Canadians with mental illnesses denied U.S. entry

[The Straight Story]

Canadians with mental illnesses denied U.S. entry

More than a dozen Canadians have told the Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office in Toronto within the past year that they were blocked from entering the United States after their records of mental illness were shared with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Lois Kamenitz, 65, of Toronto contacted the office last fall, after U.S. customs officials at Pearson International Airport prevented her from boarding a flight to Los Angeles on the basis of her suicide attempt four years earlier.

Kamenitz says she was stopped at customs after showing her passport and asked to go to a secondary screening. There, a Customs and Border Protection officer told Kamenitz that he had information that police had attended her home in 2006.

“I was really perturbed,” Kamenitz says. “I couldn’t figure out what he meant. And then it dawned on me that he was referring to the 911 call my partner made when I attempted suicide.”

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/09/08/f-border-mental-health-privacy.html

[sudopod]

1. WTF, guys? nt

[HereSince1628]

2. Anyone think HSA doesn't have the same for US citizens? n/t

[Le Taz Hot]

3. Right. Like we don't have enough batshit crazy

asswipes already what with the TeaKlan and all. We don't need Canada's too! ;-)

(Just in case: I'm kidding!)

[woo me with science]

4. Sheesh. nt

[Bluebear]

5. Lovely.