That's unpleasant but flying back on the next available flight is still way better than the Canadian woman who was held for weeks despite begging to pay for her

That's unpleasant but flying back on the next available flight is still way better than the Canadian woman who was held for weeks despite begging to pay for her own ticket back to Canada. The UK situation you describe has clear reasoning. The US system just seems to be throwing people into a black hole without rules.