If Travelling To The United States, Be Very Afraid

Last month, I wrote about the terrifying saga of Jasmine Mooney. A couple of recent videos remind us, through her story, of the perils travelling to the United States entails.

If you need further convincing, you may want to watch a longer interview with Jasmine Mooney.

Then there was the horrifying detention of Rebecca Burke.

She was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) for 19 days in what her father described as “horrendous conditions”. Now, to be fair, Burke had the wrong paperwork: she hadn’t realised that she needed a working visa instead of a tourist visa in order to exchange domestic chores for accommodation with a host family. But getting imprisoned for almost three weeks over a mix-up and then being led on to a deportation flight – in chains! – back to a country that is supposedly a close ally, is obviously extreme.

Moore and Burke's stories are but two of many.  They are undoubtedly part of the reason behind Canada's travel warning for those considering going to the formerly friendly nation.

Canada has updated its advice to those travelling to the United States, warning travellers they may face “scrutiny” from border guards and the possibility of detention if denied entry.

 The updated advisory notes that if denied entry to the U.S., citizens could be detained while awaiting deportation if they fail to meet entry exit requirements.

“Individual border agents often have significant discretion in making those determinations,” the advisory said. “Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices. Comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities.”

The warnings seem to be having an effect.

At least one institution — the Universite de Montreal — put out a memorandum to staff and students about what to expect at the U.S. border and to take precautions including leaving sensitive research data at home and to register with the school on a voluntary basis before travel.

The CBC offers this warning:

U.S. Border Patrol officers can look through a mobile phone, check comments made on social media and examine a laptop without a warrant. They can also take devices or download all of their contents.

Border guards are supposed to be scanning for evidence that a traveller might commit a crime in the U.S. or violate the terms of their entry visa, but negative statements about the country or its president might make them look harder.

From the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Adam Schwartz says finding something 'damning' on a person's phone could be as simple as someone writing,

'I am angry at the president of the United States' or 'I'm proud to be Canadian and it makes me mad that the United States has just imposed tariffs on us or whatever it is".

Given the current climate south of the border and the fact that they are embracing protocols one normally associates with authoritarian regimes, the prudent choice for all Canadians is to avoid any unnecessary travel there until further notice.