As tourists enjoying the beautiful and interesting country.
They had a tourist visa that is valid for 90 days.
They were in Atlanta when they intended to travel into Mexico because their visa was going to expire.
However, a big storm stopped all traffic.
They couldn’t get out of town.
It took 10 days before they managed to reach the US-Mexican border.
Somehow, they got checked there by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Who saw they had overstayed their 3 months visa with 10 days.
The couple from the Netherlands was arrested immediately.
And taken to a detention centre for illegal immigrants.
They were separated not to see each other anymore for two months.
Each of them was put in solitary confinement.
Locked up in a cell of 2 x 2,5 metres with a bed, a toilet and a small table.
The light in this cell was kept on 24 hours a day.
Sleeping was made impossible by constant loud shouting of the sadistic guards.
Who threatened them:
“Tomorrow we will kill you”.
“I am going to fuck you in your ass”.
They were kept in solitary confinement under these horrifying circumstances for one week.
Their clothes had been confiscated: they were given a towel and a short jacket only.
Even underwear was not allowed.
Requests to make a phone call to their family, to a lawyer or to the Embassy of the Netherlands were refused.
They were given food, but only so much as to have them feel hungry all the time.
The boy later declared: "They were trying to destroy us psychologically".
After one week they were put in prisons. Together with murderers and other serious criminals.
Still they were not allowed to contact anybody.
The boy managed to convince another guy, who was going to be released, to call once free his parents.
The parents had already panicked not knowing where their son and his girlfriend were.
Until they received a phone call from the guy explaining the son was locked up in a prison.
The authorities of the Netherlands were alarmed who managed to get both of them out of prison and the USA.
After 2 months in prison.
And now we have the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
A person from a European country cannot simply get on a plane to the USA anymore.
As of recently the traveller needs to go to a website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
And fill in on-line an application.
Starting the procedure of applying, suddenly a pop-up screen appears:
You are about to access a Department of Homeland Security computer system. This computer system and data therein are property of the U.S. Government and provided for official U.S. Government information and use. There is no expectation of privacy when you use this computer system. The use of a password or any other security measure does not establish an expectation of privacy. By using this system, you consent to the terms set forth in this notice. You may not process classified national security information on this computer system. Access to this system is restricted to authorized users only. Unauthorized access, use, or modification of this system or of data contained herein, or in transit to/from this system, may constitute a violation of section 1030 of title 18 of the U.S. Code and other criminal laws. Anyone who accesses a Federal computer system without authorization or exceeds access authority, or obtains, alters, damages, destroys, or discloses information, or prevents authorized use of information on the computer system, may be subject to penalties, fines or imprisonment. This computer system and any related equipment is subject to monitoring for administrative oversight, law enforcement, criminal investigative purposes, inquiries into alleged wrongdoing or misuse, and to ensure proper performance of applicable security features and procedures. DHS may conduct monitoring activities without further notice.
This needs to be OK-ed before the visitor can proceed.
Then another statement needs to be OK-ed about agreeing to participate in the procedure.
A list of questions need to be answered about mental and physical health and possible activities.
And of course all the info about where one lives, with who one is going to stay in the USA, phone number, e-mail address, etc
This information is protected by the privacy laws of the USA but they will keep it on record for the next 10 years…
The couple in mind that was 2 months in prison for overstaying the visa for 10 days, this morning the on line application to enter the USA in March was processed.
With a passport from the Netherlands issued in Spain while living in Mexico, the expectation was that the application would automatically get into the department of suspicious travellers.
And that complications could be faced.
But guess what?
After sending in the application to the US-authorities, within 10 seconds approval was received.
This does not guarantee entry into the USA though.
At the US-border the whole procedure repeats a second time.
.
7 comments:
tell them to come to india. they can stay for years in great style. no discomfort. just bribes.
--raj
I don't know the dates of this incident but there has not been any weather delays in recent history that would have resulted in a 10 day delay in reaching the Mexican border. The tales of prison life are bull shit.
This comment was published anonymously. Another coward therefore.
Who can't read well either: nowhere in the posting it is mentioned that the storm was raging for 10 days. It says that it took them 10 days to get to the border.
Another not very intelligent remark is made about the reality of the report on the USA-prison life.How does Anonymous know it is not true?
Michael....how does anyone know what is true, or not true? You seem to accept as fact what you have been told, or read with NO corraboration. You cited weather as an excuse for it taking them 10 days to arrive at the Mexian border. One can drive across the entire country in 66 hours (4,000 miles at 60 mph), less than 3 days. Even if you add in 12 hours of stops that is exactly 3 days. They apparently did not leave for the border until the day their visas expired. That was a conscious decision on their part. No doubt there are details they left out of their story, and no doubt there are many details neither you, nor I know. There is little, or not context provided. What context is given reflects poorly on them, and their decision making process. They could have gone to a local embassy prior to departing for Mexico and getting an extension enabling them to get to Mexico, but they chose not to. They essentially rolled the dice and lost. As to their detention story, again, there is no corraboration. I don't know what happened, but it would be nice to get additional information from other sources.
Assuming one is a coward because they post anonymous reflects badly on you Michael. Some post anonymously as it is faster.
When the truth is too embarrassing, a defense mechanism is to try to discredit the messenger and to try to doubt the facts.
So, Michael, as the messenger, why not enlighten us with what corraboration you obtained on this story? Or, do you have none, but just believed the story outright because it fits your worldview of America and the past administration? I'm not embarrassed, I'm skeptical. A defense mechanism of one whose veracity is questioned is to project on to others their own foibles. You engage in adhominem attacks on the character of those who disagree with your left leaning perspective on life (he's a coward because he posts anonomously, I'm embarrassed so I criticize the messenger). Why are you so thin skinned? Why not have a discussion with the goal of finding clarity of each other's positions as opposed to reaching agreement? You and I will never agree politically, it is obvious, should that preclude us from having a civil discussion?
The Dark Side of America
Conditions In Many U.S. Prisons Make Abu Ghraib Photos Seem Mild
The full story on:
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/articles_2004/us_prison_conditions_darkside.html
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