On this blog, we used to post information about our visits to the border at Roxham Road, USA side. Since the closure of Roxham Road on Friday 24 March 2023, we're attempting to keep a log of the info we have about refugees who have been returned to the US. We're also now posting blogs about our personal experiences at the border. Sur ce blogue, nous avons affiché des informations sur nos visites à la frontière, Roxham Road, États Unis. Depuis la fermeture de Roxham Road le vendredi 24 mars 2023, nous essayons de tenir un répertoire des informations que nous avons cueillies sur les réfugiés qui ont été renvoyés aux États-Unis. De plus, nous postons maintenant des blogs sur nos expériences personelles à la frontière. |
When we arrived at the border, we had a US border agent who could not understand why we were driving to the border to meet refugees. He questioned us for quite a while and finally ordered us to enter the custom building. There was another agent inside who was much younger and seemed to answer to the older agent. We were asked to empty our pockets and to hand over personal belongings.
They opened my companion's wallet and then emptied my purse onto the counter. I was not permitted to pick up my purse until we were allowed to leave. My car was searched and we got a long lecture that what we were doing was illegal. Finally, after about 30 minutes we were allowed to leave (with my purse). Despite being told it was 'illegal' to give out hats and mitts to people at Roxham Road, we were allowed to enter the US! At Roxham Road, there were about 43 refugees from Haiti, Congo, Nigeria, Columbia and Nicaragua. There was one baby with parents and two siblings. Another couple brought with them two girls about 8-10 years old, and there was a mother with one child. Most had very little luggage except for one family. Some of the refugees had hats and mittens but most of them did not. They accepted the offered hats, mitts and scarves with gratitude. The last person to arrive was a young man from Cuba who only was wearing a jeans jacket, jeans and torn running shoes. We left at about 4.30pm.
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AuthorThe earlier border visit reports were written by the volunteers who were at the border on that day, the later updates about the situation in the US are an attempt to keep a log of what we find out through our own visits in the US, or through contacts in the US. Archives
January 2025
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