AR-11 problem - parents refused entry

V

velu987

New Member
We had changed our address 4 months back and sent AR-11 to on time. Even after confirming on telephone that new address was updated, some of their computers still show the old address.

When my parents landed at JFK airport in New York on March 6th, they showed my invitation letter with the new address, and since that did not match the records, they were asked to go back. The officer told them that they would be in serious trouble if they were found at a different address after they entered the country.

They were placed in detention for more than a day till they could take the next filght back to India. They also harrassed my father about some previous visits to gulf countries - where he had gone for consultancy assignments from his government job.

Luckily, they are home safe now. This has been a nightmare for us - I hope nobody ever has this kind of experience.
 
This is very unfortunate. Did the immigration officer give them a chance to clarify things? Couldn't they call you from the airport? So they bought the tickets from the airport and flew back to India? This is a very scary situation. I am planning to bring my parents on visitor visa and I am changing the apartment too. Thinking what can I do to avoid this. My parents are planning to go to Consulate to get the visa in 1st week of April. Dont know what will happen (because of this war and everything).
 
This is quite disgusting :mad:. Your parents would be perhaps above 50. Imagine the immigration officers suspecting your father and your mother having ties with terrorism. What danger an old lady could pose?

But, this is overzealousness and it could have been sorted out right there at the airport instead of subjecting your parents to detention and then sending them back! In fact, almost anyone would have preferred had they not been issued visas at all to begin with. At least they could have avoided the insult and travel hassles.

The immigration officers could have called you. And, asked you all sorts of questions to straighten this out. You could have produced the photocopy of AR - 11. On I-94, your parents would have written an address and as long as that is where they were going, that has to be ok with immigration officers. Sending your parents back was excessive, uncalled for and a clear abuse of power.

The problem is most folks just put up with this type of incidents. Everyone thinks this will not happen to him or her and would happen to the next guy. People need to draw attention of law/immigration officials and lawmakers to this type of problem. Perhaps there is a lack of clear-cut guidelines in dealing with such cases. The immigration officer then brings his/her own prejudices and subjects the traveler to harassment.

The best way is to point this out to BCIS (formerly INS), your lawmakers http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm , http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.htm and state lawmakers at http://www.ncsl.org/public/leglinks.cfm.) . You can complain to BCIS by filling out http://www.bcis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/i-847.pdf. The form clearly says, "There will be no retaliation for submitting a complaint. Submitting this form will have no effect on your case or eligibility for any benefits to which you are entitled under Immigration and Nationality Act".

Absent active participation from immigrants, there will be special registration for everyone (China/India too), many such/similar incidents, visa rejection/delays for 100% legitimate cases and so on. Whenever wronged, if people let the concerned officials know, it will make the system better and everyone will benefit.
 
This is really disgusting.

Do you have any petitions under process? Do you know what number that I should call and check to see if address change was updated?
 
Re: parents refused entry..

Hello Velu987,

That was indeed a very terrible experience for your parents. I cannot imagine what it must be like to fly 30 + hours, be under detention for a day and fly another 30 hours. You Must report this behaviour to your local senators/rep.s. Being silent about this will only encourage this approach. While I concede that the immigration officers at the airport protect the average from potential terrorists entering the country, I think that this approach where any person of color is a potential terrorist is not the right approach. In plain terms, this is pure harassment.

Also, I would wonder what kind of a security the airport immigration poeple are providing the American citizens if a change of address does not correctly updated. That sounds a major security problem in itself. (This angle should atleast get some attention from the rep/senate staff).

jj-jet
 
HI GC012002

Originally posted by GC012002
jjjet, US Citizens are not required to report the change of address using AR-11.
Click to expand...

I realize that US citizens do not have to do report change
of address. What I was referring to was that when a
change in address by an alien is not properly recorded or
propagated in an agency, it is a potential security problem for
everyone in the US, citizens and non-citizens; since (rightly
or wrongly) this measure of recording address-change was
a measure to enhance security by keeping better track of
aliens.

Given this, I was suggesting that such a complaint to
a representative/senator would fall on more receptive ears
if it potentially involved security, than a 'usual' harassement-
type complaint (which I dont think reps/senators
are too bothered about; since most of the 'harassees' are
non-citizens anyway.

jj-jet
 
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