An Indian man claimed that his friend accidentally crossed into the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and was arrested by Customs and Border Protection at the US border.
A social media post claimed that an Indian man was arrested by CBP on the US-Canadian border after he mistakenly crossed the border and headed towards the Canadian side. “Right now, he is being held near the US-Canadian border.
We have been trying to contact him for a long time yet no response. “We don’t know how to reach him and give him his passport,” a friend wrote, seeking guidance from NRI communities. He explained that the friend, along with his parents who came to the United States two weeks ago, went on a trip to Niagara Falls. His brother’s family from Buffalo also joined them there, and after the trip, everyone returned to Buffalo.The man went out to do some work and crossed the border by mistake.
While returning to the American side, he was stopped. “It is not clear, but he called saying that they were deporting him and asked that his passport be brought to him immediately,” the friend wrote asking for help.Bavoli is one of the major American cities closest to the Canadian border. It takes 25 to 30 minutes to get to the US side of Niagara Falls from Buffalo. Going to the Canadian side by mistake may happen if there is a GPS error or navigation error.
In response to the post, social media users said the family should contact CBP at the border crossing to find out what happened — and this may not be a case of deportation.“This kind of scenario is an everyday occurrence for immigration on both sides of Niagara. Many years ago, my friends also got lost and faced a similar problem. But those days CBP was not on high alert. A valid driver’s license was enough at the time for CBP officials to verify their status and allow them to return to the US side.”
They may now need a passport to verify status. I don’t think it’s very serious, but it’s definitely annoying. He’s technically not a detainee, but a detainee from returning.
“He should be sorted out soon, if all his papers are in order,” said one of them.Another said: “In my experience, one cannot enter Canada without going through a proper checkpoint when crossing the border and the signs on the highway are very clear when the border is approaching. They display multiple warnings and also have a last exit to return before entering the border for immigration check. There must be something more to this story.”Many have argued that Canadian border officials turn back these errant tourists, but for US CBP, this becomes a new entry and therefore the required documents must be provided.
