...But we never left the US?!
Aug 4, 2012, 9:42 am
#16
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The birth certificate would be pretty good evidence. He saw the Op's drivers license and if the OP was carrying a birth certificate of a baby girl about 13 months old with the OP listed as the mother, that would tend to further confirm tha the baby in her hands was hers.
I'm not saying that he should have asked for such documentation coming and going from the USVI, but birth certificates are pretty good evidence of parenthood.
I'm not saying that he should have asked for such documentation coming and going from the USVI, but birth certificates are pretty good evidence of parenthood.
Fact remains CBP can ask, in this case it did not seem to matter.
I owned a home in the USVI for three and half years and in that time I saw CBP asking all the normal inane questions they ask people here, there. Right or wrong, like it or not, that is what they do.
Aug 4, 2012, 1:12 pm
#17
Join Date: Jun 2012
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The birth certificate would be pretty good evidence. He saw the Op's drivers license and if the OP was carrying a birth certificate of a baby girl about 13 months old with the OP listed as the mother, that would tend to further confirm tha the baby in her hands was hers.
Aug 4, 2012, 2:07 pm
#18
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: California. USA
Posts: 1,404
About 10 years ago me an my son was going to Sweden (our birth country). Son was 13 tears old. We are legal residents .
I got an attitude from immigration coming back into the counrty.
Reason was we had different last names.
They wanted to call his father in Sweden. I said go a head .The father doesnt really speak english at all. They had problems with that.
Plus I told them how could I kidnap a teenager. It is not like I could carry him around.
They let us back in to our home. Only time they acted stupid in my eyes.
I got an attitude from immigration coming back into the counrty.
Reason was we had different last names.
They wanted to call his father in Sweden. I said go a head .The father doesnt really speak english at all. They had problems with that.
Plus I told them how could I kidnap a teenager. It is not like I could carry him around.
They let us back in to our home. Only time they acted stupid in my eyes.
Aug 4, 2012, 3:11 pm
#19
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.... and finding such people is indeed a rather common method for human trafficking very young minor children into the US, primarily for family reunification purposes when a parent/guardian is an undocumented alien in the US.
Aug 4, 2012, 3:23 pm
#20
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Look, it's very simple - for a US citizen traveling to and from one of the 50 states, DC or Puerto Rico to the USVI, you do not need a passport. We're not discussing Guam or Samoa or Saipan or anything in the Pacific. So, the CBP was out of order in asking for a birth certificate for a baby on a flight from St. Croix to wherever the parents were flying to.
The US State Department "suggests" you should carry ID and birth certtificate when traveling to PR & USVI.
I take this to mean that w/o these you will get in and back to the 50 states, but it might cause issues to not have them.
Aug 4, 2012, 4:24 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 110
The birth certificate would be pretty good evidence. He saw the Op's drivers license and if the OP was carrying a birth certificate of a baby girl about 13 months old with the OP listed as the mother, that would tend to further confirm tha the baby in her hands was hers.
I'm not saying that he should have asked for such documentation coming and going from the USVI, but birth certificates are pretty good evidence of parenthood.
I'm not saying that he should have asked for such documentation coming and going from the USVI, but birth certificates are pretty good evidence of parenthood.
Aug 4, 2012, 9:21 pm
#22
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern VA
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The birth certificate would be pretty good evidence. He saw the Op's drivers license and if the OP was carrying a birth certificate of a baby girl about 13 months old with the OP listed as the mother, that would tend to further confirm tha the baby in her hands was hers.
I'm not saying that he should have asked for such documentation coming and going from the USVI, but birth certificates are pretty good evidence of parenthood.
I'm not saying that he should have asked for such documentation coming and going from the USVI, but birth certificates are pretty good evidence of parenthood.
Aug 4, 2012, 9:36 pm
#23
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Aug 4, 2012, 9:54 pm
#24
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 436
I actually know this guy who has a fake Hawaii birth certificate...
--Jon
--Jon
Aug 4, 2012, 10:27 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2005
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Most places are states (e.g. Russia, RoK, NY: a state that is in the state that is the United States of America etc.) 
The US Department of State is not something that regularly deals with relations between US "states". AFAIK US territories are in a state: the US.
Sorry... carry on.
The US Department of State is not something that regularly deals with relations between US "states". AFAIK US territories are in a state: the US.
Sorry... carry on.
Aug 4, 2012, 10:36 pm
#26
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That a passport is not required does not mean they will not ask for ID.
The US State Department "suggests" you should carry ID and birth certtificate when traveling to PR & USVI.
I take this to mean that w/o these you will get in and back to the 50 states, but it might cause issues to not have them.
The US State Department "suggests" you should carry ID and birth certtificate when traveling to PR & USVI.
I take this to mean that w/o these you will get in and back to the 50 states, but it might cause issues to not have them.
There is no legal requirement to make the government's life easier in ways not required by law; so for travel between the mainland and SJU, not sure why the typical US citizens should go through carrying a certified copy of a birth certificate and risk having to pay replacement costs or identity theft.
Aug 5, 2012, 11:32 am
#27
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Mike, as for asking for a birth certificate for the baby, do you think that all domestic travelers should be forced to carry them when traveling with kids? Kids are kidnapped all the time and just about anywhere, right? What "baby trafficking" is coming out of St. Croix anyways?
It's got nothing at all do to with other domestic travel.
But is it really that hard to carry a birth certificate around if you are carrying a baby around? Many people, like myself, believe you are better to have it and never need it than you are to be asked for it and not have it. I would never consider boarding a airplane with a child traveling anywhere without it. Even if I never need it.
And yeah, I must have been mistaken believing there's any child trafficking (which is way different than kidnapping) in the Caribbean at all. So must be the media, the customs people, the report to congress a few years ago, and all the human rights organizations. They are all probably just making it all up.
Aug 5, 2012, 11:52 am
#28
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IMHO It is very irresponsible for parents to travel anywhere without the birth certificate (the only legal ID) of their child.
It is accepted proof of identity of the child and the parental/guardian relationship.
One example: if anything happens to the child and medical attention is needed, without a birth certificate to ascertain your legal connection and your authority to act on their behalf your child will be subjected to whatever the doctor/local authorities' treatment without your input.
It is accepted proof of identity of the child and the parental/guardian relationship.
One example: if anything happens to the child and medical attention is needed, without a birth certificate to ascertain your legal connection and your authority to act on their behalf your child will be subjected to whatever the doctor/local authorities' treatment without your input.
Aug 5, 2012, 12:07 pm
#29
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,353
About 10 years ago me an my son was going to Sweden (our birth country). Son was 13 tears old. We are legal residents .
I got an attitude from immigration coming back into the counrty.
Reason was we had different last names.
They wanted to call his father in Sweden. I said go a head .The father doesnt really speak english at all. They had problems with that.
Plus I told them how could I kidnap a teenager. It is not like I could carry him around.
They let us back in to our home. Only time they acted stupid in my eyes.
I got an attitude from immigration coming back into the counrty.
Reason was we had different last names.
They wanted to call his father in Sweden. I said go a head .The father doesnt really speak english at all. They had problems with that.
Plus I told them how could I kidnap a teenager. It is not like I could carry him around.
They let us back in to our home. Only time they acted stupid in my eyes.
Jaycee Dugard and her 2 daughters
Steven Stayner
To name a few more widely known cases; there have been many others of abducted children and teens held through brainwashing and threats against them and their families or others.
I'm not saying the CBP questions they way they are done are useful or justified, or will catch every case, but it's not as simple as above.
Aug 5, 2012, 12:36 pm
#30
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: California. USA
Posts: 1,404
I hear what you are saying.
In my case was that me and son both speak swedish/english. Have swedish passports.
A minor child in Sweden cant get an passport unless both parents sign the paper work for a passport.
Plus you can tell that he is my son.He is very much looking like me.
In my case was that me and son both speak swedish/english. Have swedish passports.
A minor child in Sweden cant get an passport unless both parents sign the paper work for a passport.
Plus you can tell that he is my son.He is very much looking like me.