Say that I’m a journalist wanting to document the plight of illegal immigrants. I take a regular flight, carrying my passport, to Monterey, and from there proceed to follow a band of Mexicans crossing into the US somewhere on the Rio Grande. I’m back in my home country, but needless to say my passport has not been examined before entry by any representative of Homeland Security.
Have I committed a crime?
Not according to US Customs & Border Protection.
Er… replace “Not” with Yes,".
I really need to drink more coffee.
Your own cite seems to contradict you.
Edit: I just read your clarification. Disregard my first sentance ;).
Obviously as a citizen you can’t be deported, but you are subject to the hefty fines and intense derision heaped upon you.
Thanks, but it looks to me like that answer is aimed at foreign visitors. As a citizen, they can hardly “remove me from the United States”, can they?
. . . Or can they? :eek:
Well, they can fine you.
You need to clear customs and quarantine, they’re not going to waive that just because you happen to be a citizen. You could still be bringing drugs or disease into the country.
A US citizen can always live in the US.
As a citizen, you have all the rights provided by the law-- and all the responsibilities too. .
So no, they cannot throw you out of the country.
But they can throw you into jail-- if you don’t obey the law (including the laws about border crossing.
(Disclaimer : I am not an immigration lawyer, a border patrol cop, or a proctologist. So I cannot not give you advice on immigration, border crossing, or how to save your ass)
Check the law carefully before you do something you may regret.
I can’t see why they couldn’t dump you on the Mexican/Canadian side of the border (or maybe a spot of no-man’s land between the two) and make you clear customs and passport control like everyone else legally entering the country…
What is the law for citizens vis-a-vis border crossing?
American citizen Ted Conover did this for his book Coyotes. He traveled with Mexican illegal immigrants and actually helped smuggle a group of them in at one point (by plane, as a soccer team). He didn’t get caught, but to my knowledge he didn’t get charged after the fact either.
OOPS :smack: Wrong thread
Actually, I’m pretty sure they can’t do this. First off, there is no “non-man’s land” between the US and Canada or the US and Mexico. Even the Rio Grande is divided into US and Mexican waters. Second, this would amount to deporting a US citizen, which is illegal. Third, why would they? Once they’ve seized you, they can just subject you to any checks and inspections that they want to without having to have you go to a point of entry.
Not that they did it on purpose, but they have deported American citizens. Obviously this will be less of a problem if you’re crossing the southern border and you don’t look Mexican. I wonder if this ever happens up north.
Another illegal thing that has been known to occur is the United States failing to notify the foreign country when it has arrested, tried, and sentenced it’s citizen to death.
[Moderating]
The second part of your post is irrelevant to the OP. Let’s keep this on track by refraining from dragging in extraneous cases or for that matter general discussion of US treatment of immigrants. You’re welcome to start a thread in GD on those issues if you wish.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator