Worst POE experience ever

[JavedG]

I arrived at JFK couple days ago from an overseas trip with my elderly parents on wheel chairs. They are on visit visas. At the immigration counter, the officer asked usual stuff about my parents like how long they are going to stay here, etc. They were both granted 6 months entry. She scanned my green card and put my green card, my passport and the custom declaration form in a red plastic envelope and sent me into the INS office in the back. She asked my parents to wait outside.

I didn't expect this while traveling on the green card. Anyway, there were more than 100 people waiting ahead of me. There were bunch of yellow and red envlopes being looked at by 2 officers. The yellow envelopes were for special registeration or so it seemed. The officers were sending those people with yellow env for registration. The people with red envlopes were usually U.S citizens or PRs. Most people were let go within half an hour wait time. The officers were either doing some sort of data entry or soem lookups I am not sure. My turn finally came after half an hour and the the only thing I was asked was my social security number. I was asked to take my seat again. This was different than everyone else.

I was worried about parents waiting outside for such long time. I waited for another half an hour and then I asked whats going on. I was told that they are waiting for a call back from INS. That call never came for next three hours. By that time I had missed my connceting flight from JFK and lost all my patience. I walked up again and told them about my flight and worried parents on the wheel chair outside the third time. The officer then called the INS and found out that they never recieved the fax from the officer which would have initiated the clearance processing and the phone call back from INS. So I had been waiting for 4 hours for nothing. I don't know whose fault was this. The officer then faxed again God only knows whatever needed to be faxed to INS. The INS person called within next 10 minutes and I was handed over my passport, GC and the custom decl form. All this and not a single apology. I asked what this was about and was told that I had a common name. I was not asked a single question in those 4 hours except for my social security number.

I had my flights rebooked for the next day. We were accomodated at a nearby hotel. The airline I travled with took care of the situation but I have never felt so helpless before.

I have never been out of status. I have never had any trouble at the POE while on F1, H1 and AP.


Anyone who has had a similar experience, please share. Share your thoughts even if you haven't had a similar experience.

[brb2]

Javed,

I was really sorry to hear about this incident. I felt more sorry for your parents waiting for 4 hours on wheel chairs after a presumably long flight. I think you should take legal recourse for the way you were treated and if possible publicize this incident. It is time more Americans realized how innocent law abiding people are treated.

If I am not too intrusive would you mind telling me your country of origin/religeon? I am wondering if this was all on the basis of extra screening due to the elevated level of security. Javed is a common name in Pakistan and the name check may have got some "hits" on the data base at POE.