country_canuck

This is a bit off topic, but what would happen if you were flying domestically without AP and your plane was rerouted to Canada for an emergency landing?

crg

It depends if they offloaded the plane and released the people from the area.

CBSA (Canada's immigration authority) would most likely issue all the non-Canadians a form that said "Allowed to leave Canada" on it and either escort them to the border on a bus under guard or detain them in a secure area of the airport until another flight is ready to go to the US.

If the Canadians admitted the people they would be applicants for admission when they sought to enter the US again. The US authorities have some discretion to allow those with minor or technical violations or documentary issues to enter with a waiver or parole as they see fit.

The returning passengers may be screened by US immigration/customs authorities upon return and anyone out of status could be put into removal proceedings or summarily ordered removed on the spot if they were last admitted under the VWP.

They could (and often do) board a domestic buses traveling near the border and screen people if they wanted to with the same result. They have also checked domestic flights in the past, but it is not very common.

Check out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/14/ny...ssions/Arizona

fatbrit

Seems to remember a story about an ICE action at McCarran, Vega a while back nabbing folks at the TSA checkpoint. Of course, this was in the pre-Janet era.

country_canuck

Yikes! I guess one should bear that in mind when flying near a border on a domestic flight! I don't have AP because it was a waste of money given the circumstances of my immigration, even with AP I likely would be refused re-entry to the USA.

I read somewhere that ICE has extraordinary authority in the so called "constitutional free zone" - 100 miles from any border....

crg

Actually it's the Border Patrol and not part of ICE. It's not really a constitutional free zone. They have expanded authority to setup checkpoints and search conveyances ie: cars, buses, planes, trains, boats, ships or anything else that can carry people. They can search for other things under certain circumstances.

fatbrit

Grannies bringing their dope back form Mexico is their biggest industry here. A fine waste of taxpayers' money!

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2008-...rom-the-beach/

meauxna

I'll be sure to tell my mum n' dad that all those druggistos sneaking through their back yard are just harmless hippie grannies.

Phoenix is 3.5 hours from the border, right?

fatbrit

It's all really rather sad IMHO. And you don't need to go anywhere near the border to run afoul -- a trip from Phoenix to San Diego will put you through a "papers please" checkpoint.

meauxna

Yeah, they live on the 'wrong' side of the checkpoint now and have to use it almost every day.
My mom likes the doggies.

fatbrit

So don't leave any paraphernalia in their car when you're visiting.

meauxna

I'm flying down this time, no phear.

Can you imagine?! My sister would probably do something like that.

fatbrit

That's the sort of thing sisters do.

Paul Bradford

Wow we did go off topic here.

Ok so I was just informed yesterday by my local immigration office that my Green Card was to be approved that day (Yesterday) so I guess having that with me solves a lot of problems also, I was also told it'll be here with me within 2 weeks.

Noorah101

Did you get approved without an AOS interview then? How did you get notified of the approval, the online status updates?

Rene

Paul Bradford

I actually went to the USCIS office after making an appointment using INFO pass.

The reason for the appointment was I have previously requested an expedite of my case because of a job offer I had received, I got a letter in the mail requesting I make an appointment with my local USCIS office which I did. The lady at the counter was VERY helpful and after many phone calls to various people (there was another issue with my alien number, seemed someone else had the same number too, but that was all sorted out) she informed me that the approval was going through today (yesterday) and that I would receive my green card in the mail within two weeks. infact she said that my paperwork was in the to 'bucket' and would be processed that day. She also gave me a print out indicating as such.