Does anyone here refuse to answer questions from CBP officers?
I've read a few posts from people on this forum saying that they refuse to answer when TSA agents ask them to state their names or ask where they are flying.
The TSA agent questions are far less intrusive than the questions that Customs and Border Protection officers ask when you re-enter the country. In my personal experience, those questions can include:
"Where are you coming from?"
"How long have you been away from the U.S.?"
"What were you doing in country x?"
"Why are you traveling alone?"
"How much did you spend on your trip?
"What do you do for a living?"
"What hotel did you stay at?"
Do any Americans here refuse to answer these questions? I suspect it would drive the CBP officers a bit nuts if you stood there absolutely mute, because then they wouldn't even be able to tell if you spoke English like an American-born American passport holder should (in their eyes).
Anyway, I always cooperate and answer when CBP officers ask me questions, I'm not a privacy/civil rights nut. But I'm curious if anyone here refuses to answer their questions and what the repercussions are. I suspect the main consequence would be that you get sent to secondary screening. I don't know if they can do much more than that to an American who has a right to re-enter the country.
If you're a US citizen returning to the US (with appropriate documentation), you don't actually have to say anything. But if you don't, you can be sure that they're going to give you a complete inspection, open every bag, inspect all your clothes, and maybe more.
On February 3, 2006, the federal government agreed to pay close to $2 million to 87 African-American women who were searched getting off airplanes at O’Hare International Airport. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) admitted no wrongdoing. Class-Action lawsuits do change policies and procedures and this is what has happened according to former whistleblower and now retired Customs Inspector Cathy Harris....
The lawsuit was officially filed in 1997 and initially included 1300 African
American women. But because of the three year statute of limitations many of the women were not allowed to join the lawsuit. These women who were judges, doctors, lawyer, teachers and other professional women had their lives turned upside down when they tried to enter back into the United States after traveling internationally.Harris stated that since the U.S. Customs Service falls under the Department of Homeland Security, and is now called the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (www.cbp.gov), that Customs and Immigration Inspectors/Officers have gone back to their own ways of subjecting African American travelers particularly women to abusive pat-downs, intrusive strip-searches, cavity searches, x-ray examinations, monitored bowel movements, and prolonged detentions...
Programs: UA MileagePlus, SPG, Hyatt, Hotels.com, Avis, Hertz, Mint Car, AA, BA, VS, LH, AS, KE. Global Entry.
Posts: 500
Yes I have and when they "threatened" with their invasive searching I said bring it on but be ready for the consequences. I was through 8 minutes later.
Yes, really there is documented history of minority females of some backgrounds being strip searched (or worse) more frequently for all the wrong reasons.
__________________
Like TSA, DL SkyMiles management treats airline customers as if they are the enemy or sheep to be fleeced and it shows.
Programs: AS MVPG | UA 1K | TK Elite | Priority Pass } Milepoint Gold | Greyhound RR
Posts: 7,946
Quote:
Originally Posted by jphripjah
The TSA agent questions are far less intrusive than the questions that Customs and Border Protection officers ask when you re-enter the country. In my personal experience, those questions can include:
"Where are you coming from?"
"How long have you been away from the U.S.?"
"What were you doing in country x?"
"Why are you traveling alone?"
"How much did you spend on your trip?
"What do you do for a living?"
"What hotel did you stay at?"
The questions TSA asks in the 20 questions game are far more intrusive of that of CBP interview. I went through mcuh less returning from a one night stay in the middle east than what i went through flying across country for a few days vacation.
__________________
2013 EQM AS 33K - 13 segs | UA 44K - 24 segs
2012 EQM AS 40K - 16 segs | CO/UA 154K- 105 segs
Location: ZRH - Zurich Switzerland. I like my local Airport. Wake-up at 0500uhr. Airside and through Security 80 minutes later after Shower, Breakfast and 10km Train ride. That is good!
Programs: Miles and More FQTV - 80% LX Swiss, 20% LH Lufthansa segments
Posts: 53
Not in the USA, but in 25 years of business travel, I have occasionally used in response to "what were you doing in xxxx" insert name of "dodgy" country e.g. India, Colombia
"I'm sorry Sir, I'm not allowed to answer that question"
"It's commercial information from my company"
"I can tell you the name of my company, but I'm sorry I can't answer that question"
The TSA agent questions are far less intrusive than the questions that Customs and Border Protection officers ask when you re-enter the country. In my personal experience, those questions can include:
<SNIP>
How do these questions materially differ from the ones the BDOs ask?
BDO style questions (modified slightly):
"Where is your home?"
"How long have you been in Boston?"
"What were you doing in Boston?"
"Why are you traveling alone?"
"How much did you spend in Boston?"
"What do you do for a living?"
"What hotel did you stay at?"
The difference between the BDO and the CBP officer is that a CBP officer is staring at the APIS information right in front of him, so he is able to tell whether or not your answers are congruent with what's on the screen. The BDO has no way to verify any of your answers. Also, there are cases where CBP is looking for JOHN DOE, and your name also happens to be JOHN DOE but perhaps with a different nationality or birthdate.
Furthermore, CBP is actually interested in knowing whether or not you've broken any customs laws or given them reason to believe you have immigrant intent if you're not a US citizen or on a non-immigrant visa.
__________________
I made EXP again for 2013. Thanks, FlyerTalk!
Nope. I used to walk across the San Diego-Tijuana border on a monthly basis or so, back when you could do so with just a driver's license, and refusing to answer questions there is a great way to be refused re-entry to the United States. I don't volunteer any more information than they ask for; unlike one-striper TDCs, a smile and a, "Hello," will not lower the probability of a pat-down.
__________________ Every increment of radiation exposure produces an incremental increase in the risk of cancer.
Sometimes I refuse to answer, but that may well be a response that is not an answer. If it is a question about goods, I will give a qualified answer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by T.J. Bender
Nope. I used to walk across the San Diego-Tijuana border on a monthly basis or so, back when you could do so with just a driver's license, and refusing to answer questions there is a great way to be refused re-entry to the United States. I don't volunteer any more information than they ask for; unlike one-striper TDCs, a smile and a, "Hello," will not lower the probability of a pat-down.
It is not lawful for US government employees at a US port of entry to knowingly refuse a US citizen re-entry to the US. They can harass or otherwise delay a US citizen but to willfully refuse a US citizen re-entry to the US at a US POE would be without lawful basis. Refusal that is unwitting does occur.
__________________
Like TSA, DL SkyMiles management treats airline customers as if they are the enemy or sheep to be fleeced and it shows.
Programs: United Airlines 1K MM, Hilton Honors Gold
Posts: 244
We don't live in the US but are US Citizens. My husband is always asked what he does for work when we enter the country. He never answers. He is a US citizen returning to the country of his birth and the country that he holds a passport to ( and also pays taxes). Why would you ever divulge information that you are not required to? We have heard " I'm only asking a simple question.... Jeez." To "OK, welcome back". We have never been detained or questioned further. All information is on my entry documentation. No other chit chat is necessary.
