For all the people that are thinking, "Oh yeah, of course it happened because she didn't have a visa. If she did, it would be fine." — similar things can happen even if you do have a perfectly valid visa. I had one valid for more than a year when this happened to me on my latest trip back to the States. I was stopped, and escorted into a room by a couple of burly officers with automatic pistols on their hips. The room was filled with a bunch of other South Asian people, all of whom had been mysteriously stopped.
They made me wait for 2 hours, and finally said, "Oh, there was an error with our database. You're all good." (Apparently, their system had flagged my student visa for the States that I had held before my work visa, as having expired, even though it should have been automatically "Invalided without Prejudice" when I transferred to the work one. User 'henningo in the comments seems to have gone through a similar sort of procedure). No apologies, no cursory, "Sorry about that. Welcome to X" sort of nice talk I've heard in other countries. They looked grim, forbidding, and had a "Do we have to do this?" look on their faces.
To sum up, even as a perfectly legal immigrant, I'm usually apprehensive about the combination of a screwed-up computer system (unfortunately, I see how that sausage is made) and an immigration officers who seem to have a "Seriously guys, why are you even here? Hmmm, let's see what we can do.." attitude causing me massive problems every time I enter the States. That is why I heavily sympathize with the experiences of the author, if not her logical or moral case.
I didn't downvote, but I think the issue is that you made a comment where you stated an absolute, then proceeded to follow it up anecdotal evidence. As former visa holder, this never happened to me, and I moved between countries all the time.
"...where you stated an absolute, then proceeded to follow it up anecdotal evidence."
If this is about the "similar things happen..." part of my comment, I guess you're right. I changed it to "similar things can happen...". I'm trying to point out that the fact that she had a visa problem could also have been due to a technical fault (though it sounds like it wasn't, in her specific case). It still doesn't change the feeling of intimidation and unwelcomeness that is most apparent at the CBP.
"...As former visa holder, this never happened to me, and I moved between countries all the time."
By their nature, such incidences are going to be rare. If this was the experience of every person at immigration, it would change pretty quickly. In fact the problem is that because it is relatively rare, there tends to be an air of disbelief towards people who speak up about it.
My Canadian friends almost always get the third degree when they come back to the US with a TN visa. It's one you have to apply for at the border, but the folks at the border always seem to hate it. (Those damn Canadians stealing our jobs? I don't get it.) One friend got rejected (or hassled thoroughly, he's here after all) because he took too many English classes in college, and not enough engineering classes, so the TN visa appeared fraudulent.
I don't get it. If I ever move to another country I will only do so after paying very good lawyers to make a perfect application.
They made me wait for 2 hours, and finally said, "Oh, there was an error with our database. You're all good." (Apparently, their system had flagged my student visa for the States that I had held before my work visa, as having expired, even though it should have been automatically "Invalided without Prejudice" when I transferred to the work one. User 'henningo in the comments seems to have gone through a similar sort of procedure). No apologies, no cursory, "Sorry about that. Welcome to X" sort of nice talk I've heard in other countries. They looked grim, forbidding, and had a "Do we have to do this?" look on their faces.
To sum up, even as a perfectly legal immigrant, I'm usually apprehensive about the combination of a screwed-up computer system (unfortunately, I see how that sausage is made) and an immigration officers who seem to have a "Seriously guys, why are you even here? Hmmm, let's see what we can do.." attitude causing me massive problems every time I enter the States. That is why I heavily sympathize with the experiences of the author, if not her logical or moral case.