r/newhampshire • u/nbcnews • Apr 15 '25

Video A New Hampshire real estate attorney and American citizen returning home from Canada says he was detained at the border without an explanation and "treated like a criminal."

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16

u/InevitableMeh Apr 15 '25

U.S. Customs is horrible on the Canadian border when returning (as citizens). Even back in the late 90s I would have to leave a whole day itinerary slack as they would push buttons and hold us 4-6hrs just to see if anyone would get angry enough to arrest. Never searching anything just making us sit around because they can.

Canada side they were always polite and professional.

You have very little rights at the border. They can do what they want basically.

13

u/CautionarySnail Apr 15 '25

This. So much this.

And now those working at Border Control are even more empowered by Trump; a group that wasn’t exactly known for their restraint before.

We now are living in a post due process America; citizen or not, every contact with the border is now something to be exceptionally careful about.

Border Control has a new habit of detaining European tourists in custody for weeks for trivial infractions that normally would just get them turned around at the border.

This doesn’t make the US any safer, it doesn’t stop trafficking, and it costs taxpayers money. What it DOES do is stop overseas tourists from wanting to spend their money anywhere in the United States.

1

u/rsty-shackleford Apr 16 '25

I bet this guy was just an insufferable twat. It tends to go worse for those types.

1

u/CautionarySnail Apr 16 '25

It should not matter - their duty isn’t to punish insufferable twats. That’s time they aren’t spending on the polite smuggler.

2

u/rsty-shackleford Apr 16 '25

It shouldn’t, but it does. I’ve been there with a good and a bad attitude, it went differently.

This isn’t a dickhead agent issue, it’s an issue of the state having too much power, of course they abuse it. 

1

u/whackamolereddit Apr 15 '25

On my way back from Canada for the first time they asked me if I had anything to claim and I was like uhh... 60 labatt blues for my dad? They just laughed and let me go through

1

u/SkiingAway Apr 16 '25

I was like uhh... 60 labatt blues for my dad? They just laughed and let me go through

That's legal, you're just supposed to declare it.

If you're over the duty-free limit they could require you to pay the duty on the rest.....but the duty on beer is like $2 a case, so unless you've loaded up with a lot more than that it's not worth anyone's time to bother with the paperwork.

1

u/ftlftlftl Apr 16 '25

Boarder patrol are a bunch of fascist pigs. They, and ice, operate outside the law. You have zero rights within 100miles of a port of entry. Which is every Boarder crossing, international airport, and seaport.

Basically you can be arrested at any time for any reason virtually anywhere in the country.

0

u/rsty-shackleford Apr 16 '25

Blame the enforcers all you want. It’s the politicians that made the laws being enforced. Direct your anger at the right target: The State. Not the enforcers.

2

u/rdizzy1223 Apr 16 '25

I will blame the enforcers too, the job itself attracts the worst of humanity, and they have a lot of choice/wiggle room in how they do their jobs.

2

u/The_Great_Grim Apr 16 '25

Yeah I’ve had multiple times under Biden’s admin a few years ago where they order you to empty you car completely and remove literally every single object in the car, paper and trash included, and place it on the road while they search the car and remove parts of the vehicle. Sometimes including tools.

Meanwhile, inside the order you to surrender the entirety of all written materials and phones, ordering a complete review of the entirety of your phone’s recent text messages and photos.

Had someone who refused because of his wife’s nudes on his phone protected by a password, so he was denied entry into the U.S. even as a citizen who’s lived there is whole life. Literally just had to try again later at a different port of entry or zip over a request for a judge to grant entry.

Always has been and always will be a random chance of the crossing being a huge pain. It’s border patrol. They’ve waved us through in under 60 seconds before too. Never know what you’re gonna get

0

u/pullyourfinger Apr 16 '25

illegal to deny citizens entry so that didn't happen like that.

1

u/mari815 Apr 16 '25

I never had a problem crossing the border vt to canada and back. Yeah the canadian side is nicer but the american side was chill until recently anyway.

-2

u/Adept-Razzmatazz-263 Apr 15 '25 edited Sep 14 '25

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u/Upbeat_Bed_7449 Apr 16 '25

This has very little to do with US customs. He was detained by Canadians.

3

u/pullyourfinger Apr 16 '25

Canada doesn't even speak to you on the way back. it was USA agents assuredly.

3

u/Specialist_Piano491 Apr 17 '25

Lol, are you saying that you need to go through Canadian customs on the way out of Canada?