6 ms·

It's obvious. They want to make sure those people are ineligible (or a least seriously impeded) for a visa, green card, or citizenship. Very few offenses can

It's obvious. They want to make sure those people are ineligible (or a least seriously impeded) for a visa, green card, or citizenship. Very few offenses can absolutely torpedo immigration to the US as much as drug possession/offenses. The US is a relatively 'free' country in many areas but they have a shockingly dystopian immigration and DHS, with border security that many travelers characterize as one of the most brutal in the world. Even as a US citizen with clean record I am subject to invasive (cavity) searches, cuffing/throwing in a cell, questioning, threats that I'll not be allowed in the country etc when I deal with CBP/DHS. If you have a marijuana offense as an immigrant you are utterly fucked, and those in power would like to keep it that way.

kragen 4y ago
Lacking your perspective, that thought hadn't even occurred to me.
bink 4y ago
IANAL but AFAIK a US Citizen cannot be denied entry to the US under any circumstances. They can detain you, search you, seize property, and charge you with any relevant crimes... but they can't simply deny entry.
- kragen 4y ago
  That is what the law says, but government officials, including Border Patrol officers, sometimes do break the law.
  - rippercushions 4y ago
    Can you point to any cases of US citizens being denied entry? The closest I'm aware of is having US citizens overseas be put on the no-fly list, which in practice amounts to the same thing if they can't get to Canada/Mexico either. But hey, they won't be denied entry if they swim across!
    - jjulius 4y ago
      Not OP, and I can't answer yes to that, but they like to waive their proverbial dicks around as though they can. You used to be able to drive from Canada back into the US by showing just your US driver's license and birth certificate. About six months before that option went away, I drove across the border with exactly those documents. I hand them over, dude spends a few minutes huffing and puffing, kinda rolling his eyes. Asks me, "Is this all you have?". Few more minutes pass and he goes, "You know, you're lucky I let you through with this stuff now. In a few months I won't be able to and your butt would be hanging out in Canada tonight. Have a nice day."
      - Zak 4y ago
        I suspect that would be framed as a delay to adequately verify that you are, in fact a US citizen.
- notacoward 4y ago
  Being detained at the border is not legally denial of entry, but it effectively is. Or you can enter, but by doing so you'll forfeit any property you had with you. There are all sorts of loopholes like that, and CBP will happily exploit every one of them.
- notch656a 4y ago
  They can't but they can and will lie to you and tell you they will deny entry. They also can and will threaten to revoke your passport despite no legal basis to do so. They have made both statements to me. If you read above I said they would make "threats" to do so (of the sort a common citizen would probably believe), not that it would actually happen.
hsn915 4y ago
Really? Since when? I'm not a US citizen, and I've been to the US a few times. The security measures are about the same level as Japan. The "worst" thing that happened to me lately on an airport was an officer talked to me in a friendly tone but took my passport for inspection and returned it to me about 15 minutes later. The only thing that can remotely be described as "brutal" is when I entered the US via land (from Canada) the first time around 2008 if I remember correctly. They searched out stuff thoroughly and we had to wait about an hour or so. But they were very polite and professional about it. No "threats" or intimidation of any kind.
- graderjs 4y ago
  Not a US citizen but had zero problems flying to US last couple of years. Can't even remember the questions at the passport control point... But there was even a humorous, friendly officer there one time. No bag searches. Sometimes the queues have been long tho... Especially arriving in early morn. I normally get my bags searched at the public "nothing to declare" area entering Japan and Thailand tho at the customs check point, and sometimes leaving. No questions or searches ever in Malaysia. No questions or searches ever entering Hong Kong. If you're e-gate enrolled it's not even an officer at the passport checkpoint, you just scan it and go through a double sided gate. If you have a HKID you don't even need to use your passport for entry, you can scan the ID for entry from international which I think is cool. No questions or searches ever at Turkey. Flying into Europe they normally have more questions at passport but no searches. I'm always honest in my ESTA applications tho, maybe that makes difference.
  - notch656a 4y ago
    I have never once made it through US customs in under 3 hours (and always with full search, interrogation, and not being cleared until an HSI detective appears). That's not counting the line, I'm talking the search/interrogation/detention phase. I am a US citizen with good passport, clean criminal record, valid and legal reasons for travel, and full compliance with US border related laws.
    - 4y ago
ajsnigrutin 4y ago
I've never applied for any other kind than a tourist visa (and also never travelled in any other way there), and never had I seen anything different/worse than passing any other border in europe (non EU/schengen ones). US does seem one of the only/few countries where an illegal immigrant can lead a pretty normal life for years (job, send kids to school, get a doctor, etc.) without getting noticed and deported... in my country for example, there's literally no way to get someone illegal to (eg.) school.
- kragen 4y ago
  No, I'm leading a pretty normal life as an illegal immigrant in Argentina, and it's not legal to deport me (unless I commit a crime). Most countries don't have the level of government involvement in day-to-day life that many European countries do.
  - notch656a 4y ago
    Naturally I'm sure you are law abiding, but I question how easy it is to live and work in Argentina without violating the law (I've heard it's practically a requirement to survive there -- if nothing else the tax laws). Maybe it's just a scam, but I had heard if you file for citizenship (which apparently anyone can do) it makes it harder to get deported? I read some bizarre reports on baexpats that the easiest way to get deported is actually to follow the official legal residency pathway!
    - kragen 4y ago
      All that is true, except that it's harder to file for citizenship now. Just to clarify, you can't be deported for not paying taxes.
  - ajsnigrutin 4y ago
    Yes, I'm from europe, here it's pretty impossible to do anything, atleast longterm (sneaking in and doing some under-the-table work for a few weeks and going back.. sure.. staying for years, having kids, etc... no way).
autoexec 4y ago
The US is weird because they are far more open to immigrants than many other nations, and extremely lax about illegal immigration (encouraging it even) while at the same being outright inhuman in how they treat the people that do get caught up by border patrol. We should really be doing the opposite of that and be far more strict about controlling illegal immigration while also making sure that the people we deport or turn away at the border are treated with respect and dignity and are well cared for while in our custody.

kragen 4y ago

Lacking your perspective, that thought hadn't even occurred to me.

bink 4y ago

IANAL but AFAIK a US Citizen cannot be denied entry to the US under any circumstances. They can detain you, search you, seize property, and charge you with any relevant crimes... but they can't simply deny entry.

kragen 4y ago
That is what the law says, but government officials, including Border Patrol officers, sometimes do break the law.
- rippercushions 4y ago
  Can you point to any cases of US citizens being denied entry? The closest I'm aware of is having US citizens overseas be put on the no-fly list, which in practice amounts to the same thing if they can't get to Canada/Mexico either. But hey, they won't be denied entry if they swim across!
  - jjulius 4y ago
    Not OP, and I can't answer yes to that, but they like to waive their proverbial dicks around as though they can. You used to be able to drive from Canada back into the US by showing just your US driver's license and birth certificate. About six months before that option went away, I drove across the border with exactly those documents. I hand them over, dude spends a few minutes huffing and puffing, kinda rolling his eyes. Asks me, "Is this all you have?". Few more minutes pass and he goes, "You know, you're lucky I let you through with this stuff now. In a few months I won't be able to and your butt would be hanging out in Canada tonight. Have a nice day."
    - Zak 4y ago
      I suspect that would be framed as a delay to adequately verify that you are, in fact a US citizen.
notacoward 4y ago
Being detained at the border is not legally denial of entry, but it effectively is. Or you can enter, but by doing so you'll forfeit any property you had with you. There are all sorts of loopholes like that, and CBP will happily exploit every one of them.
notch656a 4y ago
They can't but they can and will lie to you and tell you they will deny entry. They also can and will threaten to revoke your passport despite no legal basis to do so. They have made both statements to me. If you read above I said they would make "threats" to do so (of the sort a common citizen would probably believe), not that it would actually happen.

hsn915 4y ago

Really? Since when? I'm not a US citizen, and I've been to the US a few times. The security measures are about the same level as Japan. The "worst" thing that happened to me lately on an airport was an officer talked to me in a friendly tone but took my passport for inspection and returned it to me about 15 minutes later. The only thing that can remotely be described as "brutal" is when I entered the US via land (from Canada) the first time around 2008 if I remember correctly. They searched out stuff thoroughly and we had to wait about an hour or so. But they were very polite and professional about it. No "threats" or intimidation of any kind.

graderjs 4y ago
Not a US citizen but had zero problems flying to US last couple of years. Can't even remember the questions at the passport control point... But there was even a humorous, friendly officer there one time. No bag searches. Sometimes the queues have been long tho... Especially arriving in early morn. I normally get my bags searched at the public "nothing to declare" area entering Japan and Thailand tho at the customs check point, and sometimes leaving. No questions or searches ever in Malaysia. No questions or searches ever entering Hong Kong. If you're e-gate enrolled it's not even an officer at the passport checkpoint, you just scan it and go through a double sided gate. If you have a HKID you don't even need to use your passport for entry, you can scan the ID for entry from international which I think is cool. No questions or searches ever at Turkey. Flying into Europe they normally have more questions at passport but no searches. I'm always honest in my ESTA applications tho, maybe that makes difference.
- notch656a 4y ago
  I have never once made it through US customs in under 3 hours (and always with full search, interrogation, and not being cleared until an HSI detective appears). That's not counting the line, I'm talking the search/interrogation/detention phase. I am a US citizen with good passport, clean criminal record, valid and legal reasons for travel, and full compliance with US border related laws.
  - 4y ago

ajsnigrutin 4y ago

I've never applied for any other kind than a tourist visa (and also never travelled in any other way there), and never had I seen anything different/worse than passing any other border in europe (non EU/schengen ones). US does seem one of the only/few countries where an illegal immigrant can lead a pretty normal life for years (job, send kids to school, get a doctor, etc.) without getting noticed and deported... in my country for example, there's literally no way to get someone illegal to (eg.) school.

kragen 4y ago
No, I'm leading a pretty normal life as an illegal immigrant in Argentina, and it's not legal to deport me (unless I commit a crime). Most countries don't have the level of government involvement in day-to-day life that many European countries do.
- notch656a 4y ago
  Naturally I'm sure you are law abiding, but I question how easy it is to live and work in Argentina without violating the law (I've heard it's practically a requirement to survive there -- if nothing else the tax laws). Maybe it's just a scam, but I had heard if you file for citizenship (which apparently anyone can do) it makes it harder to get deported? I read some bizarre reports on baexpats that the easiest way to get deported is actually to follow the official legal residency pathway!
  - kragen 4y ago
    All that is true, except that it's harder to file for citizenship now. Just to clarify, you can't be deported for not paying taxes.
- ajsnigrutin 4y ago
  Yes, I'm from europe, here it's pretty impossible to do anything, atleast longterm (sneaking in and doing some under-the-table work for a few weeks and going back.. sure.. staying for years, having kids, etc... no way).

autoexec 4y ago

The US is weird because they are far more open to immigrants than many other nations, and extremely lax about illegal immigration (encouraging it even) while at the same being outright inhuman in how they treat the people that do get caught up by border patrol. We should really be doing the opposite of that and be far more strict about controlling illegal immigration while also making sure that the people we deport or turn away at the border are treated with respect and dignity and are well cared for while in our custody.