have been living on a student visa for part of it, then a tourist visa like many non-Taiwanese in Taiwan do. The US does issue a 10-year travel visa. If he had a valid green card, I donât think he would have been kicked out so easily.
Yeah i was thinking the same. We need details. DId he have a valid green card? Or was he in fact living illegally in NYC and this was his first trip out of the USa and he was trying to get back in. He may have thought he was legal but in fact he wasnt