Canada VS. USA In the World Series of Stupidity (1789 hits)
Category: NewsRating: 0.53 on 23 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by kai©™ (View user info) at 2005-07-06 12:46:14 EDT
Duncan teen deported back to Canada
Van Egmond, 19, detained for jokingly saying she was afraid to go home
Matthew Ramsey
The Province
July 6, 2005
A Duncan teen on her first solo trip away from home was to be voluntarily deported back to Canada last night after four nights and five days in a Tacoma, Wash., jail.
Sarah Van Egmond, 19, was taken into custody Friday morning at Seattle airport when she jokingly told an immigration officer a rapist was on the loose in Duncan and she was afraid to go home. She was on her way to Columbus, Ohio, to meet her boyfriend.
Her father, John Van Egmond, floor-covering supervisor at the Duncan Home Depot, says the episode was a dreadful misunderstanding.
Sarah, an actor, part-time store clerk, Malaspina College student and soup-kitchen volunteer, has a mild form of autism called Asperger syndrome. Although she is an exceptional student, the neurological disorder can make her behaviour seem eccentric, her dad said. She gets confused and stressed and can take things literally.
Van Egmond said the immigration agent asked his daughter if she planned to marry her 25-year-old architect boyfriend.
She said yes, even though the purpose of the one- to three-month trip was to determine whether the two were compatible. The couple met eight months ago on the Internet and have only spent time together once when William Brixius came to Canada for a short visit.
Sarah had a return ticket.
"It was not the intention of the trip to get married or anything," Brixius said from Ohio.
The couple hoped to apply for a fiancee visa for Sarah if their 90-day canoodle worked out, Brixius said.
Van Egmond said the agent didn't buy Sarah's story and told her she was going home.
The situation quickly went from bad to worse.
Sarah became convinced that the only way to see Brixius was to claim she had a credible fear of returning to Canada. That credible fear would guarantee her a hearing before an immigration investigator and a chance to stay in the U.S.
Out came the rapist story. Into detention pending her hearing went Sarah. She'd been away from Canada by herself for about three hours.
"She feels she was badgered into making the wrong decision," Van Egmond said. "She said it was like a nightmare."
For the first 24 hours in the holding facility, Sarah, now in prison blues, was alone and scared in a cement cell with no mattress.
The girl who starred in a renowned anti-crystal meth play and had hoped to join an Ohio theatre troupe and act in its Star Trek-inspired productions found herself in a real-life story she was in no way prepared for.
On Saturday, Sarah was moved into a cell with a 40-year-old roommate.
"I think her name was Bubba," Sarah's grandmother, Sheila Van Egmond, said.
Sarah kept herself busy over the weekend and into July 4 Independence Day ceremonies reading a romance novel (her first), listening to the stories of her jailmates and avoiding foods that contain soy. Sarah has an intense allergy to soy products. At chow time, she traded palm readings for green beans and pudding.
She was told it would be at least a week before someone would be able to listen to her claim.
In the meantime, her dad was frantic, calling as many people as he could to get his daughter out, including the Canadian consulate in Seattle.
The credible-fear hearing was fast-tracked to yesterday, when Sarah dropped her claim and volunteered for immediate deportation.
"I'm really pleased at how fast they responded," John Van Egmond said on his way to the border.
Now that his daughter is free, Van Egmond would like to see U.S. authorities "give direction to people who are obviously not making the right choice. At some point somebody should have said this is getting ridiculous. This should never have happened."
U.S. Immigration and Customs spokesman Mike Milne said the family's assertion that Sarah was badgered into making the credible-fear claim is "inaccurate."
Milne says the guard followed standard procedure in a process that is designed to protect the claimant from harm.
"There isn't any confusion," he said. "Our officers are doing their jobs."
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AMERICA WINS ( I think...)!
User Reviews
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2005-07-10 22:27:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
you shouldn't get thrown in jail for being stupid
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-07-10 22:03:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
That poster is extremely offensive to the 20 million people who died, seeing as you're comparing their killer to a politician who made some rash, controversial actions.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2005-07-06 20:52:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Please, Kai...do your part to keep your retard chicks from trying to sneak their way across our borders.
We have enough of our OWN retards that are born here as it is.
Submitted by downerSTAIN (user info) at 2005-07-06 20:35:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Wait, how is it America's fault this broad is a fucking moron?
I really think we need to start calling women 'broads' again. It's just fun to say!
Submitted by iFocusNews.com (user info) at 2005-07-06 14:58:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
[yawn]
Submitted by Mike00295 (user info) at 2005-07-06 14:37:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
silly canadian.
Submitted by Adamdidit2u (user info) at 2005-07-06 13:31:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
The guy who created BitTorrent has Aspergers
Thats the fact of the day kiddies
Submitted by spedmonkey (user info) at 2005-07-06 13:22:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I've finally come to the realization that I just plain hate people in general.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-07-06 13:20:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:55:54 (#)
Ranking: 1
Why was it any of his business if she was going to get married or not?
Please tell me there is something I'm missing here.
The correct response to an immigration officer saying "are you going to marry your finance" is "that is some more of your fucking business."
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It's TOTALLY his business to ask - we can't let every illegal in the country who wants to get married.
The moral of the story here?
If you're stupid enough to falsely claim asylum, DON'T DO IT OVER FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND.
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2005-07-06 13:15:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Kai, they also denied Cat Stevens (now Yusef Salam sp?) entry into the US because he was on someone's watch list. They say his charitable foundation was washing terrorist money.
Stevens was horrified.
I was too.
Submitted by ess-arr (user info) at 2005-07-06 13:10:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ahh there are bright knoobles out there.
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2005-07-06 13:06:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Don't know what to say except sorry that we have knee-jerk reactionaries that do this sort of shit.
Hell, the government is still watching some aging 60's activists.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-07-06 13:05:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Why is this news? The stupidity abounds I call draw.
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2005-07-06 13:01:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
The title basically explains all of it.
Idiots on all sides.
Submitted by RaineLark (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:59:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fitting picture
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:57:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by ILL34GL3 (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:51:40 (#)
Ranking: 1
What? She was initially going to be denied her trip because some government dipshit authority didn't believe she was going to marry her fiancee? Nice pic BTW.
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It is a moot point if she has a return ticket, at least I thought so.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:55:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Why was it any of his business if she was going to get married or not?
Please tell me there is something I'm missing here.
The correct response to an immigration officer saying "are you going to marry your finance" is "that is some more of your fucking business."
Submitted by kai070169 (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:53:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by ILL34GL3 (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:51:40 (#)
Ranking: 1
What? She was initially going to be denied her trip because some government dipshit authority didn't believe she was going to marry her fiancee? Nice pic BTW.
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Yeah, that's right, dipshit. Your comprehension skills would make a perfect U.S. border guard. Apply now.
Submitted by ILL34GL3 (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:51:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
What? She was initially going to be denied her trip because some government dipshit authority didn't believe she was going to marry her fiancee? Nice pic BTW.
Submitted by kai070169 (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:50:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:49:32 (#)
Ranking: 2
BUt don't forget, we let a Cnadian across the border who had a chainsaw soaked in blood...
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Okay, I forgive you all.
Submitted by kai070169 (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:49:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Whereas I have Assgrabber syndrome
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:49:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
BUt don't forget, we let a Cnadian across the border who had a chainsaw soaked in blood...
Submitted by kai070169 (user info) at 2005-07-06 12:49:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Shlongy has Asperger syndrome.