INS folks: Naturally born A-holes?

[GCD]

Intersting passport information

I re-entered the US from a trip. I handed the INS Inspector my passport and said, "Good afternoon," with a smile on my face. The INS Inspector frowned, took a corner of my laminated ID page, and peeled the lamination back. All the while he was looking me in the eyes. He handed my passport back to me and stated, "Your passport has delaminated and is considered damaged."

I tried to fly another trip with it because I didn't have time to do anything else. I entered Germany, showed my passport, and was informed that my passport is invalid. Luckily, I have a military ID, which was acceptable to the officer.

Now, I have to submit my passport, with proof of US citizenship because my passport is damaged (because it is possibly a forgery in the State Department's evaluation), and I have to pay the entire renewall fee, even though it was valid until 2010. Along with the entire renewall fee, I have to submit a written explanation of how my passport became damaged (believe me, I will give a full report). Besides that, the entry visas that are in my invalid passport are now invalid, also. These visas are hard to obtain and expensive.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

 

[Timebuilder]

I would contact your US senator's office and lodge a complaint with INS and the state department.

 

[satpak77]

INS are govt employees who get paid regardless if they do a good job or a bad job. Recall post 9/11, some of the dead hijackers were served with deportation notices in the mail. This is the same agency you are dealing with.

Like anywhere else, you have good guys and not so good. One time at Customs at HOU, two inspectors greeted us. One older guy, who was smoking a cigarrette and obviously has not missed many breakfast tacos, and another younger guy, with an un-kept uniform and messed up gig line. New boy looked more at home designing Dungeons and Dragons games than wearing a uniform.

Old guy checks passports, glances inside, then says "how fast is this baby". We then talk about the warm HOU weather and the NFC rankings.

New boy insists on climbing inside (granted), then asks us if we have ever had flowers or seeds from another country in the cabin, then also asks if we have anything "he needs to know about."

anyway, play the game, yes sir, no sir, have a nice day sir, blah blah blah. They cannot treat you unfairly or call you names, abuse you, but Customs/INS has a lot of authority while you are "entering" the country. I know you plane is physically on the ground at FLL and you are at Customs, but you have not "entered" until Customs clears you. Play the game and you will be on your way.

Just like the police officer, the "attitude test" is part of the routine. yes sir, no sir, no problem sir. play the game and get out of there

 

[GCD]

Oh, beleive me, having flown internally for some years, I know how to play the game. There are some countries that you can go to jail on the spot if they don't like you. That's why I walked away after he handed me my passport, went to the next airplane home.

 

[satpak77]

Complaint Process

State Dept is not involved and your Senator may or may not get yuor complaint

INS is now under "BICE" Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which itself is a component of the Department of Homeland Security.


my recommendation, is via certified mail:

Compose a letter, with times, dates, etc, addressing the problem and your concerns. Don't forget to add that you are a US Citizen and pay taxes. However, do not engage in name calling, etc. e professional. Also, put YOUR NAME ON IT and SIGN IT. Also provide your contact information. A one page letter is best.

Send this letter to the following addresses....also note under the "CC" column that you indeed have mailed this letter to these addresses:

1) the Agent in Charge of the area which you had a problem:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contacts/saic_raic/

2) The Office of Inspector General - DHS:

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=89&content=581

3) Your senator

remember, the same letter, with YOUR NAME on it, signed by you, certified mail, to the above people. Somewhere on the letter, "CC" shoud indicate that you indeed mailed it to all three places.

You WILL get a response, trust me.

You might sleep on this for a few days and try to "get over it." But as a taxpayer and user of the system you deserve fair treatment, only you can decide whether you should make a formal complaint.

 

[Timebuilder]

State Dept is not involved and your Senator may or may not get yuor complaint

If any US official, while acting in their official capacity, causes your passport to be damaged or invalid, State certainly DOES want to know about it.

 

[satpak77]

for the purposes of getting something done on the complaint, follow my post

 

[Weasil]

After a similar incident I wrote to my senator's office. He has a person assigned specifically to dealing with the INS (USCIS now). 3 months later I received a copy of a letter he got from the INS Regional Manager saying they were investigating the Incident. This followed by another letter several months later explaining what they did about it which was essentially nothing. Made me feel better though cause i tried.

 

[Thedude]

Have to agree with the letter writing thing. I even had a customs agent tell me that was about the worse thing you could do and the individual would be dealt with accordingly esp when dealing with crew members.

 

[enigma]

My question to the general pilot population: Are INS Inspectors natually born A-holes, or do they train them to be that way?

I haven't dealt with INS in a long time, but I believe that Customs must give a "how to be anal opening" class to all newhires. It must be a trained/learned behavior. The odds are just not in favor of them all being born A-holes.

I do want to give kudo's though to most of the Customs staff at Laredo during the middle 90's. They were decent and never gave me a hassle.

regards,
enigma

 

[Timebuilder]

If you want to skip your colonoscopy exam, just fly into Florida from central America in a Lear that was once confiscated by the government, and purchased at an auction, AND has the same tail number.

Then, divert to an airport that was not your original destination.

Nice doggy.

 

[Checks]

Sounds like your ID was delaminated. Just get another one and drive on. It is called an "Orange Alert". They dont get paid to smile and make small talk. If they made small talk with the hundreds of people they inspect daily the lines would be even longer than they are now.

 

[GCD]

I wasn't asking to chat with the guy. I also wasn't asking for vandalism.

I spoke to the State Department, yesterday. Basically, an INS agent can do this to a passport if he believes it is suspect. Then it is up to the holder to go through the hoops to get a valid passport back.

The lady I spoke to at the State Department said, "The reason the jerk did it is because they are trying to make everyone get the new laser passports. Too bad you ran into one of the jerks."

I guess the lesson here is; If you have a passport issued prior to the laser passports, you are going to have to get a new one if you are a frequent international crewmember. The visa hoop will also have to been run again.

 

[Timebuilder]

Did she say when the laser passports began being issued? Mine will be two years old in June.

 

[GCD]

I think sometime in 2002, though I am not sure.

You'll know if you have a laser printed passport it there is no plastic lamination over your photo and personal information page.

 

[A Squared]

Did she say when the laser passports began being issued? Mine will be two years old in June.

Not sure waht exacly is meant by "laser" passport, but on mine, my photo is printed on the page, rather than a photo glued to the page. The ID paper is covered by a plastic film with holographic images. If that's a "laser" passport, mine was issued in 1999