Unlawful Detention??

[Jim Diver]

I just got back from a cruise to Alaska. As we stopped in Canada for a day, when we got back to SF, we were inspected by Immigration. ICE made announcements that until ALL passangers were inspected by ICE, NO ONE would be allowed off the ship... Needless to say, there were a few people who didn't think the inspection applied to them and they had to be hunted down while the rest of us were held and not allowed to get off the ship.

What's the legality of this? Refusing to allow US citizens to reenter the US till everyone is inspected? All they did was look at our passports then let us go.

 

[Sindawe]

Don't know about the legality of the detention, but it strikes me as prudent.

 

[carebear]

Don't they usually just run the debarkation line past customs and immigre like at the airport?

Or did they go door to door through the ship. That seems kind of haphazard.

 

[rock jock]

Refusing to allow US citizens to reenter the US till everyone is inspected?

Good question. I wonder what the thinking was behind this? As for legal, I would say yes.

 

[Telperion]

I think Jim is objecting to being detained while everyone is being processed by immigration. When I disembark from an international flight, I get to reenter when I clear immigration and customs, not after everybody on the plane has also cleared. Forcing everybody to stew doesn't strike me as very prudent, as people's time is valuable.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

It also doesn't strike me as legal.

I would like to know the reason -- if there is one.

 

[WT]

I'd say it was perfectly legal.

The feds probably wanted to do a headcount and compare it against the passenger manifest.

Border crossings are a whole 'nuther world when it comes to US law.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Border crossings are a whole 'nuther world when it comes to US law.

Which may explain why the nation's southern border is largely ignored by the federal government.

 

[shermacman]

They wanted to do a head count on a cruise boat? The entire effing southern border has first aid and water stations so that the undocumented toilet cleaners can safely sneak in. And the Feds want to do a head count on an Alaskan cruise ship?

 

[jefnvk]

How else the canucks going to get in?

Don't know if it is legal or not, my guess is yes. I think this is the smarter way, could you imagine standing in line for hours coming off the ship while everyone ahead of you was checked?

And anyone coming off a cruise probably doesn't have anywhere important to be, making the time=money argument moot. Maybe an airport, but if you didn't book some spare time between your ship arrival and your plane departure, you probably aren't traveling smart.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

How is it more effective to do a head count (or anything else) by keeping the counted confined with the uncounted than to allow the counted to pass down the gangway, pick up their bags, and head for home? This little exercise must have looked like the quintessential Chinese fire drill (with appropriate apologies to those of Chinese ethnicity for the analogy) ... "Aw right, you lubbers, everybody who's had yer papers checked stand on the starboard side, everybody who hasn't been checked stay on the port side."

I'm certain the exercise was a model of efficiency and decorum on the part of the officials involved.

 

[carebear]

Wait in line? I'm waiting with Isaac in the lounge.


He's expecting me