This happened to me last month in Halifax Canada, I wanted to board a transfer flight to Amsterdam, going through Boston. I was stopped as I had salts with me from a buddhist relic I couldn't exactly identify. The machine said it contained a primary explosive (silver azide). I was ordered to give my access code to my iphone and 3 suspicious screenshots were found I made 2 years ago about the Iran/Israel war. I said I'm interested in geo-politics and watched the news. I was barred from the US for life - it was said that it could have been much worse. When I wanted to go to the main airport hall a number of canadian police officers arrested me and drove me handcuffed to a cell. I was asked if I wanted a lawyer and they arranged a phone call. The lawyer said I would spend to nights in a cell and then she would come to prepare my case and was strongly advised not to talk to people before that. I was released from my cell 7 hours later that evening after a thorough and friendly conversation with the canadian special police. I can understand that security don't want to take any chances with people carrying supposed explosive powders on an airport, so the system was doing it's protective job. That day there was a threat alert I heard later. A week later I heard from the person who gave me the relic (I was on retreat) that the border guard contacted them and said it was a false positive (what I suspected at the time, but I didn't dare argue against the machine results).

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matheusmoreira 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> suspicious screenshots were found I made 2 years ago about the Iran/Israel war

> I was barred from the US for life

Getting banned for life due to wrongthink screenshots is pretty wild. No idea why screenshots would be suspicious.

> I can understand that security don't want to take any chances with people carrying supposed explosive powders on an airport, so the system was doing it's protective job.

I'd understand rejecting your entry on that day but why would they make you persona non grata forever? That seems completely out of proportion.

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causal 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> I was barred from the US for life

I'm a little confused. Canadian police barred you from the US for life?

Also sounds like you did not take your lawyer's advice not to talk. Regardless, sorry you went through such a stressful ordeal over a false positive.

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mixdup 5 hours ago | parent [-]

You can pre-clear US customs and immigration in a number of Canadian airports, including Halifax

	▲	tonyarkles 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		And just to clarify another element of the story: there is a significant legal difference between pre-clearance in a Canadian airport and landing in the US and proceeding through customs on US soil. At a pre-clearance station, you are still on Canadian soil. I'm sure there are exceptions, but you generally can "withdraw your application to enter" and basically just turn around and walk away from the border. If you decide you don't want to unlock your phone for the CBP officer, you can walk away. At that point they've already seen your passport and you're going to be flagged and may never be approved for entry again, but you're not going to end up on a CBP facility. Once you're through, you'll need to clear Canadian customs to go back, but if something happens it will be Canadian police that arrest you.

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dmos62 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I commend your understanding. I would have been losing my mind with rage.

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jm4 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

You were barred for life over a false positive? That's crazy.

	▲	teachrdan 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		They were barred for life for having screenshots the current administration considers anti-American.

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what 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I’m confused why they would contact the person that gave you the relic to tell them it was a false positive? It doesn’t seem like something they would do. Why not contact you?