American Customs Experience

Here are the details of my attempt to cross the American border on Thursday, June 3, 2004. At the time I was training at an organization called ACORN. This organization was based out of Burien, Washington, just South of Seattle. They worked in low income neighbourhoods to improve the quality of life for people residing in those neighbourhoods.

I arrived at the Peach Arch Border Crossing at some time close to 11:30 on Thursday, June 3, 2004.

At the booth they asked me the regular questions, like “How long are you planning to be away for?”

They asked me if I had any items that anyone had asked me to purchase for them while I was in Canada. I did happen to have this. The people hosting Nolan and I in Seattle had asked me to pick up three bottles of liquor for them. This I had done. I was told that normally I would only be allowed to bring one into the United States, but since I did not know of the rule I would be allowed to do it this once.

Then things got strange. They asked me about my purpose for visiting and I explained that I was part of a Community Leadership program and that I was going down to Seattle for training. They then asked me: “Are you going to Burien?” This caught me totally off guard since I did not understand how they would’ve known this. I was then sent inside to immigration for questioning. There were three immigration officers who cross-examined me.

For an hour and a half I was questioned on all kinds of things. They asked me for a breakdown of my average day by hour at ACORN. They asked slanted questions like “What type of corporations does your organization attack?” They asked me “Where are you currently living?” I told them that I was staying in West Seattle. They asked me if I was living there and I said that I was, to which they said that if I was living in Seattle, then I wasn’t visiting Seattle. They asked me questions specifically about Nolan and what he was doing as part of this program and where he was staying. They asked about the location and activities of all the other trainees in the program. They asked me in what ways ACORN had helped me.

After a long hour and a half they told me they could not let me into the United States and would have to send me back to Canada. They gave me a long list of reasons as to why I could not enter the country. When I insisted that they give them to me in writing they refused, and in order to make note I had to scribble it down on my own piece of paper. I tried to capture everything they told me.

The reasons they gave for not allowing me to enter the country included:

- ACORN had offered compensation in the form of helping me find a place to live and by offering compensation for wear-and-tear and on my car.

- That I could not provide proof that ACORN was not indirectly paying my stipend/wage by transferring funds to the Columbia Institute or Columbia Foundation.

- To them it sounded like what I was doing was more work than training. They did not like the fact that I was initiating and working on projects and thought that as a trainee I should be doing more observation than work.

- They did not like the fact that I was “interfering” in the American political system and wished what I was doing was more social than political.

They told me that they would consider letting me cross when they see letters that are signed by the directors of the Columbia Institute and Washington ACORN. They wanted me to make it clear to them that:

- no stipends/compensation/donations/cash/in-kind support was given nor will be given to me by ACORN. (According to them I’m not even supposed to eat the doughnuts that someone brings into the office since that would count as compensation.)

- ACORN will specifically not help me with my housing situation nor with any reimbursement for travel.

- ACORN does not provide any funding to the Columbia Institute or Foundation.

- What I was doing was indeed training and not work.

After this they sent me back to Canada. I then had to pass through Canadian Customs where I awkwardly was asked to explain to them why I could not enter the United States.

Things that made me feel scared and intimidated during my time at the border included:

- They told me at the border that they had been expecting me.

- They knew that I was going to Burien before I had ever mentioned it.

- They knew about Nolan and asked questions about him (even though he had used a different crossing).

- They claimed to know about my political affiliations.

- They told me that in the worst case scenario I could be searched, my car could be searched and I could be held for a hearing in 8 months.

- One of the officers started telling me about how guns can hold people accountable.

Upon crossing the border back into Canada, I immediately called my parents and my friend Heather in Victoria. I left messages on Washington ACORN’s and Viki’s voicemail.