Rebecca Burke, a 28-year-old British backpacker from Monmouthshire, Wales, experienced a harrowing ordeal while detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for 19 days. Her father, Paul Burke, has detailed the traumatic treatment she faced, highlighting the harsh conditions and punitive measures used during her detention.
Burke was on a backpacking trip across North America when she attempted to cross into Canada from the U.S. However, Canadian officials denied her entry, suspecting she might work illegally, and instructed her to return to the U.S. to correct her visa status. Upon re-entry, she was detained by U.S. immigration officials at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, for allegedly violating her tourist visa by performing household tasks for a host family in exchange for accommodation. Since Rebecca Burke entered the U.S. through the Visa Waiver Program, it’s important to understand that according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, this program strictly prohibits any form of compensation, including room and board.
Yes, there was some frivolous guilt, but the punishment far exceeded the wrongdoing. For starters, she was detained 19 days. Yes, 19 days. And during her detention, Rebecca faced challenging conditions, including being confined to a large dormitory with limited outdoor time—only one hour per day.
The facility was never fully dark, which added to her distress. She was also not well-fed, surviving mainly on rice, potatoes, and beans, which was particularly difficult given her vegan diet.
And it gets better… Upon her release and deportation, she was escorted to the airport in chains, including leg irons, waist chains, and handcuffs, a treatment her father likened to that of the fictional character Hannibal Lecter. This extreme measure was criticized by her family, who questioned the necessity of such restraints for someone they described as a “gentle soul”.
Once more, she was escorted to the airport in hand chains, leg irons, waist chains, and handcuffs.
“She is not Hannibal Lecter,” Paul Burke said of his daughter.
“There’s a lot of things that really we’ve got to try and address, I guess it can only be through political channels, to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” he told the BBC.
Emotional Impact
The experience has been described as traumatic by both Rebecca and her family. Her father noted that despite her resilience, the ordeal will likely have a lasting impact on her. He emphasized the need for travelers to be vigilant about visa requirements to avoid similar situations.
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