U.S Customs problem?

kev1-1

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
585
Location
England
My Sister and her friend, both 21, are in New York for a week at the moment. On their arrival at the airport they were detained for 3-hours by airport security personnel. They were put in what they describe as a cell, questioned by some very rude and unpleasant officials, had their bags roughly searched and then left lying on the corridor floor. Frankly the whole experience left them wanting to turn around and leave the U.S right there and then!

My question is what are your rights here? Shouldn't the officials involved have identified themselves and the agency they work for e.g. airport security, customs etc? Do you not have a right to know why you have been detained? Don't the officials of proper government agencies, such as Customs and NYPD, normally behave with good manners?

Is this type of thing unusual, and could anyone advice on your rights if the same thing happens to them on their departure?

The way these two young girls were treated here does not inspire any confidence in the quality of the airport security/law enforcement.
 

mattheww50

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
1,048
Location
SW Pennsylvania
The problem is you entered at New York. I learned long ago that because of the countries I was going to, I avoided re-entering the USA at JFK like the Plague. Even when New Yorker's are on their best behavior, many regarding them as downright rude!

However Customs is governed by regulations, and if the search your luggage, and don't find anything, legally, they ARE required to repack it in a 'Professional/workman like' fashion, or offer assitance in doing so. You are also entitled to common courtesy, and appropriate, Professional behavior, unless they don't have reason to do otherwise (in other words if there are no fines, or seizures or warnings, or lack of cooperation), you are entitled to common courtesy and Professional conduct. Whenever I deal with customs at an airport, I take note of the name on the badge. If you are dissatisfied with how you were treated, I suggest you call the local customs office to find out who the port director is, and make a written complaint. (The Port Director is 'top' representative of US customs for the metropolitan area. The buck stops on the Port Director's desk, period. My experience is these guys aren't dummies, and they don't like unprofessional conduct from the line officers any more than you do. )

Since this stuff is all on video tape, there is little difficulty in establishing the facts. If you complaint is established by those tapes as legitimate, the customs officer in question can expect at the very least a reprimand. If it has been a continuing problem, it goes up to written reprimand, disciplinary hearing, and in some case, dismissal. Customs relies upon cooperationg of the general public, so the sort of conduct you describe, is simply unacceptable, and will not be tolerated by the Office of the Port Director.
 

matt_j

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 28, 2004
Messages
673
Location
Brooklyn NY
Who was that detained them? Port Authority Police? US Custom Agents? TSA? NYPD? Why were they detained? Did anyone gave them a reason?
 

Lightraven

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
1,170
The agency formerly known as U.S. Customs is now Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Immigration and customs inspections are now handled by one agency.

A person's rights are far more limited on entry to the United States (like all countries). You can be detained, questioned and searched. Though inspectors could be brusque in attempting to get the truth, they should not be rude or unprofessional.

Nobody likes being questioned by law enforcement, let alone searched or detained. For what it's worth, this agency intercepted Arab terrorists attempting to enter the United States on two separate occasions--including Ahmed Ressam (LAX bomber).
 
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