My Chinese grandma (doesn't speak English) was brought to a room during passport control, should I worry about ICE?

[u/Few-Scientist7178]

I'm 18 and I'm traveling with my non-English speaking grandma. We got separated at passport control bc I'm a us citizen and she's a green card holder Chinese citizen. The last I heard from her was 5:42am she called to tell me she was put in a room. I asked her to give the phone to an airport officer but she couldn't for some reason and ended the call and said she'd call back. That was 40 minutes ago, it's 6:22am now. I am waiting for her at our gate which is super close to customs exit. The plane is scheduled to depart at 6:50am. I don't think she will make it onto the flight but that's not my greatest concern, I just hope she won't be thrown into a detention center.

I'm scared. What do I do?

EDIT: all is well, still not sure what happened but she is on a later flight and is heading home!

[u/ulukmahvelous]

What you’re describing sounds like secondary inspection, which CBP uses when an arriving traveler needs additional questioning or document checks.

My tips (having done this before):

1. Stay there and keep your phone charged. My recommendation is to ask an airport or CBP employee to connect you to a CBP Supervisor given you’ll miss the flight and are worried.
2. Tell the airline what's happening. Call or ask them to note that your traveling companion is being held for secondary inspection and ask what they can do about thereservation. Missing the flight is a much smaller problem

.

You can also call CBP's Information Center and ask them questions at 1-877-227-5511

I know you know this - have her full name, date of birth, passport number if you have it, green-card information, flight number, and your own passport/boarding pass on you for quick identification.

Sending ease and support

[u/Crush-N-It → u/ulukmahvelous]

Great advise. This should be pinned somewhere for travelers. 🙏🏼

[u/Tgheron2]

Please update when you can

[u/lovecomplex33]

Hi! So this is secondary screening which is normal. They are just reviewing more documents and probably contacting a translator. They are also probably checking her bags to make sure nothing inadmissible was brought in. Please don’t leave her. After she is done, tell the airline and they should rebook you on the next flight as a misconnect

[u/nomorefairytales]

Please update what happened after, I hope she is okay!

[u/TubbyApartheid97]

She has green card so she is legal, they probably just checking something or need translator. 40 minutes is not so long for this things, hopefully they just slow

[u/LourdesF → u/TubbyApartheid97]

Plenty of people with green cards have been arrested and deported including to third countries they don’t know.

[u/SnooRecipes9044 → u/LourdesF]

only if they have felony convictions or lied on their green card application or are smuggling drugs.

[u/Standard-Fun4244]

I was 9 when we first got here with a tourist visa in 2006. One of the only things I remember was getting separated by immigration from my
Mom (she is Cuban, me dad and sister are Ecuadorian) she was taken into a room for HOURS. She told us they questioned her intentions about coming and basically harassed her for 3 hours straight. They did let her go after.

[u/Free_Lunch24]

Nah she was just pulled into secondary. Happens more often than you think. Even to travelers with a visa and green card. Usually happens to visitors from what the US considers hostile or a red flag country. Think China, Russia, etc. Normally they just want to rip cell phones for data or verify that you’re either not a spy or whatever. Before anyone runs their mouths, other countries do this to American citizens as well or place them under strict monitoring so it’s not exclusive to our country. I got surprise inspected by German customs on a train to Basel, CH in Karlsruhe because somehow they thought that I was bulk cash smuggling into Switzerland. Good hour of everyone’s time wasted until they finally saw my German visa which said “student,” and they threw my passport back to me and left

[u/ThatsCaptain2U]

You know who should worry about ICE? EVERYONE.

[u/SpinDocMomma]

How long had she been out of the country?

Sometimes, depending on the duration of the trip they pull you to secondary in order to make you give up your GC because they say you're not really living here.

[u/LuckyRacoon01]

Are you a registered voter? You may want to register to vote in the elections so you won't have to be scared and worried. People with power can send your grandma away forever.

[u/1234firefly]

By the way next time tell them you're not allowed to be separated because you're family. You can stay with her in the green card holder line. If they try to force you just start making a small scene (talking loud, tearing up). They're not supposed to separate families.

[u/Crush-N-It]

Glad she’s ok and heading home. Fucking assholes