"Pat" <pdavis@fidnetnospam.com> wrote in message
news:W86dneKID92nDc7YnZ2dnUVZ_tGdnZ2d@fidnet.com...
If Uncle Sam gets its way, beginning on Jan. 14, 2007, we'll all be on
no-fly lists, unless the government gives us permission to leave or
re-enter the United States.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HSA) has proposed that all
airlines, cruise lines-even fishing boats-be required to obtain clearance
for each passenger they propose taking into or out of the United States.
It doesn't matter if you have a U.S. Passport - a "travel document" that
now, absent a court order to the contrary, gives you a virtually
unqualified right to enter or leave the United States, any time you want.
When the DHS system comes into effect next January, if the agency says
"no" to a clearance request, or doesn't answer the request at all, you
won't be permitted to enter-or leave-the United States.
Consider what might happen if you're a U.S. passport holder on assignment
in a country like Saudi Arabia. Your visa is about to expire, so you board
your flight back to the United States.
But wait! You can't get on, because you don't have permission from the
HSA. Saudi immigration officials are on hand to escort you to a squalid
detention center, where you and others who are now effectively "stateless
persons" are detained, potentially indefinitely, until their immigration
status is sorted out.
Why might the HSA deny you permission to leave or enter the United States?
No one knows, because the entire clearance procedure would be an
administrative determination made secretly, with no right of appeal.
Naturally, the decision would be made without a warrant, without probable
cause and without even any particular degree of suspicion.
Basically, if the HSA decides it doesn't like you, you're a prisoner -
either outside, or inside, the United States, whether or not you hold a
U.S. passport.
The U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized there is a constitutional right
to travel internationally. Indeed, it has declared that the right to
travel is "a virtually unconditional personal right." The United States
has also signed treaties guaranteeing "freedom of travel."
So if these regulations do go into effect, you can expect a lengthy court
battle, both nationally and internationally.
Think this can't happen? Think again.
It's ALREADY happening.
Earlier this year, HSA forbade airlines from transporting an 18-year-old a
native-born U.S. citizen, back to the United States. The prohibition
lasted nearly six months until it was finally lifted a few weeks ago.
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union are two countries in recent history that
didn't allow their citizens to travel abroad without permission.
If these regulations go into effect, you can add the United States to this
list.
For more information on the proposed regulations, see
http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/001156.html
Pat, clearly these issues are important to you, but RPCA is not the place to
post political posts. There are people from all over the world here, not
just the USA, and there is the spectrum of political views from far left to
for right. By posting political messages, by definition you are offending
someone here, someone you probably consider a friend. There's already been a
few people leave because of politics being discussed - I'm sure its not your
intention to offend people or make them feel unwelcome in RPCA, but politics
(like religion) is a very touchy subject for many and posting political
posts that use inflammatory language and are clearly from one side of
politics is just not being respectful to others who may not hold your views.
RPCA is for cat anecdotes, and whilst I know we often stray off topic, and
generally deal with religious and political discussions quite well,
considering, there's no point stoking the fire. There are many other
newsgroups where such posts would be far more appropriate, and the
discussion about the USA's travel policies would be lively and plentiful
there.
I've taken the liberty of crossposting this (my reply to you) to
alt.politics.immigration and alt.politics.usa which seem like the perfect
newsgroups to discuss the topic in your post with people who are interested
and knowledgable in such things. I've set the followups to exlude
rec.pets.cats.anecdotes, as any further discussion about USA travel policy
really doesn't have any place in RPCA.
I'm also humbly requesting that you (and everyone else, for that matter)
please consider the relevance to RPCA of any other posts you might want to
make that aren't about your wonderful cats.
Yowie
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