For non US passport holders visiting the US; an FYI

were trying to leave the US. When they crossed the border, Canadian officials told them they didn’t have the correct paperwork to bring the car with them. They were turned back to Montana on the American side – and to US border control officials. Bill’s US visa had expired;

Seems they failed to heed the advice offered here frequently to comply/obey the laws of the country(ies) where you are a guest They ran afoul of the laws of 2 countries..

Agree this a legitimate topic to post as a warning that if you try to do things not in conformance with the law then consequences are possible ( and bureaucracy/legal process is sometimes is irrational)
The rational thing would have been to transport them to the nearest airport with a direct flight to the UK and make them buy the ticket.

The incident happened in October 2025 and was exacerbated because of the government shutdown. She was detained for 42 days because there was a 43 day shutdown. Any tourist without correct papers will be detained in any country in the world. 70 million tourists were welcomed to the US in 2025. This incident was published by the Guardian framed as a warning but in reality it was to make a political point.

The article isn’t behind a paywall. I find it is helpful to actually read an article before commenting on it.

The point worth noting is that she was apparently held because she was guilty by association. Helping her husband pack his bag was enough and that is something that potential travellers should be aware of.

Bill had been working in the US with a valid work permit, but did not
have a green card – fed up with the appeals process, he had decided to
leave and retire back in the UK. Karen was told that she was “guilty
by association”, and that she had broken the terms of her valid B2
tourist visa by helping her husband pack for the trip

Knowledge of this type of situation is particularly relevant with the World Cup approaching which will likely lead to a lot of supporters wanting to cross the border into the US.

I too was able to read the article without having to pay.
I find it helpful to learn that there are countries where you can be detained by border police for more than 40 days, despite having a valid visa yourself, because you helped pack the bag of someone without a valid visa.

A message from the past. The Hollies.

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=he%20aint%20heavy%20hes%20my%20brother%20%20%20hollies%20youtube&mid=C351DEBEE7A8ED85C589C351DEBEE7A8ED85C589&ajaxhist=0

I don’t think claims of kidnapping or murder have any place on this forum. I think that is in very poor taste and reflects badly on the ones speaking it. I suspect they are better but caught up in the emotion of the times. Happens to everyone. But it is time to step back a bit.

What these stories prey on is the fact that the government cannot respond as that could be a violation of the privacy rights of the accused or might compromise the proceedings. So, the author can make any claim no matter how biased and do it with impunity. Generally, months later when all the facts do come out, they paint a different picture, but by then the truth no longer matters; literally, and there is a psychological term for internet brainwashing.

So advice? Do not break the law, any law, in the country that you are visiting. Do not assist others in breaking the law in the country you are visiting. Do not give the authorities reason to be concerned that you will break the law (you know like a Polish carpenter on a tourist visa with a suitcase full of carpentry tools).

There are so many holes to this story it isn't funny.

First, British passport holders don't need a visa to enter the US. If they had one, there was a reason not mentioned in the article. It is possible that his ESTA expired but that is a simple matter of some paperwork and paying the fee.

Second, ICE officers are not paid bonuses to arrest people. If they were, this would have been public knowledge a long time ago.

Third, If her husband had some type of issue with entering the US, she would not have been held without reason.

Fourth, if they did offer to go back and pay for it, they would have been held until the next available flight and then taken to the airport. The problem would be that they would have to be taken to an airport that had a direct flight back to the UK. (No chance of getting off and staying in the country if there was a change of planes.)

Fifth, even during a government shutdown, federal law enforcement officers are considered essential and will work regardless.

Personally, I think this is a made up or very much embellished story. And, a lot of information has been left out.

If they were admitted a couple of months earlier, but now had problems, it says to me that something happened between those times that made them "persona non grata." Of course, it's not mentioned in the article.

Lastly, keep in mind which newspaper the article was in. It is a left leaning newspaper.

A couple of other issues..

--she said she was going to the US for a couple of months yet the incident happened over 90 days from the time she entered.

--she made herself a cup of tea? Detention facilities don't offer the opportunity for you to "make yourself a cup of tea."

--they told her she could pay to get released, she agreed, but they held her for that long? I don't think so. They'd want to get rid of her as soon as possible.

For those of you concerned that the article was published in a ‘left leaning’ newspaper here is the same story in the Daily Mail which definitely isn’t left leaning!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15580877/British-grandmother-detained-ICE-six-weeks-despite-having-valid-visa-tells-fellow-tourists-Dont-America-dont-World-Cup.html

But the Daily Mail isn't going to win any journalism prizes.

The word "sensationalism" comes to mind when I think of that paper.

The Daily Mail is just reporting on The Guardian's exclusive. There doesn't seem to be any original journalism in their piece. Not a fan of that title, but it doesn't seem very sensationalist to me. Just a straight lift from The Guardian.

The incident happened in October 2025 and was exacerbated because of the government shutdown. She was detained for 42 days because there was a 43 day shutdown. This is NOT something that needs to be warned about. Any tourist without correct papers will be detained in any country in the world.

No, that is not correct. The incident happened in September of 2025, and there is no indication in the article that the situation was exacerbated because of the government shutdown.

Second, yes, this is something that needs to be warned about. You are correct in saying that any tourist without correct papers will be detained, but in most First World countries, like Canada and the U.S., they would not be detained for more than a brief period of time, especially given that there was no criminal activity and the only thing that happened was that his visa was expired. Joe was correct in saying that the appropriate measures would have been for them to make the couple purchase a ticket home and put them on the next flight to the UK.

Regardless, if I were traveling to the United States, I think this thread would be very eye-opening and a good reminder to check ALL documents, including visas. There are countless posts on this forum reminding travelers to check their passports for expiration dates. I've even warned people to check their driver's licenses, especially if you are renting a car.

Why wouldn't we warn travelers to check their visa expiration dates, especially given that there were severe consequences here?

Don't know if this should be a separate Post but they just suspended TSA Pre-check.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/02/21/tsa-precheck-global-entry-shutdown/

DHS suspending TSA PreCheck and Global Entry as shutdown continues

The Department of Homeland Security is temporarily halting both programs as part of several emergency measures starting early Sunday.
February 22, 2026 at 8:12 a.m. EST

Don't know if this should be a separate Post but they just suspended TSA Pre-check.

Robert, it already is: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/tsa-pre-check-global-entry-paused-us-wide-eff-6-am-22-feb

When they crossed the border, Canadian officials told them they didn’t have the correct paperwork to bring the car with them.

It’s frustrating that the key info is withheld. My guess is that they told the Canadian immigration officer that they were not returning to the US which means they are de facto importing their car to Canada which requires paperwork. But I’m not really sure. Why couldn’t they fill out the paperwork on arrival in Canada? Didn’t they have the title?

Mr E you described the article as ideologically driven. Frank described The Guardian as left leaning. So it seems you both feel ideology and political leanings are important when assessing information posted on this site.
Personally I'd describe The Guardian as moderate centralist but then I lean so far left I walk in a circle.

Frank described The Guardian as left leaning. So it seems you both feel ideology and political leanings are important when assessing information posted on this site.

Ideology and political leanings are important in regard to who is reporting the news. (And I don't mean the OP.)

I come from a time, and training, when we did our best to report news without any bias. We would try to report both sides of a story.

Today, most media is taking sides. It is a way for them to make more money. So, they report to the side of their audience. A left leaning newspaper is never going to say anything good about the right, and a right leaning newspaper is not going to way anything good about the left.

And then there is sensationlism....this has become standard for many newspapers these days. Let's shock people into reading the story.

I take everything I read with a grain of salt. I then will check the facts with news organizations I trust....news organizations that don't take advertising and are not trying to make a profit. These are the wire services such as AP, Reuters and UPI. The information they give out is meant for the news media. Every newsroom has access to their stories. It is a subscription service. It wasn't available directly to the general public. But now, thanks to the internet, anyone can access their information.

Unbiased, objective reporting of news is a particularly American idea. A post-war ideal, that has has fallen from favour again as the media landscape has changed. British newspapers never went down that road. The Guardian (Manchester Guardian) has stayed fairly consistent in its stance for at least coupla hundred years.

Yes. As I've mentioned, the criteria for what "makes" a story a story (and is worth reporting) is political in every case I've ever seen.

I'd rather the publication was upfront (or well-known) for how they "see" the World. Though you can usually figure it out with the stories.

Which was my point although I was half joking. Knowing a bit about a poster's ideology can give a bit of insight into their posts. The majority of posts on this forum are people's opinions and as such you can expect their beliefs will influence the opinion.

It's a slippery slope to say people deserve punishment just because they weren't following certain laws. Not all laws are just (nor permanent). In many countries it is illegal for people to be a member of the LGBTQ community, for example (indeed it was illegal here until the 1960s). Often unjust laws are not supported by a majority of the population. It would do us well to have some humanity and sympathy sometimes, even for people who break the law. I will also say I think this information is worth sharing for people considering visiting the US.

I think this information is worth sharing for people considering visiting the US.

Repeating the key information is missing. Their mistake involved the car. We can’t learn from their experience without knowing what mistake was made with the car.