Help, Can I travel to west coast?

W

want2work

New Member
Hello everyone.
My petition through my Mom (GC for son/daughter over 21) was approved a while back but I'm waiting for a visa number. She has passed the citizenship interview (Sept 2005) but she's still waiting for her name check results.

I'm in NYC and I heard that if you're undocumented you cannot travel to other states such as California or Chicago. I spoke to a legal aid at my lawyer's office and she confirmed this. I don't understand why? I've traveled to Florida without a problem. Can someone tell me if the travel restrictions are official and where I can get that info?
 
want2work said:
Hello everyone.
My petition through my Mom (GC for son/daughter over 21) was approved a while back but I'm waiting for a visa number. She has passed the citizenship interview (Sept 2005) but she's still waiting for her name check results.

I'm in NYC and I heard that if you're undocumented you cannot travel to other states such as California or Chicago. I spoke to a legal aid at my lawyer's office and she confirmed this. I don't understand why? I've traveled to Florida without a problem. Can someone tell me if the travel restrictions are official and where I can get that info?
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I honestly have never heard of anything like this. I know that as long as you do not leave the US, you are fine, you can go to any state that you want as long as you've got a picture ID and credit/debit cards to buy plane tickets and stuff. I don't have my green card yet, my mom also petitioned me on F2B category (children of permanent residents 21/older) that still is not current after 8 years (I am married now fortunately)...Anyway, I have travelled all over the US on vacation with my friends/family, I've probably been to around 15 States, had no problem at all, and I don't understand why it would be a problem.
 
want2work said:
Hello everyone.
My petition through my Mom (GC for son/daughter over 21) was approved a while back but I'm waiting for a visa number. She has passed the citizenship interview (Sept 2005) but she's still waiting for her name check results.

I'm in NYC and I heard that if you're undocumented you cannot travel to other states such as California or Chicago. I spoke to a legal aid at my lawyer's office and she confirmed this. I don't understand why? I've traveled to Florida without a problem. Can someone tell me if the travel restrictions are official and where I can get that info?
Click to expand...

You should not have any problems travelling generally. However, in areas close to the border, immigration checkpoints are often set up WITHIN the US. I have encountered some of these in San Diego, especially in the parts of the city closer to the border - San Ysidro, Chula Vista come to mind. But even so, these are rare.
 
Adding to what pianoplayer stated...I found the same thing for people travelling (not all the time but heard some cases) to Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Good luck,
 
If you cross the California/Arizona border near Yuma, there is a 95 percent chance that you will get stopped at an immigration check point, that is manned by INS. They will deport you, if you do not have your papers.
 
BE VERY CAREFUL.....If your travelling by plane anywhere inside the usa they will check all your papers.Even taking the ferry from Los angeles to catalina island they check all your papers..mexicans can no longer travel back and forth from catalina because border patrol is on all boats now.
I think they even check on the train....
 
jnj said:
BE VERY CAREFUL.....If your travelling by plane anywhere inside the usa they will check all your papers.Even taking the ferry from Los angeles to catalina island they check all your papers..mexicans can no longer travel back and forth from catalina because border patrol is on all boats now.
I think they even check on the train....
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While I agree that they COULD do a checkpoint anywhere, I have never seen papers being checked for domestic flights in the US. I am not saying they NEVER do it, but "they will check your papers" sounds too extreme.

I think someone above mentioned Puerto Rico ---- yes, they often check documents on trips to and from Puerto Rico. Hawaii ---unlikely. A good question is usually what will happen if a plane to Hawaii had to make an emergency landing on non-US soil.

As for the trains and ferries in LA --- I have no idea. The poster may be correct. I have never cared for the trains in LA anyway, except that they do make life easier around the traffic!
 
My friend saw somebody get deported from a plane in hawaii...As for trains i was talking about amtrak and not municipal transport.
There are a ton of mexican laborers who cannot leave catalina now because they will get busted by border patrol on the ferry for not having documetation.Big story in the LA Times....
 
jnj said:
My friend saw somebody get deported from a plane in hawaii...As for trains i was talking about amtrak and not municipal transport.
There are a ton of mexican laborers who cannot leave catalina now because they will get busted by border patrol on the ferry for not having documetation.Big story in the LA Times....
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Interesting information. I don't doubt your information --- I think it is quite likely that someone could be picked up in Hawaii. My point was just that I do not think it is the norm. Is there some risk? Absolutely, I agree with you. I guess it will be up to the OP to travel or not.
 
Anytime you leave more than 12 miles offshore of the us coast you are leaving the usa and entering international water/airspace...which means when you return you are subject to inspection....Example, if you take a boat 13 miles offshore and you want to return and a patrol boat/coast guard stops you at the 12 mile mark and you dont have papers,you are gonna have issues or maybe deported then and there.
I wouldnt take the plane if i were the OP.There is so much name checkingg and terror checking stuff going on.Too much scrutinizing so if its a slow day they probably have to go after expired visa people.You know they have quotas like parking violation officers!
 
This Has Never Happened To Me Nor Have I Witnessed Anything Of This Sort

jnj said:
BE VERY CAREFUL.....If your travelling by plane anywhere inside the usa they will check all your papers.Even taking the ferry from Los angeles to catalina island they check all your papers..mexicans can no longer travel back and forth from catalina because border patrol is on all boats now.
I think they even check on the train....
Click to expand...

I fly several times a year, every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring break we fly north and I have never had my papers checked ever. Whenever I visit my sister in Central CA, I take the AMTRAK too and this is a few times a year and nobody checks anything. The only thing I come across is, I go to the booth, I tell them what ticket I want to buy, I hand them my ATM/Debit card and they ask for my license which I hand them and then they issue me my ticket and then I wait for the train.

Same thing with flying, I tell them what plane ticket I need, I give them my card then my license then my ticket is issued.

As for Catalina Island, I've only been there once with my friends to celebrate my 25th birthday and no encounters either. They pretty much just check your ID to verify your ATM/Credit/Debit card but that's all that it's for. They are NOT INS/USCIS agents for Christ's sakes, they're just people who work there. IF there are INS/USCIS checkpoints they will clearly say so and you have the option to proceed or not.
 
I've taken planes to California twice(from the east coast), including San-Diego, also took flights to Vail, Colorado, Miami, Florida and numerous flights along the east coast, as well as took Amtrack from Washington DC to NYC many times...and have never been asked for anything other than my US driver license. My friends also went to Hawaii and Puerto Rico and have not been asked for anything though they mentioned that ocasionally passengers travelling there are checked on their immigration status so anybody who is planning to go in these places should be ready for this. As for domestic flights, train and bus rides I would say you should be fine.
 
catalina island

hi everyone

my friends and I are planning a trip to catalina but one of our friends is illegal and she's afraid border patrol agents will be on the ferry or on the island. If anyone has been to catalina recently let me know what the situation is like, I've read a couple of reports about arrest but they're from last year or older. thank you. your info will be appreciated
 
NikaDV2007 said:
I've taken planes to California twice(from the east coast), including San-Diego, also took flights to Vail, Colorado, Miami, Florida and numerous flights along the east coast, as well as took Amtrack from Washington DC to NYC many times...and have never been asked for anything other than my US driver license. My friends also went to Hawaii and Puerto Rico and have not been asked for anything though they mentioned that ocasionally passengers travelling there are checked on their immigration status so anybody who is planning to go in these places should be ready for this. As for domestic flights, train and bus rides I would say you should be fine.
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I was travelling on the Trailways bus in new york just going from one city to another and ICE came on board the bus and did a random check on a few people and one guy was removed from the bus. Just be very careful. This happened in May 2006
 
browngirl said:
I was travelling on the Trailways bus in new york just going from one city to another and ICE came on board the bus and did a random check on a few people and one guy was removed from the bus. Just be very careful. This happened in May 2006
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hi there, clarify that plz
 
i flew from nj to hawaii and all i had to show was my drivers license.flew from hawaii to tokyo and again all i show was my drivers license and military i.d. on my way back to the u.s. at l.a all i show was my military i.d and no ? ask.even though i,ve my green card on me i didnt show it to them.yeah we the military can travel to any where with only our military I.D and still enter u.s with it,
GOD BLESS AMERICA
 
when travelling domestically all you need is your state id/dl

they are not suppose to ask about immigration status

however if you do decide to bring your passport and they search it then they could start asking questions.

I recommend to everyone don't bring passport or gc when travelling domestically.

As long as you don't get close to any border you should be fine.
 
Jezzuz you people are freaking paranoid. This isn't the USSR where "your papers" are demanded of you. I fly about 34-40 times a year. I have never and I mean never been asked for any proof of immigration on any flight I have ever taken within the US. Same goes with AMTRAK, ferries, or any other form of transportation.

On a few occasions, on I-5 near in San Diego and on I-10 in Texas I have been stopped at USICS checkpoints. So unless you plan on driving within 10 miles of the border you're fine.
 
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