FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Is it normal for a customs inspector to look at your passport?
Thread: Is it normal for a customs inspector to look at your passport?
View Single Post
Old Jan 12, 2011 | 6:25 pm
  #2  
GUWonder
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,077
Originally Posted by FL2009
Cleared DTW immigration/customs today after coming back from AMS.

Cleared immigration, walked over to customs and surprise, a huge mess of a line filled with arrivals from some Asian flight.

Anyhow, I noticed the customs inspectors looking thru most people's passport. Do they have the right to do that? I mean, their role is simply a tax collector (a la IRS). I gave mine, the guy thumbed thru it, asked some stupid questions, and gave it back to me.

I guess I'm not sure what they would even learn from the passport at that point, given how many countries don't stamp passports it seems.
DHS/CBP does have a right to examine your passport. They even have a right to determine how to harass you based on travel patterns, including as indicated by the passport use.

I am not a fan of the situation, but our government has given DHS a lot of power to hassle persons (re-)entering/exiting the US, and it's also for reasons that go beyond just collecting taxes/import duties.
GUWonder is offline  
Reply