The English press is carrying yet another story of tourists being abused at the hands of American customs officials - the latest in a long string of similar stories, and a common theme among foreign visitors to the US:
Cruise passengers tell of seven-hour security 'revenge' nightmare
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When one lady asked in desperation whether she could use a bathroom, one immigration official is said to have replied: “Do it over the side, we won’t mind.”
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One problem in the US is that we give customs officials a bizarre level of power that many other countries do not. For instance, even if all your "paperwork" is in perfect order, a customs agent has the power to deport you on the basis of "suspicion," and you have no recourse or appeal. You can also be unilaterally banned from the US for five years by any single customs agent for any reason (or no reason at all).
Should we be honest with potential foreign tourists, and admit that America just doesn't want them at the moment? If a foreigner expresses interest in traveling to the US, do we have a duty to alert him to the potential and unpredictable petty cruelty of our customs officials?
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