Three years ago there were a string of American Airlines flights from Cancun to New York JFK where passengers arrived, got off the plane, and just entered the terminal without ever going through immigration and customers (for instance this one and this onelet a bunch of passengers into New York JFK terminal 5 without going through screening and then tried to cover it up. They didn’t report it for hours trying to find each of the passengers inside the terminal themselves by reviewing video footage. That didn’t work out well.
Three of the eleven passengers were identified and screened once they landed at their destination. That way TSA could say none of the passengers traveled without having been screened.
So it’s not that unusual that on Wednesday passengers got off of a Finnair – Chicago O’Hare flight and left the airport without going through customs or immigration. What’s epic about the incident, however, is the degree of finger pointing.
Chicago O’Hare
Passengers off of flight AY9 “walked to an exit, and followed a TSA Agent through the door leading outside.” One passenger reports realizing the mistake and finding “he went to an agent in the Customs and Border Control (CBP) office [who] told him to not worry and “just go ahead.”
A spokesperson for CBP confirms the incident took place, saying a Finnair station manager notified the agency some passengers bypassed customs, and agents processed those who could be found in the airport departure lounge. They said at least four people made it out without being checked, but all international passengers have now been accounted for.
Customs and Border Protection showed up at passenger homes. CBP blames Finnair because “it’s up to the airlines to make sure passengers go from an arrival gate to customs” while TSA “says it’s CBP’s responsibility.”
It’s unclear to me why it’s even necessary to visit the home of a US citizen after they’ve left the airport. Why not just ‘check them in’ — as though that should even be necessary with a citizen who has every right to enter their own country without seeking permission?
- The government clearly knows who the passenger is and where they live.
- They have flight manifests and video surveillance.
- A US citizen is admissible. There’s no suggestion that anyone entered the US who shouldn’t have.
Copyright: andreyuu / 123RF Stock Photo
As for the immigration agent who told a passenger to just go home and not worry about it? They’ll probably be the next Secretary of Homeland Security.
The Federal Government doesn’t work by people asking “why” or using common sense. You do what is in the book/law/rule/regulation no matter how stupid or situationally inappropriate.
Common sense has no place in American law, politics, airline policy, yada yad yada.
That happenned to me 6 years ago at JFK, I was the first to deplane and there were no signs at all, so I just openned the Exit doors and got out at the terminal. I had no checked luggage and then when I realized I had bypassed CBP I went to AC and asked to be scorted to CBP, and they took me to an office outside security.
There was a lady who just stamped my passport, made a joke about me and told me go spend money in the USA.
I put myself on lockdown anyway just to be safe.
Blindly following orders and enforcing politicians’ laws and rules, just doing their jobs nonsense.
The type of people paying to fly on a plane are probably not the type of people we have to most worry about. It is ridiculous that the government pays more attention to citizens and tourists and harasses them with heavy handed TSA and customs yet hundreds of thousands (maybe a million) are coming across the southern border each year, people who according to statistics commit a very disproportionately high amount of crime, violence, bring poverty and send money out of the U.S. economy back home, and many get free college education in california. That is insanity.
Nordic terrorists infiltrating the Midwest are a top priority and should be handled as such.
Gary AA doesn’t arrive into T5 at JFK they are T8
I flew in from Vancouver to Chicago last summer on a red eye. Landed. Immigration wasnt open. Used global entry kiosk and walked out without meeting another soul. I could totally see how someone could just walk out.
@SJ Umm, but you cleared customs on departure in Vancouver. All Canadian exit points to the U.S. are cleared in Canada. Perhaps you were sleepy and took a wrong turn? Lol..
@Stuart – if SJ took a red eye from YVR that’s highly unlikely. YVR pre clearance closes at 8.30pm, flights departing later in the evening require passengers to clear upon arrival in the US.
@121Pilot – Correct. The AA incidents were at T8, the TSA incident was at T5
Last time I was in Vancouver (great place btw) I pre cleared in YVR airport.
[Trump] This is why we need a border wall.
@DC Ah, ok. Never knew that. I have done both the red eye and the morning flights and always cleared in YVR.
“The type of people paying to fly on a plane are probably not the type of people we have to most worry about.”
@Roger Samson This was mostly true up until September 10, 2001.
This happens 3,500 times every day on the Mexican border, so who cares. Right?