Another Canadian receives a 5-year ban from entering the U.S.

Sept. 28, 2019 por Isolda Barrera

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The victim this time is a young woman by the name Rochelle Trepanier, who was planning a visit to her boyfriend who lives in California.

Ms. Trepanier mentions that she has been traveling like this for the past two years to visit her boyfriend during the fall when her work is less demanding. She says the trip has always been the same, to see the same person at the same place.

Ms. Trepanier is a tree planter, and has been for the last eight years, she mentions that it’s her main source of income. And since the work is seasonal, during her month off in fall she will travel to California to visit her boyfriend.

Although this time her trip didn’t turn out as it had the times before. She took her usual route like normal from Victoria to Port Angeles, but says that she was unable to cross when she was told that she needed the correct documentation to prove that she had ties to Canada.

Ms. Trepanier told news that provided information such as on bank and her credit card, cell phone bills and receipts from work, that were all saved to her phone and showed how much she earned in her home located in Calgary. She would then try to cross again a couple of hours later, this time from the Peace Arch crossing. This is where she was detained for seven hours.

Once there, Border agents questioned her about her work, her family and her partner. The timing of this trip was important, she said, because she and her boyfriend were planning to go to a friend’s wedding this week, which was one of her reasons to try crossing the same day through another crossing point.

But according to her, the documentation that she provided apparently wasn’t enough for them.

Her case is one of many immigration lawyers say they’ve seen in the last few months. Apparently, they see at least one of these cases a day, that’s how strict the situation is getting at the northern border as well. These bans are being giving like speeding tickets. And can definitely be a hassle to try and appeal as well as costly.

According to U.S, Customs and Border Protection the reason why some of these Canadian crossers are receiving this 5-year bans it’s because travelers are attempting to enter the United States from Canada, with insufficient proof that they are not crossing to stay. One of the ways they can do this is by presenting ties and equities such as proof of employment that they have a nine-to-five job or don’t own a home.

Officer at the border can present these removals as they are judge, jury and executioner, they have the power to basically give those bans and there is no appeal.

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