More details about the detention of cartoonist Re Burke due to the BBC report. The case has attracted international attention, which has attracted people’s attention on multiple platforms.
As we previously reported, Burke was on a four-month backpacking trip in North America when he was detained by ice due to visa issues. Her trouble began when Burke told Canadian immigration officials that she was living with Canadian families in exchange for a light household duties – which might constitute jobs. The same recognition of U.S. border agents may have triggered the same red flag.
Burke was not paid, but according to the law, the exchange of labor still constitutes work.
Immigration experts told the BBC that it may be inevitable once Ms. Burke informed Canadian officials of her plans, they denied her entry, suspended her visa exemption and detention in the United States.
Many countries strictly explain what constitutes compensation work – even if there is no money to change hands. In the best case scenario, processing within the U.S. immigration system can move slowly.
However, the current situation in the United States is far from usual. The Trump administration has strengthened immigration enforcement across the United States, so these experts warn that anyone entering the country should be careful to ensure that all documents are orderly and that they have clarified their intentions to enter the country.
Burke has been detained for 11 days, wearing the same clothes, with little arrival to outside time or warm blankets. While this seems to be a harsh punishment for a young woman who posted a carefree comic on Instagram, here hundreds of people have been detained for weeks, months, and even years.
She described how she spent six hours at the border, waiting as officials “try to determine if my job in the United States counts as work.”
She said she was “interrogated” and decided to “violate” her visa despite explaining that she “had not paid at all.”
Ms. Burke said she was detained in a 110-person dormitory at a “maximized” immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington.
“They woke us up at 6:30 a.m.. There wasn’t enough time to sleep. It was too cold,” she said.
“I’m wearing the same jumper for a week. They’re short or nothing like blankets and extra clothes. I have a towel.”
She added that many of the people she met were “stuck in” the center and separated from her family – in some cases, for many years.
She added: “Everyone was actually really shocked when I explained my situation.”
The release of Burke was also greatly hindered by the Immigration Bureau’s layoffs. Burke’s case is a clear reminder that in today’s political climate, travelers’ bets are higher than ever. Mistakes, even honest mistakes, are not always a second chance.
