Jogger Accidentally Crosses Border And Detained For 2 Weeks

Ganjababy

Well-Known Member
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/brit...detained-for-2-weeks-by-authorities-1.4717060

Jogger accidentally crosses U.S. border from B.C., gets detained for 2 weeks by authorities
Cedella Roman, visiting mom from France, says border patrol held her for crossing into Blaine, Wash.
Jon Hernandez · CBC News · Posted: Jun 22, 2018 6:00 AM PT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Cedella Roman says she was jogging along the beach in White Rock, B.C., when she crossed the U.S. border without realizing it. That began a two-week nightmare that landed her in a prison jumpsuit.

Roman, 19, was jogging south on a cool spring evening May 21. As the tide came in, she veered up and onto a dirt path before stopping to take a photo of the picturesque setting.

She turned around to head home — and that's when she was apprehended by two U.S. border patrol officers.

"An officer stopped me and started telling me I had crossed the border illegally," she told CBC News.

"I told him I had not done it on purpose, and that I didn't understand what was happening."


About 80 per cent of refugee claimants to B.C. cross the Canada-U.S. border through Peace Arch Park, in Surrey. (Elaine Thompson/Associated Press)Roman said she didn't see any signs warning that she was crossing into the U.S. during her jog. She was informed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers that she had entered the country illegally, which they said was captured via security cameras.
"I said to myself, well I may have crossed the border — but they'll probably only give me a fine or they'll tell me to go back to Canada or they'll give me a warning."

Roman, a citizen of France who had travelled to Canada to visit her mother in B.C. and work on her English, didn't have any government-issued ID or travel permits on her.

Her mother lives in North Delta, B.C.


Christiane Ferne, Roman's mother, says she was in a panic when she found out her daughter had been taken to Tacoma. (CBC)She said the officers then detained her for crossing illegally into Blaine, Wash., then transferred her more than 200 kilometres south to the Tacoma Northwest Detention Centre — a facility run by the Department of Homeland Security.
"They put me in the caged vehicles and brought me into their facility," she said. "They asked me to remove all my personal belongings with my jewellery, they searched me everywhere.

"Then I understood it was getting very serious, and I started to cry a bit."

A mother's panic
Roman said she was able to contact her mother, Christiane Ferne, who rushed to the detention centre to provide officers with documents including her passport and study permits.

Ferne said workers on site told her she had to present the documents to Immigration Canada to determine if Roman was eligible to be discharged back to Canada.

Roman was held in custody for two weeks before immigration officials on both sides of the border confirmed she was allowed back into Canada. Then she was transferred back into B.C.

"It was just unfair that there was nothing, no sign at the border," said Ferne, who visited her daughter several times while she was detained. "It's like a trap … anybody can be caught at the border like this."

'Processed accordingly'
U.S. government documents shared with CBC News confirm Roman was discharged from the U.S. on June 6 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

CBC News called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Immigration Canada. Neither agency would comment on Roman's case, citing privacy concerns.

A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that anyone who enters into the U.S. outside an official port of entry and without inspection has crossed the border illegally, and will be processed accordingly.

"This applies regardless of whether or not the individual claims to have inadvertently crossed the border," said the department in a statement.

The family is unsure if Roman will be allowed back into the United States.

With files from Eva Uguen-Csenge
 

Petal26

Well-Known Member
I hate that my mind went there, but I bet they just wanted to search her, touch her. She is a young, pretty girl, scared and doesn't speak the language, I don't see them missing the opportunity to get toxic and abusive. I hope she's ok. There is NO REASON for her to have been arrested for 2 weeks (Crossing the border illegally for the first time is a misdemeanor). That's ridiculous.
 

LovingLady

Well-Known Member
I hate that my mind went there, but I bet they just wanted to search her, touch her. She is a young, pretty girl, scared and doesn't speak the language, I don't see them missing the opportunity to get toxic and abusive. I hope she's ok. There is NO REASON for her to have been arrested for 2 weeks (Crossing the border illegally for the first time is a misdemeanor). That's ridiculous.
WM with unlimited power, I can believe it. The searches at the airport are invasive so I expect nothing less from border "protection".
 

Ganjababy

Well-Known Member
I don’t know what kind of people they hire or how they train them but the us border security people are totally different from the Canadian ones. The difference in attitude is extreme.

The us one always seem to be feeling themselves and come across as power hungry menaces.
.
 

IslandMummy

Well-Known Member
I hate that my mind went there, but I bet they just wanted to search her, touch her. She is a young, pretty girl, scared and doesn't speak the language, I don't see them missing the opportunity to get toxic and abusive. I hope she's ok. There is NO REASON for her to have been arrested for 2 weeks (Crossing the border illegally for the first time is a misdemeanor). That's ridiculous.
That was my immediate thought. Those people are vermin.
 

Ganjababy

Well-Known Member
I know how horrible it is. I once said calmly to the front desk boy at a hotel in ny that the service at his hotel was subpar after he was continually rude to us and even denied that we had a reservation after my family member went there and paid in advance! He called the police on me. 6 came. I became hysterical. Kept asking why this was. The lil dog poop said there was something about me and I was scum. The police threw us out. I cried and protested. They threatened that they would taze me and put me on a psych hospital. I became hysterical. DH practically picked me up and carried/forced me out of that hell hole. That is one of the worst moments of my freaking life. If I did not have my meemaw and countless other relatives in the us I would cut the us offf! Yes, I am salty!


The good thing was after they disrespected me for no reason I cussed them out for Sandra bland and the lil baby in Florida. After I was finished DH seemed shook. He hates hysterical, angry confrontations. But I did not start that mess. But I was going to finish it. After the dog poop police realized I was a crazy but educated person they let me go. I seriously thought about going back and killing the front desk guy. Never ever thought of killing someone before. He was utter racist scum. He traumatized me. I know I sound dramatic. But that experience affected me adversely.


Welcome to America.
 
Last edited:

yamilee21

Well-Known Member
I don’t know what kind of people they hire or how they train them but the us border security people are totally different from the Canadian ones. The difference in attitude is extreme.

The us one always seem to be feeling themselves and come across as power hungry menaces.
.
This is absolutely true. I drive across the NY-Quebec border often; the Canadian agents are usually much friendlier, they joke about how much the kids have grown, the gifts I'm carrying, places to visit. The U.S. ones are just plain nasty, as if it is wrong to visit family across the border. One took offense that we celebrated Christmas there, another got upset that we weren't listening to "American" music in the car, there was even one that threatened to have me detained and deported because he found my multilingualism suspicious. I swear they must use the same recruiting tactics that the KKK and right-wing militias do to find these agents.
 

Petal26

Well-Known Member
I know how horrible it is. I once said calmly to the front desk boy at a hotel in ny that the service at his hotel was subpar after he was continually rude to us and even denied that we had a reservation after my family member went there and paid in advance! He called the police on me. 6 came. I became hysterical. Kept asking why this was. The lil dog poop said there was something about me and I was scum. The police threw us out. I cried and protested. They threatened that they would taze me and put me on a psych hospital. I became hysterical. DH practically picked me up and carried/forced me out of that hell hole. That is one of the worst moments of my freaking life. If I did not have my meemaw and countless other relatives in the us I would cut the us offf! Yes, I am salty!


The good thing was after they disrespected me for no reason I cussed them out for Sandra bland and the lil baby in Florida. After I was finished DH seemed shook. He hates hysterical, angry confrontations. But I did not start that mess. But I was going to finish it. After the dog poop police realized I was a crazy but educated person they let me go. I seriously thought about going back and killing the front desk guy. Never ever thought of killing someone before. He was utter racist scum. He traumatized me. I know I sound dramatic. But that experience affected me adversely.
That sounds HORRIBLE. I am really sorry you went through that. I can't blame you for getting loud and wanting to kill a mother... that put you through that.
 

Ganjababy

Well-Known Member
I’m not usually a violent person but i was so angry. Lawd! I have experienced racism. Been called a black female dog and physically attacked in Florida but for some reason that hotel episode was the worst. But this incident cut deep. If my Dh was not there I would have been admitted to a psych ward. It distressed me so much.

I was able to get past it because I was able to share it on here and members like @Kiowa made me know that my feelings were valid...
That sounds HORRIBLE. I am really sorry you went through that. I can't blame you for getting loud and wanting to kill a mother... that put you through that.
 
Last edited:

Petal26

Well-Known Member
I’m not usually a violent person but i was so angry. Lawd! I have experienced racism. Been called a black female dog but for some reason that hotel episode was the worst. But this incident cut deep. If my Dh was not there I would have been admitted to a psych ward. It distressed me so much.

I was able to get past it because I was able to share it on here and members like @Kiowa made me know that my feelings were valid...

It's understandable. We all deal with microaggressions on a daily basis, but this was BEYOND. Calling the cops, when they are killing Black people like it's nothing tells me he wanted you dead or severely injured. That alone would make me wanna murder someone. You were not wrong. I'm happy your hubby was there and was calm. Sometimes you need that cool, calm person next to you to ground you somewhat.

I know if my hubby was a hot head we would've set up some stuff on fire already :giggle:
 
Top