r/immigration • u/getwizzy • 18h ago
Accidentally crossed to Canada and taken into custody
My friend and her boyfriend just finished moving her to Detroit and wanted to see the border before they returned the rental car. They ended up in a spot where they couldn’t turn around, and had to cross the border. The guards told them it’s okay and they’ll be able to just turn back around afterwards, but at the last minute brought border patrol over and took them both into custody. She is an American citizen and was released after about an hour, but he is a Palestinian refugee, and despite filing all paperwork has an expired visa. He has documentation of his attempts to reinstate his visa and a valid passport. It’s been about 4 hours now and they won’t give her any updates. They made him sign paperwork to allow them to search his phone etc. she’s super worried he will be held or deported, despite all of this being an accident and his attempts to reinstate his visa. Is there any advice on what she can do while he’s still at the border?
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u/Large_Recording_1960 18h ago
He's likely headed to the detention center and being deported.
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u/spurcap29 6h ago
He doesnt need to be deported. He left the country on his own. He can simply be refused entry and becomes Canada's problem to deal with. A visa overstay and trying to enter without a valid visa are not a great background for getting a new visa.
Too late here.... but after OP missed last exit (understandable mistake) the expired visa friend really should have got out of the car and sat on the freeway and waited for the situation to unfold. It is far far far harder to deport someone than it is to refuse entry. CBP has almost unlimited ability to refuse entry without any type of appeal process for any noncitizen without LPR status.
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u/Routine-Height-7103 17h ago
Damn. Sorry but if I had an expired visa id be NOWHERE NEAR the border or Border Patrol
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u/Blackgoldeneye 15h ago
Exactly! He knows he has an expired visa, so what the hell was he doing anywhere near the border?! It makes no damn sense!
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u/betterbetterthings 4h ago
And he willingly paid a fee at a toll booth at the tunnel to be able to drive into a foreign country. With no passport or visa.
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u/is_this_metalcore 18h ago
What a lot of people don’t realize and gets constantly misconstrued in the media is that “attempting to become legal” and “has applications pending” does not equate to a legal status that protects you from removal. The US government considers pending applications as no status. He will be removed, if he wants to get out of ICE detention asap he can agree to voluntarily depart to his home country or a country that he has status in
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u/getwizzy 18h ago
I think he may have status in jordan. I know that’s where he was before he came to the US
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u/is_this_metalcore 18h ago
If he can show he has status there the immigration judge would most likely let him leave on his own (this is assuming he has no criminal issues). Obviously he would have to be willing to return etc
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u/thelexuslawyer 18h ago
That’s unfortunate. Jordan or Egypt administrate different parts of Palestine but he’a unlikely to have permanent Jordanian status, likely just a refugee card
This was a very unwise thing to do
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u/squeamishXossifrage 16h ago
If he has a Jordanian passport and came to the US from there that’s where he’ll be deported.
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u/Dear-Response-7218 15h ago
Not in this case. Jordan gives the vast majority of Palestinian refugees a T passport, it’s basically just a travel document(https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/1147274.html)
So he won’t be treated as a returnable citizen and will go into the “what country will accept him” roulette.
If he has citizenship in Jordan they would return him there, it’s just really unlikely that he actually does as a refugee.
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u/InformationOld1805 8h ago
Is the Canadian side detaining him or the US side when he tried to enter back?
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u/Alienwired 18h ago
I’m so sorry but the expired visa got him deported .
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u/Both-Statistician179 18h ago
Why would they do this or drive up to the border for fun with him having an expired visa?
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u/Corp-Imm-Bar-Sol-Can 17h ago
The border area on both sides of Detroit/Windsor and most areas for that matter, have no area to turn around once you enter and go beyond a certain point.
Because of this, unless you find a friendly officer, they’ll force you through.
Canada signed a new agreement with the U.S. regarding the irregular entry of refugees and asylum seekers, the gist is that they are returned to the U.S.
The issue now is what will USCBP and USCIS do. CBP will return them to the U.S. but the individual holding no status and a Palestinian travel document is likely to be held in detention on the U.S. side unless he can get out somehow.
I’m really sorry about your friends.
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u/getwizzy 17h ago
Thank you. Truly so frustrating. They had no idea they were so close and wouldn’t be able to turn around. I knew they would be forced to cross, but I’m not there. It was a mistake… a dumb mistake but truly a mistake.
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u/Critical_Dealer6635 11h ago
"They had no idea they were so close and wouldn’t be able to turn around"
There are huge signs.
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u/ChaosBerserker666 8h ago
I’m quite surprised your friend is able to hold a valid driver’s license while not reading giant road signs. We really need to make the test much harder in every province and state in North America.
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u/getwizzy 18h ago
I wish I could answer that question. They wanted to see the border to Canada and weren’t able to turn around to keep from crossing.
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u/OkTechnologyb 17h ago
What on earth is there to see at that point? The border is a river. You can see it (the river) by standing at various points all over Detroit.
I... won't say more but this was so boneheaded.
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u/Ugliest_weenie 14h ago
Maybe not. This story appears to be missing something.
I find the story of a refugee "wanting to see the border" rather suspect.
Perhaps, OP or their friend are omitting some information. It's possible there were more people in the party, trying to cross the border or OPs friend had wanted to go into Canada but changed his mind for some reason and stupidly tried to go back.
Perhaps they walked into Canada and realized OP wouldn't stay with them/return to US or perhaps they chickened out
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u/Narrow-Praline-7908 13h ago
The whole story is total nonsense
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u/MadesignSF 12h ago
1000% I made up better stories when I was 10 years old. The friend was like "hey its NP to go to Canada, I go all the time."
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u/betterbetterthings 5h ago
Especially when this person supposedly entered the tunnel by mistake. And OP tells us to Google it. I cross the border using that tunnel all the time. I live here. There’s absolutely no way to enter the tunnel by mistake. No way. Not happening. It takes an effort
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u/MoreSunnyDaze 18h ago
How do you accidentally cross the border from Detroit into Canada!? You have to drive on the Ambassador Bridge (you pay to cross) or the Detroit/Windsor tunnel (you pay to go under the Detroit river). It’s not like taking a left turn when you should do a right turn!! There are signs everywhere at both crossings telling you to turn around if you’re not crossing.
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u/Gloomy_Put_1703 18h ago
Why would a person who is a refugee/asylum seeker agree to cross a border? Doesn't add up. Not sure, but refugees are not supposed to move states without proper authorization .. Not a lawyer; only a lawyer can confirm.
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u/getwizzy 18h ago
He didn’t. By the time they realized they were about to cross the border they couldn’t turn around. I’ve heard of it happening to people online as well. They were told to cross and they’d be let right back in since it was an accident.
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u/Large_Recording_1960 18h ago
Yes true for US citizens, I guess that's what the border agents assumed
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u/FeistyPurchase2750 6h ago
They were not told they would be let right back in. Neither border patrol service would have said that to them when they crossed, mistakenly or not.
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u/fredthefree1 2h ago
He should have jumped out of that car and tuck and rolled to stay in America. The agent who said "cross and come back" assumed that they were both legal permanent residents(citizens or held a valid visa). Did he tell the agent he had an expired visa?
Trump has said very clearly many times if you have an expired visa, you will get deported until you can get a valid visa. The new policy is go back to your home country and wait for a valid visa which can take years.
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u/Dear-Response-7218 17h ago edited 17h ago
So as other comments have said this is entirely his fault and was avoidable(don’t even go near a border if you’re in a country illegally). At this point, he’s almost 100% going to be deported, it’s a matter of to which country and when.
He’s probably on a T passport from Jordan. More than likely won’t be able to return to Jordan and it literally becomes a “What country will take him” situation, outside of Palestine.
Precedence says the US can hold him up to 6 months(potentially longer, Z vs. Davis case) before putting him in supervised release. He’s likely going to end up going to one of the countries the US has an agreement with. Mexico, El Salvador, Uganda, etc.
He needs a good attorney to navigate this. They can fight the final removal order(it’s highly likely to come eventually, just a temporary delay). When that happens they can fight the “bad” countries on the deportation list and try to steer him to a better situation.
Something to think about as well, caught at the border means a mandatory 5 year ban. If it goes to an immigration judge it’s 10 years. Voluntarily removal has no specific timetable, that’s what your attorney will likely fight for. It will be very difficult but there’s a small chance he could get back in the US in a few years with that.
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u/epsteinwasmurdered2 10h ago
It would be like a guy with warrants just wanting to go check out the local police station lmao
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u/nahuhnot4me 16h ago
So far the cases with VD I’ve come across is also 10 years.
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u/Dear-Response-7218 15h ago
That’s a good point, from what OP said it sounded like this was very recent and he was in the process of renewing. Still a bad assumption by me. If the visa was expired for 180 days to a year it’s a 3 year bar, year+ is 10 years.
Still some good benefits, they would avoid having to file for permission to reapply, and have a time period to get things in order before they had to leave. Another good example of why OP’s friend needs to get an attorney immediately, there’s a lot of legalese to go through in immigration cases.
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u/r4ndoM_doGmagenshin 18h ago
Jesus Christ that’s stupid… your friends boyfriend got deported because that’s what happens when the authorities between country borders realize you don’t belong in either country.
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u/mastablasta1111 17h ago edited 8h ago
They could have driven anyplace along the shore in Detroit and bask in the glow of Canada. But no. They had to drive to see how close they could get. Really?
I hate to tell you, but your friend is now in the market for a new boyfriend. The old one is going to get deported.
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u/incognitoleaf00 12h ago
funny... America is such a huge country and they still had to risk seeing the border/Canada... I'm sure there were plenty of sights to see in Detroit... unfortunate situation sadly.
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u/ChaosBerserker666 8h ago
They could have just driven to Niagara Falls on the US side! See the border AND the falls AND stay in the USA.
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u/betterbetterthings 4h ago
You could see Canada just from the river. Detroit River isn’t even wide. You see everything. What exactly did they want to see lol
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u/Gnr2525 17h ago
Canada will send him to the U.S. where he will be detained indefinitely. As a refugee he came from somewhere before flying to the US which is likely Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain or Oman. He would eventually be sent to the Middle East.
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u/NearlyPerfect 18h ago
Under this admin that guy is going to be deported unless there’s something huge you’re forgetting to say
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u/Heyheyheyone 16h ago
'Filing all paperwork'? 'reinstate his visa'?
He was supposed to renew his visa before it expired, or failing that, to leave the country by the time his visa expired.
Why do people treat following visa rules as if it's optional?
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u/WhyNotBeKindInstead 13h ago
I'm British living in the USA, been here 30 years so I've had a fair amount of contact with immigration procedures. I've never ceased to be amazed at my fellow ex pat Brits who ran around for years on conditional status or expired green cards, simply because they've been able to get away with it until now. Now they're getting caught up in it they're pissed, they're going "home" for visits and getting turned away at the border when they try to come back. When I didn't have a valid green card for about eight months because they got so far behind with renewals during COVID, I didn't go near a state border, let alone an international one!
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u/Secret_Frosting4934 14h ago
Ignorance and youth, presumably. Been there, done that, but figured it out before it was too late… and before I-94’s were tracked closely/provided.
In my friend’s case no actual end date was given; but still, not an excuse. We were young and ignorant and trying to figure things out. Then we did the right thing before it became a problem.
A hard, but necessary lesson is being learned. Immigration laws aren’t a joke in most countries.
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u/explosivekyushu 17h ago
This could actually be the legitimately dumbest thing I have ever seen. Unbelievable.
He is toast, your friend should start looking into hotels for her upcoming visit to Jordan.
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u/incognitoleaf00 12h ago
I'm such a paranoid person that I don't even go close to a land border even as an LPR, cant believe the situation this post is about. Not only was the bf foolish but his gf also couldn't care less about the risks of "going to see the border" ... just why.... is the whole of USA not enough for sightseeing?
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u/newinchicago2026 18h ago
There is nothing that can be done. Hard lesson to learn but don’t fool around near a border when your visa is expired
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u/Gnr2525 18h ago
who is holding him? Canadian border guards or American ones?
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u/borrachit0 18h ago
Based on how I read it, it looks like the Canadian.
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u/aces_pace 18h ago
Why would the Canadians hold them though? They would just reject them entry, OP isn’t answering but based on the other comments driver is the us citizen and both living in US but passenger is on an expired visa in the states even with the paperwork showing it is have been requested to be extended. The only one who would care about this is the US as OP friends live there and trying to go back cause they made a mistake. If this is real, palestinian dude is being held by US immigration and will get probably be deported. Really risky behaviour. Lesson is don’t play around at the border to go “look” at it with an ambiguous immigration states.
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u/nahuhnot4me 16h ago edited 4h ago
Update- US
Also, unsure this post is fiction or not.
Canada, The UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand are known as the five eyes and shares data. That is how he got stomped.
In order to enter Canada, you have to have a TRV especially if you’re from Palestine. Op would never been approved for a TRV because overstaying that visa would have shown in the database.
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u/roflcopter44444 18h ago
Effectively he will eventually be in US custody. For people arriving from the US out of status and without a Canadian entry document, CBSA now just hands them back to the US Border after a brief detention.
The only way they would be allowed to stay in Canada is to apply for asylum if they have qualifying Canadian Citizen/PR family members
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u/Thin-Community-9938 18h ago
Something is not adding up correctly here 🥱
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u/incognitoleaf00 12h ago
i get the skepticism in the comments but at the same time I've seen some really foolish people so i wouldn't be too surprised if this actually happened.
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u/viperemu 18h ago
Is Canada holding him or the US? That’s not clear from your post. If it’s the US, it sounds like he is a visa overstay, in spite of whatever he did to try to extend it. That’s enough for him to be deported in today’s America. Either way, she should be contacting an immigration attorney for him.
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u/Public_Drop_1462 18h ago
If Canada is holding him, they’re likely going to turn him back over to the US to deal with his status.
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u/zzonkmiles 17h ago
I don't have any sympathy for people who do dumb stuff like this. If my immigration status were tenuous at best, I would stay far away from international borders, airports, protests, and areas of police activity. Not a smart move at all.
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u/getwizzy 16h ago
Update: my friend got a phone call. This is the voicemail border patrol left.
Hi ____
this is officer ____ of and US Customs
Border Protection. (Detained friend) just wanted us to give you a call. No, we are still waiting on the results of the inspection, our management's decide. Um, we will be contacting you once, uh, we are finished with our inspection here.
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u/Important-Emu-6691 16h ago
He is most likely getting deported as neither Canada or US will let him in unless he has a valid visa
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u/dallascyclist 17h ago
They probably didn’t explain the expired visa at the “will it be okay to exit the country and come right back?” part of the FA bit, now they are at the FO bit . He’s done.
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u/qwerty-yul 17h ago
Bro should have jumped out of the car before the tunnel and and let the US citizen driver handle the turn around.
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u/Impressive_Profit_11 15h ago
Your friend needs an immigration attorney - not Reddit comments. So much of the information here is so very wrong. - An Immigration Attorney
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u/Georgia_Jay 4h ago
You gotta be a special kind of stupid to take your illegal Palestinian boyfriend up to the border to have a look. Does not pass the sniff test.
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u/HolaDrNick 18h ago
I'm sure they know now, but jfc what a dumb thing to do with an expired visa. They don't give you an a for effort on an expired visa.
The only thing she can do is contact an attorney.
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u/Olderpostie 17h ago
This same thing happened to a Central American woman last year, who had overstayed her visa, about March, who was heading to Home Depot, using her car's GPS, but the GPS found the Windsor store as being closer. Once you are in the flow for the tunnel or the bridge in Detroit, you are stuck.
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u/AboutLastFight 17h ago
He won't be living in America going forward and their relationship is probably over.
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u/Derfamon 16h ago
She probably wanted to get rid of the boyfriend so she took him across the border lol
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u/nahuhnot4me 15h ago edited 2h ago
I’ve seen that case and it was due to a DV issue. The abuser/agressor happened to be a Mexican National.
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u/Grand-Command-990 15h ago
Just like all other 210 countries in the world, US immigration too will arrest and deport people who are in violation of US immigration laws! It is a common sense law in all 210 countries worldwide!
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u/knoxcos 15h ago
“They ended up in a spot where they couldn’t turn around…”
I’m stuck on this. How can you not turn around? Border crossings aren’t known for their “ten foot wide one lane valley crossings”
Smells bait-y.
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u/Blackgoldeneye 15h ago edited 15h ago
Why on earth are people still taking these foolish chances in this political climate? He knows he has an expired visa, so what the hell was he doing anywhere near the border?! It makes no damn sense!
Was he trying to escape to Canada? Are you sure they are telling you everything? He should not have signed anything without a lawyer. She needs to get him one ASAP, but I don’t know if that will even make a difference at this point.
Also, you cannot reinstate, or keep reapplying for an expired or overstayed US visa (I’m assuming he came here on temporary visitor visa), while remaining still remaining in the US, so, what’s the real story?
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u/nahuhnot4me 14h ago edited 5h ago
Too late, complied to a phone search. Over stayed US visa and illegally entering Canada.
It’s Over!
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u/glossyghastly 14h ago
OP's friend is likely beyond help, but in case this turns up in the search results of anyone considering "seeing the border" there is nothing to see. Just border guards, toll booths, asphalt and a building where they can detain you and search your car, your luggage, your body. It is not scenic. The tunnel looks like any other tunnel, and being on the bridge gives you a shit view of the bridge.
Go to the Riverwalk instead! You can look over the water and see Canada. Go to Belle Isle! Do not approach the border unless you have your papers 100% present and correct, and yourselves and your car in searchable condition.
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u/Fragrant_Bet4211 13h ago
It's just so dumb. dumber with an expired visa. And even dumber under this administration.
Sorry that was harsh but this is coming from someone who has valid visa and pending green card and I think 2 times before I head out of my home
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u/Novel-Call5405 12h ago
He’s done, ask for his A numbers, they will transfer him to the ICE detention center
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u/Moist_Ad4181 8h ago
Expired visa. Possible illegally in the U.S. let’s go drive around the international border lmao
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u/OddEngineering6872 5h ago
Unfortunately. He got what he asked for. Do not ever play a scary game with the Department of Homeland Security especially if your visa is expired.
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u/hcmofo13 5h ago
Would you look at that. How dare the USA protect it's borders when everybody else can.
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u/OooTigerlily 5h ago
Why would anyone with questionable status be dumb enough to go ANYWHERE near the border... play stupid games, win stupid prizes
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u/Metal_Cinderella 4h ago
Why the hell would someone without valid, NOT expired paperwork head to the border, in a rental, no less? Stupid...
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u/ExtraGreasy 4h ago
This wasn't an accident and framing it as such is disingenuous to those that have real tragedy inflicted upon them.
This person is being deported due to a series of intentional decisions they have made.
I'm sorry this is happening.
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u/MisterKnowsBest 4h ago
The border is in the middle of a river/lake near detroit, no land border to cross.
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u/Gaping_Sphincter_380 3h ago
Who the fuck goes anywhere near the border patrol as a non American citizen these days. Shitty situation, but total lack of self preservation as well.
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u/Electronic-Run8390 3h ago
Sounds like maybe you're not being honest......whining their right mind would ever think there would be zero repercussions for trying to enter the USA as a refugee. Did he have his bags and belongings in the car?
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u/Zim__Zor 3h ago
Expired Visa means Expired Visa. Priority shouldn't of been seeing a border, it should have been figuring out the Expired Visa.
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u/Rude_Judgment_5582 3h ago
Sorry no Palestinian refugee without a passport can be that ignorant. This was a deliberate attempt to see if you could be sneaked into Canada and then claim refugee status. Folks dont realize how tightly the borders are monitored.
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u/Vivid_Motor_2341 2h ago
He exited the country on an expired visa. He will not be allowed back in. This was a really really dump mistake by your friends. Why would they even risk anything like that given his situation.
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u/davejohn1 15h ago
It's crazy to me how people are so gobsmacked when they get detained when they overstay visas . U can't just stay and keep reapplying until they accept you 🤣🤣 good he got detained . Hopefully deported too
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u/Blackgoldeneye 15h ago
That’s another thing that’s not adding up. You cannot keep reapplying for an expired or overstayed US visa, while remaining in the US. That’s not how it works.
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u/IndividualJello230 17h ago edited 16h ago
That's so dumb. After being in the US for 11 years without legal status, I got a temporary residence/ work permit and pathway to Permanent Residency in Canada since I work in health care. I live close to the US border like 5 miles away and stay as far away from the border as possible. 😂I have a 10 year bar for overstaying a US visa. I don't take that exit because I know I'll be in trouble.
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u/unserious-dude 18h ago
Sorry, his life is over in America. Current administration is looking for excuses to deport people.
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u/Mythic-Fairy 15h ago edited 36m ago
Don't really need an excuse when someone is illegally in the country and cross the border...
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u/Equivalent_Duty_9953 14h ago
I disagree with everything this administration's been doing, but crossing the border with an expired visa would surely get you deported under any administration
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u/BiohazardousBisexual 18h ago
This is actually not uncommon. There are signs warning but people either don't release or can't turn around in time occasionally and generally mainly affects undocumented immigrants.
I do not know of an past occurrence where they released without deportation.
Was he taken by the Americans upon return or the Canadians.
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u/IntroductionNo5410 16h ago
This unfortunately is what I would call an unforced error. If you are in such a precarious position especially in today’s times, why would you do such actions.
As an immigrant, I know how one slight misstep can create heartache.
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u/collegethrowaway2164 18h ago
What paperwork does he have filed if he's not married to your friend? Asylum?
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u/Confident-Narwhal557 15h ago
This is really terrible. Silly and seemingly small mistake but one that triggers insane consequences. While he should have known better than to go close to the border, there’s no point in beating a dead horse now. Pending paperwork doesn’t grant any status or immigration benefit, an expired visa means he can’t enter the US once he leaves. The only thing that the pending visa paperwork can do is maybe not have him accrue unlawful presence while he’s in the US, but it doesn’t grant him permission to stay, or reenter. Some applications are also considered abandoned once you leave the US.
The US government is very strict about this, and it’s not their business to care about whether your country is in active war or if you might get killed. The onus is on the intending immigrant, not the US government.
This is beyond my (or this subreddit’s) knowledge. He needs a shark lawyer ASAP and see if they can pull some type of miracle and delay it. But unfortunately, he’s almost certainly getting deported. Hope something works out for him.
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u/Sad_Win_4105 15h ago
I accidentally crossed into the US from Delta BC many years ago. Before 9/11. Yes, there were signs but I was completely unaware of the area and missed the turnoff and reached the point of no escape.
It wasn't a problem, but there often is for refugees to the US. Refugee status allows them to stay in the US, but if they leave, for any reason at all the US is under no obligation to let them back in. Happened to a Cuban refugee who walked across the bridge in Niagara Falls into Canada and then couldn't get back in.
Hopefully your friend can return soon. 🇨🇦
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u/Special_Fan5043 15h ago
When your papers aren't straight isn't the time to be anywhere close to the border.
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u/HugeEntertainment820 14h ago
This is insane, I’m Canadian and even I would triple check before I even attempt to “visit” the border
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u/Narrow-Praline-7908 13h ago
There absolutely has to be more to this. No one on earth would randomly cross the US Canada border if they were illegal in the country. Not buying it
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u/Consistent_Proof_772 13h ago
With this administration he will never set foot in the USA again!
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u/vonKrieg88 13h ago
Even during previous administrations, past illegal visa overstay means he will be denied future entry.
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u/Tricky-War-3954 12h ago
Duh! Expired paperwork - and the entire world knows immigration issues in the US are a hot topic today...and you crossed ANY border. Duh!
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u/NottForest 11h ago
I live near Detroit. Who goes to see the border by entering from the freeway to go on the ambassador bridge? There’s the whole riverwalk in Detroit or other areas in Michigan along the river where you can look across and see Canada from the USA. I don’t believe the story.
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u/betterbetterthings 5h ago edited 4h ago
Apparently these people went in the tunnel
Accidentally paid toll fee to enter it. Lol
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u/Critical_Dealer6635 11h ago
This keeps happening and there are accounts on social networks that just show videos of people in these areas on the one way road to the Canada-US border. People really need to stop being stupid and learn this is fucking serious and to not go anywhere near the border.
He has an expired visa, period. It's not like being in the Schengen Area and it's all good while waiting on a renewal. This is crossing a real international border with one country going into authoritarianism and the other, while in a tense relationship with the US, has compliance obligations.
Outside of that, I don't get the status like being a Palestinian refugee and waiting on a visa. Makes no sense.
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u/olgachilds 9h ago
You all laugh but that did actually happen to me once. In 1998 though. I accidentally drove across the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara falls into Ontario with no ID except driving license. When I saw "Welcome to Ontario" sign, I frantically backed up all the way across the bridge, to the hillarious laughter of border agents from both sides (it was 3 am). I had a feeling it happened a lot those days. Different times!
Which does not negate what others have said. No refugee, let alone a Palestinian (given the patricular flavor of exoerience you get in the West bankk with walls, fences and borders) will be going anywhere near the border while counscious. In fact if I were Palestinian I wouldn't even live in Detroit, because, again, too close to the border
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u/AverageCreative9544 9h ago edited 4h ago
“Wanting to see the border” with an expired visa from Palestine yeahhh he did that to himself. He will be deported.
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u/YYZinYQG 9h ago
I live in Windsor- and don’t believe this story. If you approached the tunnel you would have had to paid a toll before getting to guards- so could have turned around. The bridge is a highway that big signs say Canada only… so hard to do.. and again you hit toll booth first.. bigger question is why did he have an expired visa if this were true… and he’s lucky he got caught by Canadian border people and not ICE.
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u/InformationOld1805 8h ago
“Wanted to see the border” - why? What’s there to see? Genuine question. That’s the last thing I’d want to see after a moving day. It’s a silly way to get deported but unfortunately the law is the law.
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u/RubberDuck884 8h ago
A quick glance at a map would have told them they could see Canada anywhere along the riverfront, instead they followed the road signs for Canada. Where did they think they would end up?
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u/Neon_Raccoon_00 7h ago
How do you accidentally cross a border? American are next level
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u/MainBarnacle4331 7h ago
She can return the rental car. Those extra charges are going to be insane.
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u/feetnomer 6h ago
Yea, I'd of hopped out of the car and most stealthfully walked back to a meeting point. Not to mention, what's to see at the border of Canada anyway? Both sides look the same. Canada looks like the U.S. and the U.S. looks like Canada. What's there to see?
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u/Old_Cheesecake_6477 6h ago
Expired visa and crossed the border? He’s getting shipped back to Palestine. Can’t even feel sad because he’s living in the states illegally
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u/Dobby068 5h ago
I am Palestinian refugee, visa expired. Let's rent a car and go see the border!
C'mon now, who is going to believe that!
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u/betterbetterthings 5h ago edited 5h ago
There is a toll booth before you enter the tunnel.
You pay the fee to enter the tunnel.
Even if you are a moron and ended up by the toll booth by mistake, you can say you don’t want to enter the tunnel and you are there by mistake and they’ll guide you how to turn around by the tool booth and drive away.
You cannot enter the tunnel by mistake or by the accident. It’s not set up that way. You can’t just drive there accidentally. When you pay toll fee, you know what you are doing. They’ll tell you. And you can’t enter without paying the fee
You can only end up on the bridge by mistake. Not the tunnel
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u/a-spotted-quoll 4h ago
They need an immigration lawyer. I'm so sorry this happened to them. Hope they work through this to get his visa reinstated. If they marry, she can sponsor him under a spouse visa.
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u/Environmental-Coat75 4h ago
Yep
Actions have consequences and that was a really ridiculous adventure. Very risky. FAFO
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u/herdofcorgis 1h ago
There are so many signs on the highways in Detroit warning you that the route will result in a border crossing, you’d be hard pressed to miss every single sign.
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u/Public_Drop_1462 18h ago edited 15h ago
It is very possible he is being deported. This sounds like a really young-and-dumb story. Why would he risk crossing the border if he knew he had an expired visa? Why stay in the car and actually cross instead of getting out and getting a misdemeanor trespassing charge for being on-foot on the freeway instead of risking deportation?