Canadian Woman Refused U.S. Entry Because of Depression

beezzer
reply to post by GAOTU789

 

This is truly Orwellian.

Not to mention a gross violation of privacy rights.

That about sums it up.

George seen it all coming.

Peace

GAOTU789
reply to post by beezzer

 

Yes, we have essentially the same thing here.

I find this extremely disturbing that it's possible that DHS has access to any Canadians medical records. At all. Ever. I understand that entrance to the US can be denied for whatever reason that they deem, I was almost denied entrance once for being unemployed at the time, but to be very specific as in this case, about knowing she had depression, makes me very uneasy.

Truly uneasy was last year for me.

Now I'm at the point of being terrified for next year.

Peace

From the article linked by OP:

U.S. border guards are allowed to bar anyone they deem a threat to themselves, others or their property. They have access to police records — including even uneventful encounters with officers — but medical records are supposed to be held in the strictest confidence.

Richardson's stay in hospital was preceded by a 911 call, placed by her mother, but she says police were never involved, just an ambulance.

So that very well may be the answer, if they keep records of 911 calls, the border patrol has access to those records, and a hospitalization was mentioned.

It still seems a bit odd, though.

The nerve!! How dare they go into her private medical files! That's just wrong! It's as asinine as my state(nj) trying to pass the bill through that prevents anyone in jersey to smoke, eat, or even listen to your radio in your own car!!!! Or face a $200 fine if caught doing this!! It's overboard & too far out there!!! I feel for the woman....poor thing. Will they reimburse her money that she lost???!

reply to post by jude11


I was planning on going to Canada next weekend. Not a big deal, where I now reside is only 15 miles from the border. Was going to pop up for a meal is all.

I'll have to pay attention to the crossing and maybe write up a companion piece to this thread when I get back.

Apparently, this is not an isolated case -

More than a dozen Canadians have told the Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office in Toronto within the past year that they were blocked from entering the United States after their records of mental illness were shared with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

www.cbc.ca...

reply to post by Maluhia


I wonder if these were all at Pearson or the same border crossing?

The whole thing is just wrong. It's no one's business what is in my medical history but mine, my dr. and any dr. that needs to access it for treatments or procedures. It is definitely not the business of any bureaucrat that mans a border in another country.

Maluhia


Apparently, this is not an isolated case -

More than a dozen Canadians have told the Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office in Toronto within the past year that they were blocked from entering the United States after their records of mental illness were shared with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

www.cbc.ca...

Thanx for that!

Not the first nor the last I believe..

I wonder how many are still thinking "If I'm Doing nothing wrong I have nothing to fear"???

What Did these people Do wrong? Go to a hospital? Get sick?

Peace

Peace

beezzer
reply to post by jude11

 

I was planning on going to Canada next weekend. Not a big deal, where I now reside is only 15 miles from the border. Was going to pop up for a meal is all.

I'll have to pay attention to the crossing and maybe write up a companion piece to this thread when I get back.

Looking forward to it!

beezzer
reply to post by jude11

 

I was planning on going to Canada next weekend. Not a big deal, where I now reside is only 15 miles from the border. Was going to pop up for a meal is all.

I'll have to pay attention to the crossing and maybe write up a companion piece to this thread when I get back.

Please send me a U2U in case I miss it.

And if you run into trouble ... Beezzer who?

I probably won't be crossing over your way tho...Not ever.

Peace

It had to be said. . . . .

jude11

beezzer
reply to post by jude11

 

I was planning on going to Canada next weekend. Not a big deal, where I now reside is only 15 miles from the border. Was going to pop up for a meal is all.

I'll have to pay attention to the crossing and maybe write up a companion piece to this thread when I get back.

Please send me a U2U in case I miss it.

And if you run into trouble ... Beezzer who? "lol:

I probably won't be crossing over your way tho...Not ever.

Peace

edit on 29-11-2013 by jude11 because: (no reason given)

I wouldn't blame you. America has become a very scary place.

daryllyn
reply to post by jude11

 

I would like to know if there are any other cases like hers.

This is wayyyy too far, IMO, one's medical records should be absolutely private and depression doesn't seem like reason enough to bar entry...

I don't like this at all...

So what.....is HIPPA a joke, only to be abounded to by locals? What exactly IS going on here?

reply to post by jude11

Hi Jude11 and ATS,

I was one of those extraordinary non-flyers (I think until this happened, I had only been on half a dozen planes over my previous 40 years) and while my experience was slightly different, it was horrifying...I was pulled aside, interrogated for around 5 hours. They even dug up things on their computer that there is no way they should have know - nothing bad, just odd things that I wondered how they knew - and I am a Canuck, so...?

They took my 'mug' shot, fingerprinted me and made me give a sworn statement that I was not another person in LA with the same name working in the film industry, and that I was not trying to slide under their noses to live permanently in the States - yeah, right. I would imagine more folks might want to get out of the States, not get in lol.

In the meanwhile, my flight left but I still thought I could catch a later one - but after hours of being questioned (personal and intrusive questions - which they repeated as if trying to catch me in a lie that had nothing to do with why I was going to LA), I felt like the common criminal, although I had done nothing wrong. I had never experienced anything like this in my 50 odd years. They even took my purse and helped themselves to anything therein.

They also gave my luggage a good going over, undies and all (wearing plastic gloves, which is standard, but it just made the whole thing more invasive). That was when I finally accepted that I wasn't going anywhere.

Finally, this rude and arrogant young man informed me I was being refused entry because they thought I was hiding something or God knows what, and at that moment, I broke down and cried, right at the counter, and while my life was falling apart, another worker came to chat with the guy who was dealing with me - and they talked about what kind of coffee each would like - I found that very disconcerting - like I wasn't even there.

Ultimately, he said he could have some DHS people escort me in handcuffs to the doors of the Airport or I could withdraw my application to enter the States and have one of our guys (RCMP) walk with me - I chose the latter.

There was much more to the nightmare, but at the time, I was devastated: the reason I was going to LA (this was my third short trip in a short timeframe) was to spend more time with my long-lost sister - we had lost one another 35 years before and this was our on-going reunion.

Based on this guy, I would have to have all kinds of paperwork and proof that I had good reason to return to Vancouver before they would 'allow' me in again and that would only happen after 6 months (this idiot greeted me initially by saying 'you're knocking'. You're knocking - what the heck did that mean? He repeated this over and over until his voice and intonation became very slow and distinct, as though I was hard of hearing and stupid as well. I did feel rather stupid, because I had no clue what this wanna be cop was saying, but it rattled me quite badly.
He said something about me knocking on their door and I was to provide reasons that were good enough for him before he would 'open the door and let me in'. WTH?

This was 3 years ago and I have not set foot in an airport and I will NEVER return to the United States...and my sis has reasons that keep her in LA, so we are once more separated...and I still would have liked to slap that boy upside his head - he was young enough to be my son, for Pete's sake! I was shaken and felt very violated and it took me several days to recuperate.

So while my story didn't involve health records, they sure knew all about me and even my sis. This world is not as it once was...and it ain't gonna get any better, but I guess that is no surprise.

And I will never set foot in the United (Untied) States of America again. I have never felt the energy of the States to be a good one, overall, maybe this was just once kind of manifestation of that energy.

Thanks for letting me vent - I have not written about this before - kind of cathartic. God Bless.
GI

Well, so people from the north have problems entering US legally, right? but people coming from the south illegally have not problems getting into the US, no background checks not NSA spying.

And on top of that the toad in the white house has been on talks with pro immigration advocates to stop the deportation of illegals.

How nice, I guess if the lady comes from the south I am sure she will have not problems getting in.

reply to post by jude11


The U.S. border shouldn't have Canadian's medical records period. I can understand the need to have criminal records in order to prevent potential serious illegals. Not only is this going too far but the fact that Canadian's don't even know about this is doubly disturbing.

reply to post by jude11


before acussing the US of "spying " - I would recommend reviewing ellen richardsons book and website .

Let's me see if I can explain what I think about this.....

A long time ago there was a failed Canadian Security company that had been doing all sorts of hospital, insurance and govt. work. It was brought down quickly by a US company that was good at doing that to companies..then, when the stock was falling, all the board members resigned and the company was quickly bought up by a bunch of former NSA and NYPD intelligence officers and suddenly they had all the keys to the kingdoms that were...the company continued to function on new contracts too, thanks to leads from a major telecom that they 'subcontracted' for.

And, IMO, it goes on and on... but in he end, a lot of countries ended up paying the US to own the heck out of them in the name of trying to secure their networks.

But why they would decide that this one woman was such a particular threat, I do not know. I doubt it was depression alone.

The travel situation, at the US border, terrifies me. I had won a cruise. I wouldn't go. I don't want to fly, I don't want to do anything that might put me up against someone touching me. I'm really, really funny about who touches me.

reply to post by ignorant_ape


I just read what I could on Amazon, without having to buy anything. If I were a border patrol agent, I might think the woman was an insufferable holy roller, who might try to throw herself out of her wheelchair and off the cruise ship if she was de-compensated.

But I can't see where she'd be a threat to national security. She's severely handicapped.

Honestly, I think, maybe border patrol guy had cruise tickets too and was like "Ok, NOT someone I want to get cornered talking to...."

reply to post by hadriana


Who did Hitler go after first? How many people take psychotropic medications? How has the Big Pharma been pushing psychotropic meds on everyone?

Now maybe people are starting to see all the connections that us silly constitutionalist have been complaining about all these years.

Don't say you haven't been warned. Want to listen to the logical conclusions that are yet to be understood by the mindless idiots that think these progressive communist - tyrants - are all about?