Originally Posted by
Jeannietx
How did the officer even know about the 2012 incident? Obviously there was record of the flight, but how did he know who paid for the ticket? That makes absolutely no sense no me.
I feel it is not unusual, if flying to a country of which you are not a citizen, to be questioned if you cannot prove you have either the means to support yourself, or at least a paid return ticket back to your home country.
I am a US citizen, and when flying with a one way ticket from LAX to Auckland, I had to show proof, when checking in, that I had a paid departure booked to leave New Zealand or they would not let me board at LAX.
CBP has access to (among other things) full flight details including: date/time of booking, payment method (i.e. cash, cc, debit), email address of who booked it, IP address, address of bookee and traveller (if different).
Basically any information you provide to the airline traveling to/transiting the US (and all the meta data) CBP can see (although they have to log into another system to see it). Any information you provide verbatim, can be recorded to your file (and should be deemed to be recorded as listening devices are allowed at POE that can be used at any time, to research past verbatim, that can be held indefinitely)
CBP can also write whatever notes they regarding the inspection they deem necessary. These notes can be seen on any subsequent crossing and can affect your ATS score (risk score assigned to each traveller, similar to a credit history).
CBSA in Canada can do all the same as CBP, and information sharing is commonplace via authorized acts of parliament/congress.
Non citizens of a country (regardless of transiting or travelling to) seeking entry are deemed to be travelling as non bonfa fide travellers, until proved otherwise by the traveller, which will be decided in the sole and absolute discretion of the customs officers.
OP, sounds like you were allowed to withdraw your application. CBP should have given you a list of things to bring next time crossing the border (ties to your country) which among them would be proof of employment (pay stubs). If you can't find the list you can download one from CBP or make an anonymous call and they can provide the standard checklist.
I would not cross the border again unless you can satisfy everything on that checklist. Otherwise look to travel without transiting the US. Seeking entry to another country (even for transiting) as a non citizen/resident is privilege not a right. Innocent till proven guilty is not how the border justice system works (quite the opposite)