Friday, November 02, 2007

Bizarre but seemingly true - they jail overstaying New Zealanders in the States ... more than a month so far.

Rick has apparently had limited to no direct contact with virtually anyone other than system appointed social workers, save for a single call to a friend, whos number Rick was able to scrawl on his arm as he was being booked, and his belongings impounded.
Silent Running Blog.

Check your visas little ones, it seems that my standard 'But I'm a New Zealander' might not work when you're trying to leave the States once you're a few days over your visa deadline.

Just ask Rick Giles.

It reads rather bad. As in he's ... in jail, and has been since the 26th or 27th of September. He has been in prison, without arrest, without trial, without legal recourse or appeal, for almost a month. And why? What heinous crime, you might ask, warrants being thrown into jail with no rights, no information, and no idea how long he’ll be incarcerated? Well, the combined crimes of not being a US citizen and misreading the date on his tourist visa.
Rick was asking directions to the bus station, as pedestrians aren’t allowed to cross the border into Canada, on the 26th of last month. Instead of helping, the policeman took his ID, checked his visa, and found that instead of expiring on the 27th, as Rick believed, it expired on the 20th. He was taken into custody, and has been there ever since.


Does anyone know anything more about the case of 'interesting' imprisonment?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

So proud to be an American and know that we're detaining people who are trying to LEAVE our country by legitimate means.

Yeah, talk about ass-backward, this is it.

Di Mackey said...

I found it so strange that I had to post it forward.

Apparently the NZ consulates can't do anything unless he's being tortured which begs the question as to what constitutes torture if being locked away without rights, contact or access to the outside isn't ...

Rick said...

Here's a tip kids! Just take a taxi. Just go to Canada and don't ask the USA where the bus station is. Don't even say goodbye.

Yes, I read my Canadian entry date (27th) and mistook it for my USA entry date (20th) and miscalculated. Fool. But apart from being overkill this ain't what I call justice. Just a big waste of time and money, especially mine.

Di Mackey said...

It sounded truly awful Rick, sorry to read it's true ...

Welcome back.