Is it correct to be punished?

[Greengo]

Hi guys!

A friend of mine immigrated into USA several years ago and since that time he had a Green Card which was valid for ten years.

He left USA as soon as he got his Green Card. A few years later he returned to USA without any problems because he was not asked any questions at the PoE. He then lived and worked in the US.

After a couple of years he returned to his home country and he lived there for a few years. There he read that it is not allowed to leave USA for more than one year as otherwise the PR would lose his Green Card. Therefore he sent his Green Card together with I-407 form to the US General Consulate in his country. By postal mail he quickly got a copy of this form and the answer that he is allowed to visit USA using the Visa Waiver program if he has a valid passport.

He flew to USA then but at the airport officers were awaitening him. He was interrogated for five hours at the airport. He told them the whole truth. He also answered to a question that he has never ever been sued. Nevertheless the immigration officer denied him entering USA and he was sent back to the country where he was coming from with the next flight. The officers told him that they are allowed to deny visitors entering the country on der Visa Waiver program and that he needs to apply for a visa at the US embassy of his home country when he wants to visit USA.

The guy was very shocked about the treatment he got and he is afraid of USA respectively of visiting the US embassy. But one day in the future he wants to visit USA.

He doesn't know whether the denial has something to do with the fact that he used to live in the US with a Green Card. He says that he didn't enter USA illegally when he entered USA with his Green Card several years ago in order to live and work in the US. He wasn't asked any questions at the PoE and it wouldn't be his job to tell something that he wasn't asked to do. I think he is right.

Do you know why the officers at the PoE denied him entering USA and whether it is correct to deny him using the Visa Waiver program when he wants to enter USA?

Greengo