What questions were you as a US citizen asked by US border patrol agents?
May 22, 2014, 3:20 pm
#61
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Ok, I feel better now. 
I receive the same line of questioning every time I go to Canada.
I am a Canadian citizen but work in Texas.
Gotta love that line about "How long will you be here?".
I don't get into it with them and just tell them I will be returning
in a couple of weeks.
Then on the way back the US CBP ask me the purpose of my trip
before looking me up. I say "work"... then they get busy on their
screens to see if they are going to have some excitement.
Once cleared I start to wonder if I am a man without a country
given the Canadians want to know when I am leaving.
I receive the same line of questioning every time I go to Canada.
I am a Canadian citizen but work in Texas.
Gotta love that line about "How long will you be here?".
I don't get into it with them and just tell them I will be returning
in a couple of weeks.
Then on the way back the US CBP ask me the purpose of my trip
before looking me up. I say "work"... then they get busy on their
screens to see if they are going to have some excitement.
Once cleared I start to wonder if I am a man without a country
given the Canadians want to know when I am leaving.
Thankfully, that ORD experience has only occurred the one time. ORD CBP will have another chance this Saturday. Lol
May 22, 2014, 10:37 pm
#62
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,872
Connected @ ORD on my way to SoCal last year... Arrived into the international terminal, used the Global Entry kiosk, received receipt...totally normal.
The CBP officer at the desk was making passport/GE receipt checks. He stops me and I get peppered with questions. Something to the effect of:
CBP: Where are you coming from?
Me: London
CBP: Why were you in London?
Me: I live in the UK
CBP: What is your job?
Me: I work with the military.
CBP: How long have you been there?
Me: Several years.
CBP: Why are you coming into the USA?
Me: To see my family.
I was exhausted and getting fed up with the 50 questions...
CBP: How long will you be in the USA?
Me: Why does it matter? I'm a US passport holder and citizen; I can elect to stay forever IF I WANT TO DO SO!
CBP hands me back my documents and sends me on my way.
The CBP officer at the desk was making passport/GE receipt checks. He stops me and I get peppered with questions. Something to the effect of:
CBP: Where are you coming from?
Me: London
CBP: Why were you in London?
Me: I live in the UK
CBP: What is your job?
Me: I work with the military.
CBP: How long have you been there?
Me: Several years.
CBP: Why are you coming into the USA?
Me: To see my family.
I was exhausted and getting fed up with the 50 questions...
CBP: How long will you be in the USA?
Me: Why does it matter? I'm a US passport holder and citizen; I can elect to stay forever IF I WANT TO DO SO!
CBP hands me back my documents and sends me on my way.
Last edited by Blueskyheaven; May 22, 2014 at 11:17 pm
May 23, 2014, 2:50 pm
#63
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Runway 22 @ KROC
Posts: 706
Ever since they pulled everything out of my 70+ year old grandparents car at the border , going into Canada. I have no respect for them. They did it because they were car # so and so going through. Here are my old grandparents putting everything they packed into the car for a vacation back in it. In 80+ degree heat,with NO help.
May 27, 2014, 2:07 pm
#64
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I've seldom had trouble with actual UKBA. The utter moronic wastes of protein that staff the desks for the airlines that think they are somehow "security", however....
May 28, 2014, 6:17 pm
#65
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 446
White guy here.. Have crossed by land so many times I've lost count. So many, that I had come across the same CBP officer half a dozen times and he stopped caring about seeing my documents. Very pleasant experience.
On the other hand, I've been ordered to shut the car off, open the trunk, and stand on a mat while they rummaged through my car.
Have been asked all sorts of weird questions such as why aren't I going to school in the US (even though I stated I live/work in Canada), to how long I was in Canada (again, had previously stated I live there).
Once I had been repeatedly asked the same question over and over again, which was what I do for work. I finally kind of snapped on him, at which point they decided to search my car in some great detail for 2 hours.
By air, I've never had nearly as much trouble. Half the time they say maybe 1 or 2 things to me, and the odd time they don't say anything and simply hand back my passport and I take that as a sign to get going.
Of course having NEXUS now it was made my air travel even more pleasant and hasn't really changed my land crossing experiences much other than being faster.
On the other hand, I've been ordered to shut the car off, open the trunk, and stand on a mat while they rummaged through my car.
Have been asked all sorts of weird questions such as why aren't I going to school in the US (even though I stated I live/work in Canada), to how long I was in Canada (again, had previously stated I live there).
Once I had been repeatedly asked the same question over and over again, which was what I do for work. I finally kind of snapped on him, at which point they decided to search my car in some great detail for 2 hours.
By air, I've never had nearly as much trouble. Half the time they say maybe 1 or 2 things to me, and the odd time they don't say anything and simply hand back my passport and I take that as a sign to get going.
Of course having NEXUS now it was made my air travel even more pleasant and hasn't really changed my land crossing experiences much other than being faster.
May 29, 2014, 1:04 am
#66
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At one point when I got asked the same silly questions about travel, I just said "hey, you should know, its on your screen." Got a laugh and a "have a nice day.
So, you are admitting that race/ethnicity profiling is used, and that a racist border guard may take that into account.
This is a great point. I have a bar license, NEXUS/GE and once had a car salesman license, so I've been printed into national databases at least 3 times. While I'm not altogether comfortable with Big Data, I know I'm a pretty well covered person and the government generally knows where I am and what I'm doing. They also know I'm very low risk. That's why it gets so far under my skin when border guards act like jerky cowpoke, play games and "flex their authoritah." You have some power because you may need to use it. You don't have it to show off.
Queenston/Lewiston can be an annoying one. There was one guy in particular - looked in his late 20s and like he was trying to show how awesome he was - and had just taken forever questioning some people in front of us and then secondaried them. We then pulled up, in my girlfriend's Mercedes, and he starts going through a bunch of irrelevant stuff. I answered a question in a funny, though not intentionally funny, way and he got all tripped up and just moved us along.
The problem is when one of those people fills in down at Whirlpool or Peace in the NEXUS lane. We're trusted travelers for a reason. There is zero need to treat us exactly the same as if we'd gone through the regular line.
It is completely clear that racism is alive and well in society, and is especially heinous at border posts. Its even worse with the TSA.
Hugely disproportionate strip searching is what inspired the Supremes to take a stand on strip searches for once. They actually have to have something approaching probable cause, though not quite, to perform one now.
Yup.
So, let's justify racism, eh?
Canada almost never asks anything in NEXUS, or very little. 90% of my NEXUS crossings back into the US result in at least the same questioning as I used to get in non-NEXUS crossings.
Yeah, let's justify a little racism.
Remember, it is when the officer feels satisfied that you are a US Citizen. It is not when you believe you have satisfied the officer. Many of those questions that were asked of the OP were to establish that he was indeed a US Citizen and was legally entitled to that US Passport.
The where you went and for how long type questions can be Customs related questions to determine if you are a resident and what exemptions you are entitled to. For Customs purposes, you can be a US Citizen but not a resident.
FB
The where you went and for how long type questions can be Customs related questions to determine if you are a resident and what exemptions you are entitled to. For Customs purposes, you can be a US Citizen but not a resident.
FB
Let me ask you this. How much proof do you really need? Unless your fine computer systems are down, once you scan the persons passport and hook up to your Orwellian database you have all of the info you really need. Are you suggesting that it is somehow possible to hack the US CBP database?
The problem is when one of those people fills in down at Whirlpool or Peace in the NEXUS lane. We're trusted travelers for a reason. There is zero need to treat us exactly the same as if we'd gone through the regular line.
It's not really surprising that members of, or operating on behalf of, the dominant/dominant majority demographic group(s): (a) find excuses on why racism doesn't exist even where it does exist; or (b) find excuses to otherwise try to downplay racism's application by those provided authorization by the dominant/dominant majority demographic group(s). The downplaying or denial of racist outcomes is so common that I sort of expect it as a given turn in discussion whenever someone feels like racism applies, as it too often does, and dares to mention that it is in play.
For a long time I too wanted to believe that racism was no longer a substantial factor in questioning of US citizens about identity and citizenship when US citizens returned to the US; but the facts of time to process people in US citizen lines at a couple of major US ports of entry were powerful enough that I'd say it has to be considered as a significant factor and that there is reason enough for passengers and other non-governmental parties' cameras to be allowed for use in the CBP processing areas so that numbers can be more broadly collected and shared publicly. All sorts of confounding factors can be brought into the picture on why the processing times may vary, but there is no good reason to conclude that racism has been wiped out as a factor in CBP handling of passengers at US POEs.
For a long time I too wanted to believe that racism was no longer a substantial factor in questioning of US citizens about identity and citizenship when US citizens returned to the US; but the facts of time to process people in US citizen lines at a couple of major US ports of entry were powerful enough that I'd say it has to be considered as a significant factor and that there is reason enough for passengers and other non-governmental parties' cameras to be allowed for use in the CBP processing areas so that numbers can be more broadly collected and shared publicly. All sorts of confounding factors can be brought into the picture on why the processing times may vary, but there is no good reason to conclude that racism has been wiped out as a factor in CBP handling of passengers at US POEs.
Whether we like it or not, there is often a kind of trade-off between convenience at a given moment and paying a price for exercising one's rights. I don't generally like it, but the trade-off does exist and it's doubtful that any one's going to change that by way of deciding what to do or not do at the POE.
I'm curious, which countries have no history of claiming the moral high ground and/or no history of having immigration and/or customs personnel behaving in much the same manner as CBP employees with at least some citizens? I've seen lots of countries have immigration and/or customs or other LE personnel engage in micro-aggression under color of authority; and CBP is far from unique in having some such characters behaving in such ways with some returning citizens. While the proportion and frequencies are different, the outcome possibilities are all that different? At least the OP didn't end up strip searched on a flawed basis, as was something that African-American females at US POEs were experiencing way out of proportion to anything reasonable.
I'm curious, which countries have no history of claiming the moral high ground and/or no history of having immigration and/or customs personnel behaving in much the same manner as CBP employees with at least some citizens? I've seen lots of countries have immigration and/or customs or other LE personnel engage in micro-aggression under color of authority; and CBP is far from unique in having some such characters behaving in such ways with some returning citizens. While the proportion and frequencies are different, the outcome possibilities are all that different? At least the OP didn't end up strip searched on a flawed basis, as was something that African-American females at US POEs were experiencing way out of proportion to anything reasonable.
The allegations and even appropriate acknowledgement of racism and sexism are constant when supported by evidence -- they are anything but silly. They should be taken seriously and addressed to make sure all US citizens are and/or will be treated equally on bases free of racist and/or sexist stereotypes.
When the CBP assumption is that seemingly ethnic European males visiting Latin America or Cambodia are doing so for purposes of child pornography and/or child prostitution, it's generally a sexist and racist assumption too. It's not silly.
When the CBP assumption is that seemingly ethnic European males visiting Latin America or Cambodia are doing so for purposes of child pornography and/or child prostitution, it's generally a sexist and racist assumption too. It's not silly.
I don't disagree that 25+% of the US is non-white. Do you disagree with the notion that illegal immigrants to the US (and, by extension, illegal immigrants bearing false documents) are disproportionately non-white?
According to a Pew Hispanic Center report, over 90% of illegal immigrants to the US hail from Mexico, Latin America, or Asia. The populations of those countries are almost entirely non-Caucasian, and the illegal immigrants attempting to enter from those countries are almost entirely non-Caucasian. My point is not to bash non-Caucasian folks or to suggest that they are all criminals or illegals. I am simply trying to explain why a CBP officer might ask a few more citizenship and identity questions of foreign born non-Caucasians than he does of white people with American accents.
According to a Pew Hispanic Center report, over 90% of illegal immigrants to the US hail from Mexico, Latin America, or Asia. The populations of those countries are almost entirely non-Caucasian, and the illegal immigrants attempting to enter from those countries are almost entirely non-Caucasian. My point is not to bash non-Caucasian folks or to suggest that they are all criminals or illegals. I am simply trying to explain why a CBP officer might ask a few more citizenship and identity questions of foreign born non-Caucasians than he does of white people with American accents.
There is a monumental difference when crossing for leisure and crossing for work. About 25% of the time, close to 50% since 2007, I have been given various levels of problems on the Canadian side. Nexus has stopped most of the US questions as use of the Nexus is an assumed declaration for many of the questions.
Where do you get the idea that there are a million plus illegal Irish immigrants in the US? The only study I can find online, by the Pew Hispanic Center, is that 94% of America's 11 million illegal immigrants are from Mexico, Latin America, Asia, or Africa. 6% (about 660,000) are from Canada and Europe. America does not have a significant problem with fraudulent entry from white western Europeans or Canadians, or from white people who speak with North American accents, which may explain why CBP might give more scrutiny to non-white applicants for entry who speak with foreign accents.
May 29, 2014, 11:39 am
#67
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,347
So, you are admitting that race/ethnicity profiling is used, and that a racist border guard may take that into account.
The problem is when one of those people fills in down at Whirlpool or Peace in the NEXUS lane. We're trusted travelers for a reason. There is zero need to treat us exactly the same as if we'd gone through the regular line.
Trusted travelers smuggle everyday. It is fact. That is why trusted travelers are still subject to examination and inspection just like everyone else if the agency decides to perform the inspection. The agency decides who the agency will assign the privilege (not a right) to be a trusted traveler and when the agency will perform an inspection. There is a legitimate reason that the agency still will perform inspections and double check previous approvals to trusted traveler programs.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/22...raveler-caught
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/...-drug-customs/
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/09...ay-to-detroit/
You may not like that, which is fine you are entitled to think what you wish. However, it will always be the people that are actually responsible for the outcome of these situations that will make the decisions based upon the applicable laws, rules and regulations. If you don't like how it works, I would suggest you work to change the applicable laws, rules and regulations.
Just has everyone here will agree, people should exercise their rights with in the confines of what is legal. The officers will also utilize the techniques, tools, and processes that are in the confines of what is legal as well. If you don't believe the officers are not confining themselves to what is legal, the place to argue that fact is in court not with the officer. That is how the system is supposed to work yes or does all the constitutional talk only matter when it is convenient for the public and not the government?
FB
Last edited by Firebug4; May 29, 2014 at 11:54 am
May 30, 2014, 9:33 pm
#68
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If you don't believe the officers are not confining themselves to what is legal, the place to argue that fact is in court not with the officer. That is how the system is supposed to work yes or does all the constitutional talk only matter when it is convenient for the public and not the government?
FB
FB
The person encountering the government employee must decide for themselves based upon circumstance whether to protest and how. Your position precludes even asking for a supervisor or checking the action with the employee. That's simply ridiculous. Moreover, IMO it shows a distinct lack of respect for how the system is actually supposed to work and how it should work. To say people should only seek redress through the court system is simply silly. Government employees make mistakes all the time. They retaliate. They act upon biases. Many of those errors are accidental or unintentional. If the employees were honest and professional they would have zero problem with someone pointing it out or escalating to the level of asking for a supervisor who confirms they have erred and should correct their action/inaction. However, IME, far too many govt employees, and especially in the US among the "industrial" countries, take it as a personal affront to be challenged in any way shape or form. Far too much penis envy for far too many of them IMO.
May 31, 2014, 8:52 am
#69
Join Date: May 2009
Location: LGA, JFK
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... Just has everyone here will agree, people should exercise their rights with in the confines of what is legal. The officers will also utilize the techniques, tools, and processes that are in the confines of what is legal as well. If you don't believe the officers are not confining themselves to what is legal, the place to argue that fact is in court not with the officer. That is how the system is supposed to work yes or does all the constitutional talk only matter when it is convenient for the public and not the government?
FB
FB
If so, I disagree.
May 31, 2014, 9:52 am
#70
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If you are really unlucky, asking a simple question can be seen as 'arguing'.
May 31, 2014, 10:00 am
#71
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The saying, "Never fight with an moron..." comes to mind in this situation. Asserting yourself while remaining calm is the key. If that fails you request the supervisor. Nothing pisses a "respect my authoritah" person than having it challenged and then bringing in someone who could immediately put them in their place and possibly get them disciplined. The supervisors don't want to deal with this crap they have real problems to deal with so they will look at your situation, realize you're clean and get you out the door...unless you're really unlucky.
May 31, 2014, 10:08 am
#72
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The saying, "Never fight with an moron..." comes to mind in this situation. Asserting yourself while remaining calm is the key. If that fails you request the supervisor. Nothing pisses a "respect my authoritah" person than having it challenged and then bringing in someone who could immediately put them in their place and possibly get them disciplined. The supervisors don't want to deal with this crap they have real problems to deal with so they will look at your situation, realize you're clean and get you out the door...unless you're really unlucky.
May 31, 2014, 12:17 pm
#73
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I have reasons behind my confidence. Experience with this, political connections, several layers of security clearances that will cause them to get a call when they run my ID (watching this happen always gives me a thrill) and lastly, a lawyer that works on retainer not by the hour.
I fight the fight for those who can't. Let people like me challenge the system and others can benefit from the results.
I fight the fight for those who can't. Let people like me challenge the system and others can benefit from the results.
You are more confident than I am. I can't imagine anything ever causing me to ask for a supervisor. If I'm already facing a hostile agent, that would simply escalate matters even further, and I'm certain that whether or not the agent is right, the supervisor will always publicly back him/her.
May 31, 2014, 12:33 pm
#74
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I have reasons behind my confidence. Experience with this, political connections, several layers of security clearances that will cause them to get a call when they run my ID (watching this happen always gives me a thrill) and lastly, a lawyer that works on retainer not by the hour.
I fight the fight for those who can't. Let people like me challenge the system and others can benefit from the results.
I fight the fight for those who can't. Let people like me challenge the system and others can benefit from the results.
They run your ID and all of a sudden their phone rings and a mysterious voice asks them what they are doing? That's pretty cool.
May 31, 2014, 12:40 pm
#75
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Takes a few more moments than that but even when I have been pulled over for speeding a call was made. They called me and asked to speak to the officer. It's not just for my benefit. It's so that they know what I'm being questioned about.
This is mostly because my former supervisor is now director of security services for the division that I consult to. He is one of the most anal retentive people I know, runs a very tight ship, knows trouble tends to find me (I have a very short fuse when it comes to Gov't BS) and still owes me money from 2011 Superbowl. It's not like I am a secret agent or something like that.
This is mostly because my former supervisor is now director of security services for the division that I consult to. He is one of the most anal retentive people I know, runs a very tight ship, knows trouble tends to find me (I have a very short fuse when it comes to Gov't BS) and still owes me money from 2011 Superbowl. It's not like I am a secret agent or something like that.