Becky Burke of Book Island (a picture book publisher in the UK founded by my fellow Tokarczuk translator Greet Pauwelijn) was "detained" by ICE at the Canadian border on 2/28. Her father asked that her story be shared in case someone can help her. He writes:
Comments
253-383-0519
877-814-6444
but "basic necessities like tea" is sending me
a vegan buying milk is just one of the things that don't add up from his post.
I do hope this can be fixed quickly.
https://www.nwirp.org/resources/nwdc/
A tourist being treated like a criminal in America
Hope someone contacts you but they'll need to know what reasons were given for her detention
Do you have this information?
I'm sorry my country decided it was a good idea to let a moron regain the highest office we have.
Have you sent up a Go Fund Me A/C ?
I would like to contribute.
https://www.facebook.com/paulrburke/posts/pfbid021XmvsRkwNSm88bhBred3m9tRaNmN5E4BUkBAoxtmSpaePk99bMgte1bqhkZNNrEel
The insanity seems to be how long it takes for someone to be allowed to fly home voluntarily.
Toronto is the largest city, Montreal is second. Both have lots to offer.
The east coast has the friendliest people. Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick, & Newfoundland are great. Great scenery, too.
Victoria & Vancouver are great cities. Victoria has the Butchart Gardens, a big draw.
Ottawa: museums, galleries, Gatineau Park
https://www.facebook.com/paulrburke/posts/pfbid021XmvsRkwNSm88bhBred3m9tRaNmN5E4BUkBAoxtmSpaePk99bMgte1bqhkZNNrEel
https://www.facebook.com/paulrburke/posts/pfbid021XmvsRkwNSm88bhBred3m9tRaNmN5E4BUkBAoxtmSpaePk99bMgte1bqhkZNNrEel
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/british-comic-creator-r-e-burke-detained-by-ice-after-crossing-border/
send an email to [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].
If you want to call Michael S Popok try calling on +1.7869994285
The insanity seems to be how long it takes for someone to be allowed to fly home voluntarily.
https://www.facebook.com/paulrburke/posts/pfbid021XmvsRkwNSm88bhBred3m9tRaNmN5E4BUkBAoxtmSpaePk99bMgte1bqhkZNNrEel
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/facts.html
The insanity seems to be how long it takes for someone to be allowed to fly home voluntarily.
(I think ETAs are checked before flights to Canada)
The insanity seems to be how long it takes for someone to be allowed to fly home voluntarily.
I’m entering Canada by sea from US in September.. the number of times I’ve checked Canadian ETA requirements.
No problem with US ESTA despite being asked for Twitter handle - thought they’d be checking the things I said about T-rump and Musk…
Don't make regimes that frequently murder their dissenters feel more normal. You aren't just putting the US down, you're bringing them up.
You forgot to add "yet".
And "yet" could be tomorrow.
We can see the direction of travel and don't want to wait for the bottom before we protest.
I'm advocating *against* normalizing some of the most murder-happy dictatorships in the world.
wtf is wrong with you
JFC
Pls go away
Some laws are in use, some not. And they changes time to time.
Right now NO ONE can say how things works. Non one is safe.
Even a white british girl w/o any criminal record.
It takes a lot of courage to defend the US "laws" when, just this weekend, a palestinian with a green card was arrested by ICE agents. I mean, are there laws or is it simply a suggestion?
What the US is doing right now to this lady (and others) is awful. Iran is currently hanging people in the streets. They are not the same.
It does not surprise me that other people felt differently in the past, but anyone wanting to visit now, is surely only looking to find a bargain on a white hood.
It's preposterous to go "is the US as bad as Russia now??".
We can, and should criticize the human rights violations of the US *without* making the absolute worst offenders seem better.
https://randall.house.gov
I hope Becky gets home to her loved ones soon 🖖
And if I’m being honest - I don’t really believe much from the current government or ICE. It still
This woman was doing a month tourist travelling and she’s been kidnapped by the USA 🤬🤬🤬🤬
- https://shorturl.at/Ak3mc
- https://www.housesitmatch.com/blog/international-housesitting-and-tourist-visas-by-gobsmacked-at-gatwick-prt-1/
- https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/challenges-with-border-guards-re-the-laws/38437/631
The current regime is hostile towards visitors and human rights as State policy.
https://thegrayzone.com/2025/03/01/un-uk-terror-law-abuse/
Go back to your "free" USA/UK press I suggest.. and listen to only their side.
She was a tourist that you have KIDNAPPED
Could you share some proof of the "thousands of people" who are currently in detention in America having been arrested while on holiday in America, to prove your point here?
https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search
But also i do wonder if the US Government is collecting them the way Russia does and if they will be used as leverage.
24/7 - Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on +44 (0)20 7008 5000, from anywhere in the world, 24/7
What have we become. This is wrong on every level.
nowhere in the thread are we told this
I assumed she was attempting to cross the border into Canada on Feb 28 having been in the US for four months (the inference being that she was detained because she had made no visa application other than ESTA)
😂
The poor girl and her family. We would be beside ourselves if it happened to one of our daughters. Really hope it get resolved soon
🤡🏰
🇨🇦- Border Off. - be Xtra careful - a call to 🇺🇸 officials will likely result in a person being arrested & taken to a Private Det. facility (makes more $ - the longer they keep a person in custody)
Does she have 34 or more Felony Convictions on her record?
ugh dumb muricans
when she was kidnapped by ICE ffs!!
have you seen this
@meidastouch.com
@adammockler.bsky.social
have you seen this?
@zaploosh.bsky.social
😳
at th
No they just send you back home if they don’t want you there
It’s literally kidnap
Did they really think a Britt would want to illegally cross into THIS country?
You’d have to be crazy
You’re off your head 🤬🤬🤬🤬
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/british-comic-creator-r-e-burke-detained-by-ice-after-crossing-border/
https://www.ailalawyer.com/
https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/98402-wa-adam-boyd-4572773/reviews.html
This is what regressive regimes do.
@briantylercohen.bsky.social you guys should pick up this story. This is Russian style mafia biz right there in America. Disgusting
Your efforts, & those here whom have also made Beck's story a THING, have made the UK media HAVE to say/do something.
@bbcnewsnight.bsky.social here & @theguardian.com in next post.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80y3yx1jdyo
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/10/british-tourist-detained-us-authorities-10-days-visa-issue
Now it’s happening to white people.
it will escalate badly. the alternative is these stories become
Take good care
Time to retaliate for the Pohénégamook incident.
Personally I’m checking everything I buy and getting as far as possible the non American option.
It’s not just about ethnicity anymore.
The DHS now allows surveillance based on someone “appearing to be gay”.
Make sure and not suck to hard on any popsicles if you have to go to USA🏳️🌈🇨🇦
It's not Canada's fault the US handcuffed her and jailed her.
Why hold her? I think you'll get your answer if you check who owns the facility where she's being held. 🧐
@murray.senate.gov and @cantwell.senate.gov can you take a break from watching Musk and Trump dismantling America and writing strongly worded posts... and actually help here?
I (German) visited the US in 2023 for a month. When I arrived I was simply asked at the airport what brought me to the US I answered visiting a friend. All was fine then (for me)...
Take good care,
Most people would be advised, in advance, to say they are on vacation.
Still, such a gong show.
Take good care
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/10/british-tourist-detained-us-authorities-10-days-visa-issue
Much appreciated.
It does sound like an odd situation.
I'm absolutely not up on visa regulations. UK is hardly controversial, well in normal times.
Unless she is charged with a specific crime, wth?
Locking up a visitor?
Yikes.
Thanks again.
Take good care
Sorry folks, it's literally time to stay home. Or go elsewhere.
Just avoid the US.
https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-woman-detained-at-us-border-sent-to-arizona-detention-facility
Second of all…
Funds “so she can buy basic necessities like tea” is the most British thing ever and I love it.
Please help this tourist incarcerated in WA!
💪
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/11/german-tourists-ordeal-reportedly-ending-returned-from-us-detention?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
#StayAwayFromUSA
I wouldn't be surprised if the US regime is looking to pick up citizens of certain nations to use as bargaining chips.
Appalling, asinine, cruel.
Oh I forgot, every other country doesn’t profit from incarcerations
USA is so fcking vile 🤬
https://www.jamiljivani.ca/
https://www.jamiljivani.ca/
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/british-tourist-in-custody-at-tacoma-ice-detention-center-for-weeks/
Hopefully becky can be home again soon too
Still don’t understand the detention.,she had a ticket back to Germany. Just deny her entry instead they’ve spent thousands in detaining her.
Regardless of legal status, the treatment, arbitrary detention, and difficulty for the consulate or lawyers to reach her is terrifying.
And yes the treatment is disgusting.
The thing that's different in the US than elsewhere is usually you are denied entry and sent back or are put on the next plane home at your own cost instead of being arrested.
But, my travel is mostly US/Europe.
Work in exchange for accommodation could easily be interpreted to violate a Tourist visa or ESTA.
They don't have to prove anything, reasonable suspicion is enough to invalidate the Visa/ESTA AFAIK.