A Thai friend just called me in a panic. Her Mom departed yesterday for the USA and has been denied entry at her POE in Detroit. My friend does not know why but I think it was because she was on a tourist visa and only had US$200 on her. Single woman traveling alone.

Is the airline she arrived on responsible for returning her to Thailand? Will they usually apply it to her round trip return or will they charge her extra? What happens if she does not have the resources to pay?

I assume they will hold her in a closed detention area and then escort her to her outbound flight. Does anybody know anything about the normal process in this situation?

Thanks

Was no one meeting her? Is there no contact person in the USA? She must have had something going on - someone, something, to get a tourist visa?

What really happened here?

Doesn't happen very often but does raise a Q of what she said to the first U.S. Immigration guy/gal she talked to. What Qs were asked of her, what were her replies.

Would be interesting if you could follow up on this subject when she returns.

Mac

There was a person there to meet her. The Immigration agents were accommodating in finding him and keeping him informed. He was told several times over a couple of hours that no decision had been made yet. When it finally was made to deny her entry, he was told it had gone all the way to the regional top.

My friends mom has been to the US twice before without any problems, She is an educated and civil person with excellent English so I can not imagine her saying anything that would have provoked any issue.

As is said in my OP, she was on a tourist visa and had only $200...I think that caused a red flag that indicated she was going to work..not see the sights.

I will post again when I have more knowledge of what actually happened.

From CBP website:

Travelers visiting the U.S. from a foreign country must be able to prove to a CBP Officer that they have sufficient funds (i.e. credit cards, cash, travelers checks, money orders etc.) to cover their travel, lodging, entertainment, meals, etc. in order to be admitted into the U.S.

If you have invited someone to visit you with the understanding that you will be hosting them at your house and providing meals, etc., it is advised that you confirm your invitation in writing so that they have something to show the CBP Officer. The letter should include your full name and address. This will not guarantee their admission into the U.S., but it will help the CBP Officer fully assess their situation.

Is she muslim...maybe the new border control proposels have already been put in effect or maybe some diplomatic tit for tat for the police investigation of the US ambassador. She may just be the unlucky victim in this case.

Arrived in Bangkok this afternoon and already home in Korat with her daughter. I'll get the full story in a few days and relay it here but I do suspect her lack of sufficient funds convinced Immigration that she planned to work. The person meeting her there was neither a relative or boyfriend.

Not Muslim.

People who are deemed inadmissible are held at the CBPs secured airport facility - most all ports have one. It's not a "jail" type set up, but it is most certainly secured.

In rare cases - such as no room, possible security issues or issues related to your repatriation, they may be moved to an Immigration detention facility - however those are not at all ports, only major cities and would be an extremely rare case.

Airlines are liable to repatriate those who are inadmissible. As a part of most airlines contracts, they have the right to "seize" and use your existing ticket as means to get you home. Some airlines do also have in their contract the right to assess you any fees or charges that may apply as well.

Depending on the case specifics, the airline may be liable for fines. Some airlines my try to impose them on you, but that's not all that common.

Once the inadmissible is ready for return travel, a packet of papers will be prepared, a team of 2 or 3 agents will physically take the person plane-side and watch them board. They will be checked by a team of TSA agents who come to the CBPs offices once you're ready to go plane-side.

CBP officers will remain door-side until the cabin door closes and aircraft is airborne.

The packet of papers are retained by the crew inflight until arrival where it is turned over to the local immigration or police officers who will normally meet the aircraft upon arrival.

The process is quite "sterile", straight forward and uneventful.

Arrived in Bangkok this afternoon and already home in Korat with her daughter. I'll get the full story in a few days and relay it here but I do suspect her lack of sufficient funds convinced Immigration that she planned to work. The person meeting her there was neither a relative or boyfriend.

Not Muslim.

Please do report back. It's curious considering how hard it is for a Thai to get a visa in the first place. I would think there would first be some kind of relationship - fiance, spouse, business - that was the reason for the visa. In other words it seems strange that she didn't have a contact in the US who could have fixed this.

Cheers.

Did she have a return ticket and how long it for? Like you said maybe a combination of the $200 and a ticket returning in say 1 month raised a flag.

Ok, what happened was; the family friend who I mentioned previously who was meeting her at the airport was also who had written the letter of invitation. While immigration was holding her, not yet having made a decision, they questioned him separately and he admitted to them she was planning to work part time while she was visiting. I guess he kind of freaked out being questioned. That cemented the entry denial.

She had a return ticket for 3 months ahead and the airline (KLM) credited it fully and did not charge her anything additional for the return.

Her 10 year visa is now revoked.

^^^ That makes sense. Thanks for coming back and clarifying.

People who are deemed inadmissible are held at the CBPs secured airport facility - most all ports have one. It's not a "jail" type set up, but it is most certainly secured.

In rare cases - such as no room, possible security issues or issues related to your repatriation, they may be moved to an Immigration detention facility - however those are not at all ports, only major cities and would be an extremely rare case.

Airlines are liable to repatriate those who are inadmissible. As a part of most airlines contracts, they have the right to "seize" and use your existing ticket as means to get you home. Some airlines do also have in their contract the right to assess you any fees or charges that may apply as well.

Depending on the case specifics, the airline may be liable for fines. Some airlines my try to impose them on you, but that's not all that common.

Once the inadmissible is ready for return travel, a packet of papers will be prepared, a team of 2 or 3 agents will physically take the person plane-side and watch them board. They will be checked by a team of TSA agents who come to the CBPs offices once you're ready to go plane-side.

CBP officers will remain door-side until the cabin door closes and aircraft is airborne.

The packet of papers are retained by the crew inflight until arrival where it is turned over to the local immigration or police officers who will normally meet the aircraft upon arrival.

The process is quite "sterile", straight forward and uneventful.

So how did 15 million illegals slip past them?

... In other words it seems strange that she didn't have a contact in the US who could have fixed this.

Cheers.

American citizens wouldn't know the level of 'third degree' that non-US citizens may get subjected to by an ornery CBP on arrival and most non-US citizens wouldn't normally have the number of the local Congressman (or whoever they call when they feel oppressed) either.

But as it transpired, the woman in the OP was undone by her 'sponsor' bottling under simple questioning and revealing that she did intend to work illegally. That's sort of unusual for "an educated and civil person with excellent English"... but not a complete unknown.

Good catch! A ten year ban is in line with what the present Thai government are pondering for foreigners trying to pull a fast one over here.

People who are deemed inadmissible are held at the CBPs secured airport facility - most all ports have one. It's not a "jail" type set up, but it is most certainly secured.

In rare cases - such as no room, possible security issues or issues related to your repatriation, they may be moved to an Immigration detention facility - however those are not at all ports, only major cities and would be an extremely rare case.

Airlines are liable to repatriate those who are inadmissible. As a part of most airlines contracts, they have the right to "seize" and use your existing ticket as means to get you home. Some airlines do also have in their contract the right to assess you any fees or charges that may apply as well.

Depending on the case specifics, the airline may be liable for fines. Some airlines my try to impose them on you, but that's not all that common.

Once the inadmissible is ready for return travel, a packet of papers will be prepared, a team of 2 or 3 agents will physically take the person plane-side and watch them board. They will be checked by a team of TSA agents who come to the CBPs offices once you're ready to go plane-side.

CBP officers will remain door-side until the cabin door closes and aircraft is airborne.

The packet of papers are retained by the crew inflight until arrival where it is turned over to the local immigration or police officers who will normally meet the aircraft upon arrival.

The process is quite "sterile", straight forward and uneventful.

So how did 15 million illegals slip past them?

Think rivers and acres of unguarded scrub and desert.

go Mexico and jump over the wall. easier and you can stay forever in the USA. they need workers anyway, but employers can not pay the ripoff fee for a work visa. they have to compete with cheaper product from China that was approved by Obama. do you want pay your gallon of orange juice 30$?