A woman returning from from Cabo flew to Tijuana and then crossed over the U.S. land border into San Diego. Officers scanned her passport and attempted a live photo match. They took her picture five times but the system still wouldn’t verify her identity. She was pulled aside and taken to a separate area – a locked glass room – “There were handcuffs on the chairs, but I was not handcuffed.”
She wasn’t allowed to use her phone and was separated from her fiancé. Officers asked the same series of personal questions repeatedly, re-scanning her passport and taking photos over and over – “more than 20” attempts.
- Officers said her eyes looked different than on her passport, they looked “more open” in the passport photo.
- Her passport photo was taken when she was 18. It’s 10 years later, at the end of her passport’s validity.
She says they eventually unlocked the doors and told her she was free to go, with no paperwork, explanation, or guidance for future travel.
“There were handcuffs on the chairs, but I was not handcuffed.”
“They said my eyes were different.”
“If you’ve made drastic changes or aged a decent amount, get a new photo… It’s not worth it.”
@juliaaannb
U.S. Customs and Border Protection tablet captures a live photo and compares it to the traveler’s image on file. If it can’t resolve, an officer may conduct additional screening. She’s subsequently replaced her passport and hasn’t had problems.
People do have problems when they don’t look anything like their passport photo and the TikTok trend a couple of years ago of photo shoots to create hot passport photos turned into something of a nightmare.
However, it seems like this becomes less of an issue with biometrics. Photos already weren’t always helpful because Americans might often look alike to passport officers in other parts of the world, and vice versa. Plus, people gain and lose weight all the time. Probably more so with the popularity of Ozempic.
You mean they didn’t torture or water board her? They treated her as a human? Wow, I guess the news media is sensationalizing things to control the educated liberal party.
It doesn’t take 10 years. After several weeks in Punta Cana (we have a place there) my beard and hair were so long that the incoming picture immigration had taken simply did not match my outgoing one and the automatic gate wouldn’t open. After repeated tries the officer sensibly gave up and let me through. AI and computers are great, until they’re not.
My passport got washed when the jeans that it was in were washed while I was out of the USA. It was totally mangled. Coming in to IAD I explained what happened and showed my driver’s license, medical card, and a wallet full of credit cards in my name.
That was fine.
I wonder why this woman didn’t offer similar confirming documentation?
I have had scan problems, including with a passport replaced three months before, but never had a problem with an actual agent. I think that the scan software needs tweaking. Maybe that was part of the delay, documenting how the software failed.
Bad when other countries don’t want you visiting and your own country doesn’t either. The new America.
@drrichard — Wish I was in DR these weeks; yikes, it’s been cold in NYC (feels like -15 F).
@Michael Mainello — I’m shocked, too… /s
@Ray — Thank goodness we’re not a service-based economy. Phew.
@L3 — Yay, you passed the Family Guy OKAY-NOT OKAY chart test!
I’ve lost 60lbs on a GLP. I always have issues with customs or TSA (at airports without Clear). I eventually get thru but usually requires a manager or supervisor to get involved. My passport expires in a year, so I’ll be replacing it soon and I expect the issue to go away.
Having just gone through chemotherapy and radiation for cancer that resulted in significant weight and hair/beard loss, I no longer remotely resemble the person in my passport or driver’s license. Maybe I should avoid international travel for awhile.
Try having an infant’s passport. My son took his daughter to see her grandmother overseas when she was 10 months old. Then took her again two years later. They got through without an issue, but the child could have been anyone’s. I wondered if someone could just take a child’s passport without the child and return with another child. Seems like a trafficker’s loophole.
So did they charge her $45 for extra screening, as they do for not having a valid RealID? Because I’d hate to think this was really about a revenue grab, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
I was never detained but the officers did take longer as I still have my passport and Global entry photo from when I had a beard and weighed 45 lbs more
This happened to my wife about 12 years ago. We were coming back from Asia and landed at JFK. She just got her USA passport – she is from Singapore – and the officers said they needed to do a secondary screening. We went into some area and for 45 minutes they asked her where she got the passport from, where she bought it, etc. I could hear the questioning but could do nothing. They then let her go and came over and told me the photo does not match something. They specifically mentioned something about the eyes, but it was a recent photo.
Of course all I got to hear was how backwards the US immigration system is, how this would never happen in Singapore, how Singapore is a better run country, etc etc etc…..sigh.
Google Photos recognizes my son now and my son 20 years ago as being the same person (they are grouped under a photo of his by Google.) He is now 24. You would think that the CBP would have software that would have recognized the woman.
@Michael Mainello, yes, if a blond white woman with a US passport manages to get through secondary without a major problem, clearly there are no issues and everyone else has just been imagining things
Just wait for the AI computer to decide to ignore any human resolution to such issues at some point in the future.
@farnorthtrader — Sadly, that hypothetical blond white woman was just shot by a federal agent… uh oh, a white man, too… Michael probably thinks that sounds Pretti Good to him. For the rest of us, please send help.
@1990 & @ farnorthtrader – Follow the Constitution and the law. It reduces the possibility of being harmed or killed. They FAFO’d and are now infamous. My condolences to their families and also those families with loved ones that died due to illegal aliens allowed into the US by the last administration.
@Michael Mainello — Might wanna re-read it, again.
@1990 – Sure. Still got no problem with what I wrote. Do you think those 2 are innocent?
@Michael Mainello — You wanna blame murdered victims? Psh. (You lost that narrative. Time to deliver on affordability, but, that’s hard, so, I’m assuming, try voter suppression.)
@1990 – The only murder in my example was committed by the illegal invaders against innocent citizens. You want to martyr criminals? You better hope your side can still cheat and stuff ballots.
@Michael Mainello — So, did damage control work on that ‘ape’ video? Please repeat the line… ‘but, but, an aide did it!’
And, uh, you think people are moving-on from Epstein, too? Tell us about ‘locker-room talk’ again.
@1990 – You are all over the place today. The video was at the end of another video and removed when it was identified.
Epstein – aren’t you glad the current administration is releasing the info, why didn’t the previous (your) administration do it? If something was in their to damage the current president I believe your side would have released something. I know, he is burying it. Keep kidding yourself.
Locker-room: are you referring to the previous president shoving his hand down a woman’s pants or are you referring to BJ Bill? You guys have so many I loose track.
@Michael Mainello — What a show! Did you realize that Puerto Ricans were Americans? Wow, maybe they should become the 51st state, along with DC (also Americans, what!) Fine, we can rename the island ‘Trumpistan’ if that’ll make Him happy. Anyway, what’s that on the horizon?? *blue wave*
@Michael Mainello — Looking forward to Bill and Hill’s public testimony exposing all the pedos! …if your ‘team’ will allow it. Wild that Q was onto something. No, not the baby-eating, but, yes, the cabal of wealthy men abusing underage women. Time to clean-house. All-sides. Why is the GOP turning into the Guardians of Pedos?
@1990 – WTF are you talking about. Please grow up. Your side went 4 years and did nothing to fix this or expose it. Currently the docs are being released, nothing credible has been released showing our current CIC has done anything along the lines of your sick scenarios.
You are so filled with propaganda, that you deny the truth being released. The border has been closed, 145,000 trafficked children found, 2.7 million aliens removed and crime reduced to a 125 year low. But you are consumed to return to open borders and supporting criminals.
@Michael Mainello — “Please grow up”… in response to our President being a pedophile? Yikes.
So far, ‘5,300 files containing more than 38,000 references’ to him. Yeah, nothing to see there. /s
@1990 – Please show me one document that supports your sick position. Give me a credible link so I can read it. Now we know the last guy showered with his daughter, she wrote it in her verified journal. We know Mr. Arkansas forced himself on multiple women, except his wife.
Why did they not release any of this during the last administration?
I had this happen twice, once in Cairo, once in Frankfurt. In both cases I produced my driver’s license (which was a more recent photo and the issue was resolved in a few minutes.
One other time in Frankfurt, I didn’t even pull out my license, and the guy just waved me through.
@EN – Thanks for the story. Are you Caucasian? If so that is why, if not, well you are fortunate you weren’t arrested and tortured. These luddite liberals think only about race.
@Michael Mainello — Alright. Here’s some real advice on the economy. Stop the crony capitalism. Go full-bore on anti-trust. Screw the oligarchs. Break up the monopolies and halt the regulatory capture. If He wants a legacy… be a modern Theodore Roosevelt (an actual good Republican). Enough of the bigotry for the ignorant and greed for the already wealthy. It’s not gonna ‘win’ in the end. Start ‘busting trusts,’ mah man.
@1990 – Blah, blah, blah / deflect to another subject / never answer a question or support your dogmatic pablum. You live and prosper in the US, yet you trash it. How about you learn how to debate or reflect on your intellectual inferiority. Anybody with a functioning brain can read that you are shallow and lacking of any critical thinking skills. Now go get your exercise and run to another subject.
@Michael Mainello — Ah, so you’re a corporate shill, after all. So much for small-businesses… what a shame. So, Putin-style ‘tea’ and pushing disloyal oligarchs/generals outta windows? What’s on the pipeline, sir?
@1990 – See previous answer. I don’t think you even read what I write, your script is your script. Never said anything to what you are referring. You suffer from Reading Comprehension Deficit Syndrome.
@Michael Mainello — I didn’t realize you were a doctor! Diagnosing ‘patients’ on here… unless, could it be unlicensed practice of medicine… *gasp*
Nearly 250-years, sir. However, probably should call it the ‘BUY-centennial,’ since our President can be bought via his own cryptocurrency. (Yeah, but, you know… Hunter’s laptop… and, Her emails… and, price of eggs… and, Benghazi is back!) So, what’ll be the new ‘migrant caravan’ for these midterms, anyway? I can check back later if you need more time to receive the talking-points.
It’s not RCDS doctor, it’s TDS. No cure. Next patient please.
@1990 – No answers only hyperbole. What is next on your script? Oh BTW, the majority of your dreaded rich vote Democrat, so they appreciate your dogged loyalty and lack of critical thinking.
@Michael Mainello — I thought you preferred dehumanizing rhetoric, like your go-to… ‘demon-rat’? I guess I should be applauding your restraint… well done, sir. So much for ‘vermin’ and the ‘enemy-within,’ huh. Again, better to not treat our fellow countrymen with such distain. Please tell Him.
“I wonder why this woman didn’t offer similar confirming documentation?”
– Hey, L3. Have you every once in your life thought of a smarter way of handling a situation and thought. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before! It’s so obvious!”
That could be why.
@1990 – Keep the script, standardized responses coming. Which (lack of) AI are you?
@Michael Mainello — Naw, you’ll need to consult with fellow faux-conservative @Mike Hunt for 4 paragraph AI retorts. Come now, I’m a bit more original than that… Hey, you know, that ‘blue wave’ is looking more like a ‘tsunami’… *wink*
@1990 – You are far from original. You are a bot, maybe a breathing one afraid or embarrassed to even use your name, but a bot none the less. No answers, attempting to shift the narrative, lack critical thinking skills, etc. All you do is throw out insults, feign compassion and insert catch phrases. You have yet to respond with any supporting information to the screed you puke on the page. Keep it up, hopefully you get paid by the response.
@Michael Mainello – Your Italian ancestors must be turning in their graves with a stupid and Nazi descendant.
Mussolini would be happy!
@Ricardo – unlike your lazy self, my ancestors and myself worked and are proud of all 3 of our heritages. Are you a proud mooch or just an insulting bot like 1990?
@Ricardo — Don’t worry, @Michael Mainello is certain that he’s ‘one of the good ones.’
This is why other countries use those fancy little chips to store fingerprints. That way there is an easy way to check if the bearer of the passport is the person in the photo.
@1990 (especially) and @Ricardo – Neither one of you provide any reason for me to consider “your side”. You don’t support it, you only attack me and ignore my points. If you are a proud defender of the liberal / democrat program, why? I see you support illegal immigration, extra ordinary due process for criminals, graft and embezzlement of government funds, social security fraud, child trafficking, just name a few. So tell me why I would even think about switching. I know Orange Man Bad, 34 felonies, etc.
@Michael Mainello — It’s really simple: You just need to “comply.” Psh.
@1990 – Bot
@Michael Mainello — *beep boop*
“Facts don’t care about your feelings.”
@1990 – Facts – You have presented none, nor refuted any. You are a perfect zero.
Name calling and spewing hyperbole, you are perfect.
@Michael Mainello — You’re welcome!