losguerra
08-11-2008, 05:05 PM
OK, I can not believe I'm asking this, but I need some sources or documented stories or something.
One of my in-laws is asking for my help finding round-trip plane tickets to Chicago this coming week. She's in her 20s, from Mexico, has held a B1/B2 since childhood, has used it frequently, but here's the thing: Basically for the past 14 years, she lived in Chicago. She exited to Mexico a few times and returned on her visa (I think it was always at the border) with no problem despite the fact that she had overstayed every time. I'm assuming part of reason there was no problem was because she was under 18 all that time. However, her last overstay puts her at 5 years of truly countable unlawful presence, and she just left the US in February of this year. She has no spouse/fiance/whatever in the US. Just some uncles who are LPRs and USCs.
She just wants to come on vacation. She's homesick, I know. She hates Mexico and grew up in the US. But nobody will listen to what a danger it is to attempt this. I am especially concerned because I believe there will be way more scrutiny at the airport than there ever was at the border.
My husband said he gives up. He's tried to explain what can happen and nobody in his family will listen because they think they're all somehow immune to immigration problems no matter what they do. They even think my husband is immune to immigration problems, ugh. They've all re-entered the US after having overstayed visas and think this will continue forever.
Meanwhile, I'm freaking out about possible deportation, and trying to figure out how to decline being the one to go to the airport to pick her up, in case they somehow get MY name on record (what with the new policy at O'Hare of checking the status of those picking up international arrivals). I do NOT need to somehow jeopardize my husband's case with this.
So I'm looking for actual stories. Do you know of any very recent situations where someone (especially a Mexican citizen) was denied entry at an airport for a previous visa overstay?
What do I do to convince her this is a bad idea????
One of my in-laws is asking for my help finding round-trip plane tickets to Chicago this coming week. She's in her 20s, from Mexico, has held a B1/B2 since childhood, has used it frequently, but here's the thing: Basically for the past 14 years, she lived in Chicago. She exited to Mexico a few times and returned on her visa (I think it was always at the border) with no problem despite the fact that she had overstayed every time. I'm assuming part of reason there was no problem was because she was under 18 all that time. However, her last overstay puts her at 5 years of truly countable unlawful presence, and she just left the US in February of this year. She has no spouse/fiance/whatever in the US. Just some uncles who are LPRs and USCs.
She just wants to come on vacation. She's homesick, I know. She hates Mexico and grew up in the US. But nobody will listen to what a danger it is to attempt this. I am especially concerned because I believe there will be way more scrutiny at the airport than there ever was at the border.
My husband said he gives up. He's tried to explain what can happen and nobody in his family will listen because they think they're all somehow immune to immigration problems no matter what they do. They even think my husband is immune to immigration problems, ugh. They've all re-entered the US after having overstayed visas and think this will continue forever.
Meanwhile, I'm freaking out about possible deportation, and trying to figure out how to decline being the one to go to the airport to pick her up, in case they somehow get MY name on record (what with the new policy at O'Hare of checking the status of those picking up international arrivals). I do NOT need to somehow jeopardize my husband's case with this.
So I'm looking for actual stories. Do you know of any very recent situations where someone (especially a Mexican citizen) was denied entry at an airport for a previous visa overstay?
What do I do to convince her this is a bad idea????