Welcome To America, Again
There really is such a thing as the St. Peter Principle. Give a janitor a set of keys and he thinks he's St. Peter. That apparently is what is at work among Customs and Border Protection agents, if this article in today's NY Times is any indication.
Here's the back story: an Italian boyfriend has been coming over to visit his American girlfriend rather frequently. He's well-off, so the trips are possible. The last time, however, a suspicious agent decided not to let him in, or to let him go home. The hapless Italian was detained, and like the detainees in Guantanamo, the man suddenly had absolutely no rights.
Though citizens of those nations do not need visas to enter the United States for as long as 90 days, their admission is up to the discretion of border agents. There are more than 60 grounds for finding someone inadmissible, including a hunch that the person plans to work or immigrate, or evidence of an overstay, however brief, on an earlier visit.
While those turned away are generally sent home on the next flight, “there are occasional circumstances which require further detention to review their cases,” Ms. De Cima said. And because such “arriving aliens” are not considered to be in the United States at all, even if they are in custody, they have none of the legal rights that even illegal immigrants can claim. [Emphasis added.]
A hunch: that's all it takes. Now there's some key-waving with a vengeance, eh?
So the Italian, Mr. Salerno, was taken in shackles to a local jail, where he was kept for over ten days. Lawyers retained by the girlfriend's family were unable to get him released. Even Sen. John Warner of Virginia was unable to get him released. Then the American girlfriend, Ms. Cooper, sent an email to the NY Times about the whole situation and a reporter called the Customs and Border Protection agency asking about the situation. Within 24 hours Mr. Salerno was finally released and put on a plane back to Italy.
And this is keeping us safer?
251 days
Here's the back story: an Italian boyfriend has been coming over to visit his American girlfriend rather frequently. He's well-off, so the trips are possible. The last time, however, a suspicious agent decided not to let him in, or to let him go home. The hapless Italian was detained, and like the detainees in Guantanamo, the man suddenly had absolutely no rights.
Though citizens of those nations do not need visas to enter the United States for as long as 90 days, their admission is up to the discretion of border agents. There are more than 60 grounds for finding someone inadmissible, including a hunch that the person plans to work or immigrate, or evidence of an overstay, however brief, on an earlier visit.
While those turned away are generally sent home on the next flight, “there are occasional circumstances which require further detention to review their cases,” Ms. De Cima said. And because such “arriving aliens” are not considered to be in the United States at all, even if they are in custody, they have none of the legal rights that even illegal immigrants can claim. [Emphasis added.]
A hunch: that's all it takes. Now there's some key-waving with a vengeance, eh?
So the Italian, Mr. Salerno, was taken in shackles to a local jail, where he was kept for over ten days. Lawyers retained by the girlfriend's family were unable to get him released. Even Sen. John Warner of Virginia was unable to get him released. Then the American girlfriend, Ms. Cooper, sent an email to the NY Times about the whole situation and a reporter called the Customs and Border Protection agency asking about the situation. Within 24 hours Mr. Salerno was finally released and put on a plane back to Italy.
And this is keeping us safer?
251 days
Labels: Terra Terra Terra
posted by Diane at 4:01 AM
2 Comments:
My brother, a frequent flyer, recently saw some TSA goons training at an airport in the Midwest.
He said it was horrifying to watch the motley mob of security-guard wannabes fumble around and take their stupidity and frustration out on the passengers cum guinea pigs.
My mother-in-law was arbitrarily told she could only stay 1 month, whereas she had be coming to the U.S. from S.A. every year for 3-4months, for several years. Her visa was for 4 months, yet the agent in NY told her only one month. It cost about $250 to file the appeals with (then)INS. It seemed like the whole thing was a money making scheme. She was terrified over the whole ordeal, which also seemed to be a goal.
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