# Does anyone know 'friends of friends'??



## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

Ive been on this forum reading and asking some of my own questions and asking alll over for info regarding immigration, I seem to always hear stories of a 'friend of a friend' that got deported because the overstayed there visa and this and that. What i would like to know is does anyone know personally someone who was in the states living and working and keeping a family and then one day got deported?? I start to think that immigration could be a smokescreen, a kind of conspiracy and in actual fact a person could live anywhere in the world they want?? mayb me watching too much zietgiest but i would like to know if people know personally of deportees that have jobs and families?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Not sure this is what you're looking for, but a professor of mine at university had come to the US on a Fulbright scholarship. Met and married an American woman while here, and then was hired by the university to teach. A couple years later (after a couple of kids) the Immigration Service started deportation action against him because one term of the Fulbright program is that foreigners are supposed to go back to their home country at the end of the program.

He spent lots of money on legal fees to argue that by deporting him, they were in essence deporting US citizens (his wife and kids) to a country where they would be in danger, due to anti-American sentiment in his home country. Ultimately the university got behind him and appealed to a congressional representative from the state (it was a state university) to take on his case.

He didn't actually get deported, but he did blow lots of money on legal fees over the period of several years before his case got resolved.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks for the reply,
Thats what im looking for, stories like that and he DIDNT get deported, but he did blow a lot of money on legal fees i know, its just that i read a lot of stuff saying you get banned from entering the US and you get deported but ive never actually spoke to the actual person with the ban or the actual deportee. If you just think a bit about it you start to wonder where these stories come from and how true they really are! you can have the argument saying it does happen and this and that but if no one has spoken to the actual physical person its not a strong foundation!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

US law is like that - lots of laws are written so that they "may" inflict a penalty on someone transgressing. It's not always a dead certainty and it depends on lots of factors (not least of which is the size of your wallet and your stomach for fighting these things in court). 

Technically, the US "may" revoke the citizenship of anyone who voluntarily takes on a second nationality - though they haven't done this in the last 20 years. They do like to hang this possibility over the heads of those they want to impress, however.

I've seen a few reports in newspapers back in the US about people who have been deported back to their home countries - mostly kids who entered illegally with their parents, and basically have no memories of "the old country" they were deported back to. Significantly enough, most of these newspaper stories concern people from Latin America.

It's similar where I live now. I was ordered to leave France back in the days when I was illegal here. Didn't go and ultimately had to fight my way through a tribunal to prove that I wasn't actually illegal - but they didn't come and take me away (even though the folks at the mairie refused to rule out that possibility). There are plenty of magrebhis and Africans who were rounded up and sent back during that time, though.
Cheers,
Bev


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## RachaelK (Oct 14, 2008)

I've got friends in Ireland who were denied entry and sent back when trying to visit on a holiday because they had previously over stayed the VWP allowance. It definitely happens.


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## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

I knew about that, so they booked flights to visit and when arriving they were refused entry? Did they have to just buy a new ticket home? Have they tried to go back since then? The way I understand it, if you over stay your original 90 days on the vwp by over an extra 180 days but under a year you get a 3 year ban? If you overstay under the 180 days after the original 90 there is no ban and you can re enter after you go home to your own country?


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## BritishGav (Jan 26, 2010)

The American border authorities don't need a reason to ban you
A friend of mine was touring with his band, the arrangement was a band from New York would come to the UK and tour with them here, and then they'd travel to the US and do the same.
They were stopped on the US boarder and althogth they'd done nothing wrong they were deported and all the members of the band were given lifetime bans from travelling to the USA.

This ban was subsequently over turned after a long appeal process, although they have no intention of every going back now.


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## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

:boxing:


BritishGav said:


> The American border authorities don't need a reason to ban you
> A friend of mine was touring with his band, the arrangement was a band from New York would come to the UK and tour with them here, and then they'd travel to the US and do the same.
> They were stopped on the US boarder and althogth they'd done nothing wrong they were deported and all the members of the band were given lifetime bans from travelling to the USA.
> 
> This ban was subsequently over turned after a long appeal process, although they have no intention of every going back now.


so they got a lifetime ban for no reason at all? Just because the immigration officer didn't like them? I find that hard to believe, there mist be more to it than that? Mayb not I'm not 100% sure in what goes on but I didn't think u would get a lifetime ban for no reason??


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## BritishGav (Jan 26, 2010)

ScottishNeil said:


> :boxing:
> 
> so they got a lifetime ban for no reason at all? Just because the immigration officer didn't like them? I find that hard to believe, there mist be more to it than that? Mayb not I'm not 100% sure in what goes on but I didn't think u would get a lifetime ban for no reason??


I of course only have their world to go on, but that's what they told me. But they did say that the officials never gave them an actual reason. It took months for the decision to be overturned too.

I've been to the US lots of time now, and even when explaining to the board official that I am visiting my girlfriend they're usually okay, they just want proof that you're going back.


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## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

BritishGav said:


> I of course only have their world to go on, but that's what they told me. But they did say that the officials never gave them an actual reason. It took months for the decision to be overturned too.
> 
> I've been to the US lots of time now, and even when explaining to the board official that I am visiting my girlfriend they're usually okay, they just want proof that you're going back.


I suppose any reason could be questioned tho, when I was in NY and NJ last year we were there getting married and had a lot of family there so they must see that sort of thig daily and not be worried that were going to stay on. I might go for 3 months with my wife and kids and see how we like the way of life for the 3 months, if we did like it though we would struggle to get there with a visa as we dont have any family there and both self employed, i suppose the only way would be to pay but when working that out you need a LOT to start everything from scratch again.
I thought I would have more replies? When asking before about living there illegally I had loads of people saying they knew so and so and they heard of this person and that person but on this post there is not so many saying they actually know the deportees??


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## BritishGav (Jan 26, 2010)

From what I've heard the biggest risk with being somewhere illegally is not so much that you might get a knock at the door the US immigration officials, but that if you ever leave the country for whatever reason you can't get back in again. But I don't know about you Neil, but if I'm to emigrate I'm going to do it all above board and legal. Which is why I'm not going to go to the states on a VWP and marry my financee and try and stay because they can refuse to adjust your status, and if they do that you have to file the papers from your home country.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Actually, there was a interesting article on just this subject in the NY Times a couple days ago: Immigration Status of Army Spouses Often Leads to Snags - NYTimes.com

Cheers,
Bev


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## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

Your right there, Ive got 2 young kids the only way I would stay is with a visa all done above board and sorted out, It wouldnt be one of my smarter moves by moving and overstaying a VWP, then constantly looking over your shoulder wondering how long you will last! its the whole work thing, I know over here in the UK we have loads of Eastern Europeans and they take a lot of the jobs and you have British guys sitting in the house. I wouldnt like to be known as one of them!


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

ScottishNeil said:


> Thanks for the reply,
> Thats what im looking for, stories like that and he DIDNT get deported, but he did blow a lot of money on legal fees i know, its just that i read a lot of stuff saying you get banned from entering the US and you get deported but ive never actually spoke to the actual person with the ban or the actual deportee. If you just think a bit about it you start to wonder where these stories come from and how true they really are! you can have the argument saying it does happen and this and that but if no one has spoken to the actual physical person its not a strong foundation!


Well, folks normally do not go arund announcing they have commited a crime thus being deported.


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

ScottishNeil said:


> Ive been on this forum reading and asking some of my own questions and asking alll over for info regarding immigration, I seem to always hear stories of a 'friend of a friend' that got deported because the overstayed there visa and this and that. What i would like to know is does anyone know personally someone who was in the states living and working and keeping a family and then one day got deported?? I start to think that immigration could be a smokescreen, a kind of conspiracy and in actual fact a person could live anywhere in the world they want?? mayb me watching too much zietgiest but i would like to know if people know personally of deportees that have jobs and families?


Its usually about 12000 person deported each and every month .. I believe it has gone up a bit lately 

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Most of course are illegals but green card holder who get felony conviction also get removed ...as do other immigrants who get into touble


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## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

Davis1 said:


> Its usually about 12000 person deported each and every month .. I believe it has gone up a bit lately
> 
> US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
> 
> Most of course are illegals but green card holder who get felony conviction also get removed ...as do other immigrants who get into touble


Thats what the goverment say, what im meaning is actual physical people that have told the story, I think you would be pretty naive to belive in the figures the goverment puts out, for anything not just immigration


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

ScottishNeil said:


> Thats what the goverment say, what im meaning is actual physical people that have told the story, I think you would be pretty naive to belive in the figures the goverment puts out, for anything not just immigration


All I can tell you is ICE AIR is getting to be a big air service 

ICE has 22 detention facilities all over the country. When illegal immigrants are caught, they're flown to one of three hubs in Texas, Arizona or Louisiana. From there, ICE Air has daily flights to Central American countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, and also frequent flights to Nicaragua, Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia and the Caribbean. When it gets enough immigrants to fill a plane, it also flies to Asia, eastern Europe and Africa. 

ICE Air leases nine planes, and sometimes it also charters commercial jets. It flies six days a week.


If anything the figures are probably underplayed to keep some politicians happy


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## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

Forums are great!
I put on a post before this asking what would happen if you moved over on a WVP and overstayed and lived and worked and I got loads of replies saying people knew people who had been deported, they knew all these laws that gets you deported straight away and all that jazz.
Now in this post it goes dead with no one knowing anyone who has been deported! I was on the British ex pat forum and one user was saying that they dont really deport anyone now and after her explanations of her own experience the thread went dead! Its amazing that people can tell you this and that, youll get a ban from entering, but when you ask the question to have a foundation on these stories there is no one with any genuine experience


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## BritishGav (Jan 26, 2010)

Its the internet, half of what you read is lies, the other half is a mix of hearsay and the occasional truth, it's on a par with 'this bloke down the pub says' it's why we have to research everything.
The fact is IF you do and IF you do get caught, thats it for you and America. Are you willing to take a chance like that? I'm certainly not


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

ScottishNeil said:


> Forums are great!
> I put on a post before this asking what would happen if you moved over on a WVP and overstayed and lived and worked and I got loads of replies saying people knew people who had been deported, they knew all these laws that gets you deported straight away and all that jazz.
> Now in this post it goes dead with no one knowing anyone who has been deported! I was on the British ex pat forum and one user was saying that they dont really deport anyone now and after her explanations of her own experience the thread went dead! Its amazing that people can tell you this and that, youll get a ban from entering, but when you ask the question to have a foundation on these stories there is no one with any genuine experience


There was a guy on here had been deported. He was a little unstable and I'm afraid we hit the ban button on him eventually. But the threads were never removed -- there should be links in there to his website which has enough information for a suitably qualified professional to make a full diagnosis. Look through and see if you can find it. I can't be bothered.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Find this thread interesting. 

It seems your mind is made up that you are just going to go to america and try to wing it and live there illegal. 

You can get under the table jobs but those jobs are under the table and usually pay less then ideal wages. But then there are some that are working on someone elses ssn. You should prob ask them the ropes. I know from a hr manager at a construction site that said people would show up with a social security card that was obviously faked but they would have to accept it. Things changed within the last few years, that if it looks fake, they are suppose to send off a form for a verification on it. And the site my friend works at doesnt really like to hire the illegals more as they can then request a copy of the ssn that was presented. As most of them are hand written in and all sorts of other crazy stuff, its obvious its faked. The person accepting them can now get in trouble for doing that. You can get these ssn card copies from shady places. 

Some poor sap two or three years from now, gets a form from the irs that they didnt submit all their income during such and such years, and send them a bill. That person has to prove they didnt work at those 40+ jobs all over the place. It literally takes months and months of their time to prove they were not at those locations working. And some are next to impossible to get information from as the business knows they employed an illegal. Hate to be the American who's ssn you are using to work in the usa. No one cares that they just ruined someone elses credit that will take them years to try and fix and half the time, it never gets fixed; that they have caused someone untold amounts of their personal time trying to prove that they dont owe taxes on this income that the person claimed 10+ kids so that they didnt pay in any taxes, and all the other issues. 

So... go ahead with your plan. I love ILLEGALS.


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## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

That's amazing you can tell what I'm going to do from what I wrote, I have no intention of moving to a country illegally, I wouldn't see the point when you can do it legally, after Reading and researching tho, I start to ask is immigration real? From all the research I would say there is more illegals that live and get away with it that people who get deported, I start to think there must be a law that says: any human can live anywhere in the world, if there is I would think immigration is to make you scared of not moving were you want? If you think of it like that, it could be possible! I know there is people who will say no the goverments can deport you, but if no one knows these people it could just a "story" but wait a minute the media wouldn't put fake stories to make people think what they want them to think, would they??

Anyway I hav no intention of moving illegaly I just think a lot about why "things" happen


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

ScottishNeil said:


> Forums are great!
> I put on a post before this asking what would happen if you moved over on a WVP and overstayed and lived and worked and I got loads of replies saying people knew people who had been deported, they knew all these laws that gets you deported straight away and all that jazz.
> Now in this post it goes dead with no one knowing anyone who has been deported! I was on the British ex pat forum and one user was saying that they dont really deport anyone now and after her explanations of her own experience the thread went dead! Its amazing that people can tell you this and that, youll get a ban from entering, but when you ask the question to have a foundation on these stories there is no one with any genuine experience


Unless I am mistaken this Forum is titles "America Expat Forum for Expats Living in America" not "Illegals Tell Their Stories". Why do you keep on needling?


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## ScottishNeil (Mar 31, 2010)

If it's for that you might aswell ban all threads asking about immigration if it's just for expats in America??


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

ScottishNeil said:


> If it's for that you might aswell ban all threads asking about immigration if it's just for expats in America??


United States Code: Title 18,371. Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States


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