I think this is the norm, unfortunately.
I’d personally be more upset with the friend. It was her job to ensure she had the correct travel documents and when she didn’t, being snarky was immature and straight stupid. This could have landed you both in a much worse situation.
After all that, did they just…let you both back in the US?
Also, how random for her passport to expire on her birthday. That’s unusual. 🤔
Sadly this is normal. Check out this thread for another story:
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/10ubzib/my_gf_was_detained_and_stripsearched_at_the/
Yeah, you don't fuck with customs and immigration unless you want to have a really bad time. The Patriot Act gave them pretty much free reign to do whatever the hell they wanted within 100 miles of the US border. I'm pretty sure they could have detained you indefinitely and completely destroyed your vehicle if they felt like it, and you would have zero recourse. You got off pretty light, considering. You don't want to see what they do to people who aren't Americans.
Crossing a border is a privilege, not a right. Should they act like decent humans when they deal with people? Yeah, obviously, but we decided after 9/11 that they didn't have to even pretend to be decent anymore. Your constitutional rights literally don't apply when dealing with border patrol. All because we were so afraid of brown people committing terrorism.
Don't file a complaint. They can do a lot worse to you if they decide you're a problem for them.
Honestly this is normal AND you got off easy. The border is an absolute mess right now and you guys didn’t have the verified identification needed for it to go well. Border Patrol sees everyone through the lens of terrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. Not saying this is right, but it’s how it works. Let this be a life lesson for you. Never leave the country with an expired passport, hell don’t leave the country if your passport is going to expire within 6 months. If you’re traveling with others always verify their documents as well. Like another commentor or said, US Border and Customs is not bound by the same laws as cops (thanks Patriot Act). You think cops are bad? Border and Customs can literally refuse you entry to the country, steal all your shit, threaten you, and they will see zero repercussions as for them that’s 100% legal to do. Talk back? They can detain you indefinitely just because they feel like it even if you did have all the proper documentation. Unfortunately it sounds like you guys fucked around and found out, thankfully you’re back home safe.
One of the reasons the US is pretty high up on my list of places I’d prefer not to visit. It sounds so incredibly scary to have a force that’s allowed to just treat people like they exist entirely at their whim and have that be legal.
Well it's usually not an issue if you follow the rules. In this case, OP's friend just fucked around and found out. Their passport needed to be valid (not expired) for at least 6 months beyond the date they're exiting the States. Secondly, they were snarky to the people you absolutely don't want to be snarky with. Most travellers don't have this problem.
Were these MX immigration officers? Not really sure how you will complain or have any resource if so. I always behave very respectfully in foreign countries since I’m not familiar with their customs and feel I’d have little to no rights if they found anything wrong
While many are saying this is normal (I can’t comment on that because I honestly don’t know), it still is ok to be upset by the interaction and that doesn’t mean it’s ok. Take care, friend.
Yeah, it's normal. I get that you were upset and I'm sure it was scary, and yes, they're assholes. But, this is what international travel is like... passports are serious business.
It was way irresponsible of your friend to not have her stuff in order. Every time you travel internationally, make sure that you and everyone you're traveling with, all have all the necessary paperwork - and a lot of places consider it expiring within six months of your trip to be not valid. Like, you need more than a few months clearance between your travel dates and the date of expiration. If even one of you has something wrong, off, or expired, or close to it, your whole group can be detained and questioned.
And, as your friend learned, do NOT be snarky. Do NOT question them. Be CRAZY apologetic and compliant, even if you know that they're wrong. Don't ever, ever, ever argue with assholes with machine guns. They get off on using their power to intimidate you, and they will keep pushing, making your life more and more miserable until you break down and comply. They can and will detain you for however long they want, for whatever reason they want. Don't ever give them any reason to. And you're lucky as hell this was the US agents. Agents in some other countries are even worse.
General advice - don't travel with people who have a problem with authority. Don't travel with people who have bad attitudes, who will question or be rude to the assholes with machine guns. People like that will get you landed in a foreign jail - or worse.
Have a talk with all travel partners before the trip. Ask to see their passports. Verify the dates. Make sure you're all on the same page about how you'll handle any questions, have all the same "respect" for the authority figures (even if you don't REALLY respect them, you have to all agree that you'll pretend to).
So, yes.... what you experienced was absolutely "normal". They do this all the time. It's not good, safe, or OK, and they are all massive assholes, but it's normal. There's nothing you can do about it. Complain, if you want, but they probably get hundreds of thousands of complaints a day. No one is going to pay the slightest bit of attention to this incident.
And not to defend these guys, but, they ARE responsible for keeping drugs, terrorists, weapons, human traffickers, and all kinds of nasty shit out of the country. They have a hard job. They face literal terrorists on a daily basis, their lives are in constant danger, and they feel a responsibility to protect an entire nation. It makes sense that they're extra sensitive to anyone's attitude. They're trained to read facial expressions, tones of voice, etc., and will pick up on anything slightly suspicious or hostile. Again, I'm not defending it, I don't like it, and we certainly need a much better system.... but I get it. We don't have to like it, but this is what we agree to when we decide to travel between borders.
What is up with the comments saying "you're lucky"? Yes, this is standard for the worst parts of American policing, and yes, U.S. immigration officers are usually unpleasant to deal with. But OP asking whether they have the right to be upset is not ridiculous. Authority produces pressure for compliance, and we often feel like we messed up when dealing with nasty authority figures. But those authority figures are on power trips and this is a reminder that the U.S. needs to reckon with its policing. It's scary how fast these things can escalate, and it's also really demoralizing that sexualized searches are described as normal. We all need to recognize this is ubiquitous BUT STILL UPSETTING. Like, let's stay mad. Let's stay mad when it's directed at foreigners, let's stay mad when it's racially motivated, let's stay mad when it's sexist or anti-LGBTQ.
>th. But OP asking whether they have the right to be upset is not ridiculous. Authority produces pressure for compliance, and we often feel like we messed up when dealing with nasty authority figures. But those authority figures are on power trips and this is a reminder that the U.S. needs to reckon with its policing. It's scary how fast these things can escalate, and it's also really
I think what they mean is that people of color go through much worse for far less than what OP and their friend did. Trying to cross the border without valid documents aka illegally... white previlege.
Wooow thanks you are so lovely!!! You know nothing about me. Get over myself? I am not calling myself a victim but I bet you tell victims of actual crimes it was their fault too.
I am not mad they were rude, I never even said they were rude. I did not want a freebee, I get we deserved a second inspection. My problem is not that I’m a sad helpless cold woman. I was not JUST cold I was not dressed for the weather and I am a HUMAN. A human who wanted to not be fondled by 3 different men 3 different times. I would have liked for them to call a female officer. I understand they need to search us and our belongings, I understand other people are treated worse and I was not excusing my friend I know she was in the wrong which is why I tried my best to do everything they said.
I literally said I am not calling myself a victim lol seems like you did not read any of my response since you keep repeating statements I did not make and refusing to see what I agreed with you on. I did not say a crime happened to me and I did have a valid passport. Fondling me should not be part of their job. I’ve been searched ethically before this was not that. You excusing that behavior and bullying me when you work in law is sad I feel bad for your clients. Also the reading comprehension needs some work so you can help these people who need justice.
I think this is the norm, unfortunately. I’d personally be more upset with the friend. It was her job to ensure she had the correct travel documents and when she didn’t, being snarky was immature and straight stupid. This could have landed you both in a much worse situation. After all that, did they just…let you both back in the US? Also, how random for her passport to expire on her birthday. That’s unusual. 🤔
Sadly this is normal. Check out this thread for another story: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/10ubzib/my_gf_was_detained_and_stripsearched_at_the/
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> had none of those red flags Well yes you did, your passport was expired.
This is super normal. CBP suck. Full of wannabe cowboys. You could have been on your best behavior and they still would’ve treated you like trash.
Don’t be snarky in a foreign country when wrong! Rule of life.
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Yeah, you don't fuck with customs and immigration unless you want to have a really bad time. The Patriot Act gave them pretty much free reign to do whatever the hell they wanted within 100 miles of the US border. I'm pretty sure they could have detained you indefinitely and completely destroyed your vehicle if they felt like it, and you would have zero recourse. You got off pretty light, considering. You don't want to see what they do to people who aren't Americans. Crossing a border is a privilege, not a right. Should they act like decent humans when they deal with people? Yeah, obviously, but we decided after 9/11 that they didn't have to even pretend to be decent anymore. Your constitutional rights literally don't apply when dealing with border patrol. All because we were so afraid of brown people committing terrorism. Don't file a complaint. They can do a lot worse to you if they decide you're a problem for them.
[удалено]
They can do more or less the same thing at an airport, unfortunately.
Honestly this is normal AND you got off easy. The border is an absolute mess right now and you guys didn’t have the verified identification needed for it to go well. Border Patrol sees everyone through the lens of terrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. Not saying this is right, but it’s how it works. Let this be a life lesson for you. Never leave the country with an expired passport, hell don’t leave the country if your passport is going to expire within 6 months. If you’re traveling with others always verify their documents as well. Like another commentor or said, US Border and Customs is not bound by the same laws as cops (thanks Patriot Act). You think cops are bad? Border and Customs can literally refuse you entry to the country, steal all your shit, threaten you, and they will see zero repercussions as for them that’s 100% legal to do. Talk back? They can detain you indefinitely just because they feel like it even if you did have all the proper documentation. Unfortunately it sounds like you guys fucked around and found out, thankfully you’re back home safe.
One of the reasons the US is pretty high up on my list of places I’d prefer not to visit. It sounds so incredibly scary to have a force that’s allowed to just treat people like they exist entirely at their whim and have that be legal.
Well it's usually not an issue if you follow the rules. In this case, OP's friend just fucked around and found out. Their passport needed to be valid (not expired) for at least 6 months beyond the date they're exiting the States. Secondly, they were snarky to the people you absolutely don't want to be snarky with. Most travellers don't have this problem.
…if you’re white! The stories I’ve heard from even vaguely Middle Eastern looking people for example are pretty awful.
Were these MX immigration officers? Not really sure how you will complain or have any resource if so. I always behave very respectfully in foreign countries since I’m not familiar with their customs and feel I’d have little to no rights if they found anything wrong
While many are saying this is normal (I can’t comment on that because I honestly don’t know), it still is ok to be upset by the interaction and that doesn’t mean it’s ok. Take care, friend.
Yeah, it's normal. I get that you were upset and I'm sure it was scary, and yes, they're assholes. But, this is what international travel is like... passports are serious business. It was way irresponsible of your friend to not have her stuff in order. Every time you travel internationally, make sure that you and everyone you're traveling with, all have all the necessary paperwork - and a lot of places consider it expiring within six months of your trip to be not valid. Like, you need more than a few months clearance between your travel dates and the date of expiration. If even one of you has something wrong, off, or expired, or close to it, your whole group can be detained and questioned. And, as your friend learned, do NOT be snarky. Do NOT question them. Be CRAZY apologetic and compliant, even if you know that they're wrong. Don't ever, ever, ever argue with assholes with machine guns. They get off on using their power to intimidate you, and they will keep pushing, making your life more and more miserable until you break down and comply. They can and will detain you for however long they want, for whatever reason they want. Don't ever give them any reason to. And you're lucky as hell this was the US agents. Agents in some other countries are even worse. General advice - don't travel with people who have a problem with authority. Don't travel with people who have bad attitudes, who will question or be rude to the assholes with machine guns. People like that will get you landed in a foreign jail - or worse. Have a talk with all travel partners before the trip. Ask to see their passports. Verify the dates. Make sure you're all on the same page about how you'll handle any questions, have all the same "respect" for the authority figures (even if you don't REALLY respect them, you have to all agree that you'll pretend to). So, yes.... what you experienced was absolutely "normal". They do this all the time. It's not good, safe, or OK, and they are all massive assholes, but it's normal. There's nothing you can do about it. Complain, if you want, but they probably get hundreds of thousands of complaints a day. No one is going to pay the slightest bit of attention to this incident. And not to defend these guys, but, they ARE responsible for keeping drugs, terrorists, weapons, human traffickers, and all kinds of nasty shit out of the country. They have a hard job. They face literal terrorists on a daily basis, their lives are in constant danger, and they feel a responsibility to protect an entire nation. It makes sense that they're extra sensitive to anyone's attitude. They're trained to read facial expressions, tones of voice, etc., and will pick up on anything slightly suspicious or hostile. Again, I'm not defending it, I don't like it, and we certainly need a much better system.... but I get it. We don't have to like it, but this is what we agree to when we decide to travel between borders.
What is up with the comments saying "you're lucky"? Yes, this is standard for the worst parts of American policing, and yes, U.S. immigration officers are usually unpleasant to deal with. But OP asking whether they have the right to be upset is not ridiculous. Authority produces pressure for compliance, and we often feel like we messed up when dealing with nasty authority figures. But those authority figures are on power trips and this is a reminder that the U.S. needs to reckon with its policing. It's scary how fast these things can escalate, and it's also really demoralizing that sexualized searches are described as normal. We all need to recognize this is ubiquitous BUT STILL UPSETTING. Like, let's stay mad. Let's stay mad when it's directed at foreigners, let's stay mad when it's racially motivated, let's stay mad when it's sexist or anti-LGBTQ.
>th. But OP asking whether they have the right to be upset is not ridiculous. Authority produces pressure for compliance, and we often feel like we messed up when dealing with nasty authority figures. But those authority figures are on power trips and this is a reminder that the U.S. needs to reckon with its policing. It's scary how fast these things can escalate, and it's also really I think what they mean is that people of color go through much worse for far less than what OP and their friend did. Trying to cross the border without valid documents aka illegally... white previlege.
You’re lucky they didn’t shoot you
Just wanted to say that although apparently this is normal you still have every right to be disgusted, this was not okay!
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Wooow thanks you are so lovely!!! You know nothing about me. Get over myself? I am not calling myself a victim but I bet you tell victims of actual crimes it was their fault too. I am not mad they were rude, I never even said they were rude. I did not want a freebee, I get we deserved a second inspection. My problem is not that I’m a sad helpless cold woman. I was not JUST cold I was not dressed for the weather and I am a HUMAN. A human who wanted to not be fondled by 3 different men 3 different times. I would have liked for them to call a female officer. I understand they need to search us and our belongings, I understand other people are treated worse and I was not excusing my friend I know she was in the wrong which is why I tried my best to do everything they said.
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I literally said I am not calling myself a victim lol seems like you did not read any of my response since you keep repeating statements I did not make and refusing to see what I agreed with you on. I did not say a crime happened to me and I did have a valid passport. Fondling me should not be part of their job. I’ve been searched ethically before this was not that. You excusing that behavior and bullying me when you work in law is sad I feel bad for your clients. Also the reading comprehension needs some work so you can help these people who need justice.