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An Australian man has been handcuffed and locked up in a US detention centre after apparently breaching his visa conditions by just over one hour.
Sydney man Baxter Reid, 26, was in the US on a five-year visa and had travelled to Canada as part of a requirement for him to exit and re-enter America every six months to keep his visa valid.
But his American girlfriend Heather Kansco said Reid was arrested by US Border Patrol officers on 23 April after delays receiving clearance to cross into Canada meant he breached his visa conditions by just over an hour.
According to Kansco's account, the couple were given "the runaround" for more than four hours at the US-Canada border. By the time Canadian authorities referred them back to US Border Patrol, Reid had "technically violated his visa requirements".
"The US Border Patrol ended up taking Baxter away, because after waiting for hours with the Canadians, he ... was illegally in the US for a SINGLE HOUR," wrote Kansco.
A Canberra man has been detained in the United States for reportedly overstaying his visa by less than two hours.
... Mr Reid's brother, Alexander, said Canadian officials did not want to let Baxter through because his visa was close to expiring. "Because they had kept him, his visa had expired by 90 minutes," he said.
"He wants to go back home, but he wants to go of his own accord," Alexander said. "He doesn't want to get deported because he still wants to go back to the US because that's where his girlfriend lives."
"He wants to get a court date so he can say to the judge 'I was leaving [of] my own accord, I don't want to stay here illegally'," he said.
"But unfortunately a court date can be anywhere from a few weeks to six months.
"He could be locked up in detention for months only because his visa expired by 90 minutes."
Offering (forced) accommodation for free (on tax money) for at least a few weeks will prove a good investment in advertising the US tourism industry, right?
(Score: -1, Troll) by VLM on Tuesday May 02 2017, @06:14PM (14 children)
Following immigration law is exclusively a white privilege in the USA, we can assume "An Australian man" means white not aboriginal or east asian. And I click thru and yup, he's white. Thats the only reason the law is being enforced against him.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 02 2017, @06:18PM (1 child)
He's a white man with a girlfriend which means he must be rich. Dude should check his rich white privilege.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday May 02 2017, @08:46PM
Straight cis privilege, technically.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 02 2017, @06:18PM (7 children)
You know what else is White Privilege?
Being too ignorant to see how you benefit from it every day.
Undocumented citizens get deported, it's business as usual.
But ONE (1) white guy gets deported for not following the rules and it's NATIONAL NEWS.
THAT is privilege. Being seen, noticed, heard amongst the sea of People of Color and undocumented citizens.
THAT is privilege. And you reek of it.
(Score: 3, Informative) by bart9h on Tuesday May 02 2017, @06:26PM (6 children)
Except that he was NOT an undocumented citizen.
The visa only expired because he was delayed at the border. At least RTFS:
the couple were given "the runaround" for more than four hours at the US-Canada border. By the time Canadian authorities referred them back to US Border Patrol, Reid had "technically violated his visa requirements".
"The US Border Patrol ended up taking Baxter away, because after waiting for hours with the Canadians, he ... was illegally in the US for a SINGLE HOUR,"
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 02 2017, @06:53PM (5 children)
Except that he was NOT an undocumented citizen.
The visa only expired because he was delayed at the border. At least RTFS:
Is that a joke? Are you trying to go full-pedant?
An expired visa means you no longer have a valid document.
40% of the undocumented immigrants to this country are here on expired visas. [politifact.com]
(Score: 5, Insightful) by linuxrocks123 on Tuesday May 02 2017, @07:46PM (3 children)
Are you trying to go full-retard?
His visa wasn't expired. It was almost expired, so he was trying to leave the country, in order to comply with his visa, and he was detained. Eventually, while he was being detained, his visa expired, and he was indeed still in the country, because they weren't letting him leave, so then they arrested him.
That's sort of like shooting someone and then fining him for bleeding on the carpet.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Tuesday May 02 2017, @08:35PM
That's the most excellent description of what actually happened here, minus all the political rancor from both sides :)
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday May 02 2017, @09:01PM
That's sort of like shooting someone and then fining him for bleeding on the carpet.
Well, there are things called "bullet fees" [cbsnews.com] when they execute you and go charge your family for it in some less-pleasant countries.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 03 2017, @12:36AM
> because they weren't letting him leave,
That is false. The US was happy to let him leave. In fact, it is very rare to be stopped while exiting a country.
The problem was that canada did not want to let him in.
Allow me to quote from TFA:
According to Kansco’s account, the couple were given “the runaround” for more than four hours at the US-Canada border. By the time Canadian authorities referred them back to US Border Patrol, Reid had “technically violated his visa requirements”.
“The US Border Patrol ended up taking Baxter away, because after waiting for hours with the Canadians, he ... was illegally in the US for a SINGLE HOUR,” wrote Kansco.
So no, I am not going full retard.
I am pointing out that, by the official definition, he was undocumented.
I'm not saying any of it was fair or reasonable.
But there is literally no question that he was indeed undocumented.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 02 2017, @08:32PM
yes, except most of those greasy fucks never intended to go back home. this guy was actually trying to just visit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 02 2017, @06:22PM
And I click thru and yup, he's white. Thats the only reason the law is being enforced against him.
OMG! Could this be the white genocide they keep talking about? Oh the huge man-for-me! VLM, you are such a transparent racist!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 02 2017, @10:16PM (2 children)
~20 years ago (well before 9/11) I knew an Aussie that came to USA on a similar visa. He was having a good time racing bicycles here (when it was winter at his home). He was a happy-go-lucky sort and accidentally overstayed without leaving the USA per the conditions of the visa. Got a wrist slap from US Immigration, not even a fine, just a "don't let that happen again".
Where is the benefit of doing things differently now? It's got to be saber rattling, but what good could possibly come from this current episode?
(Score: 1) by Farmer Tim on Wednesday May 03 2017, @12:33AM (1 child)
Came for the news, stayed for the soap opera.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Demena on Wednesday May 03 2017, @06:11AM
This is nothing...if you want to talk about being offensive to allies, the US recently sent Pence to visit us in Australia. I don't know what we did to deserve that.
Sorry, technically Australia is not an ally but a subjugated nation. Australian governments are not permitted diverge from US interests. Last one to try was Gough Whitlam in 1975. The CIA acknowledged their responsibility via FOI requests. For a fictionalised account watch "The Falcon and the Snowman".
Pence would have been here to issue instructions and remind Aussie politicians of their real place in the world.