Message from Andrew Balfour, a Cree composer from Winnipeg:
Yesterday is a day I’d rather forget. Even with what I thought was proper paperwork, I was denied entry in US. So, they put you in a holding room, take your passport and phone, and wait. In my case 4 hours, sitting in a shitty room in Newark International Airport in New Jersey watching all the people being detained arguing their case…brutal…..
After. 2 hours, was told I could either be held until an Immigrantion Judge could hear my case, ( could take days) or they put me on a flight back to Toronto. I took the flight, but they hold you for the last minute, than I was escorted to my gate by 2 armed us customs dudes, walked directly to the plane door, they give me an envelope with my passport and phone and I walk on the plane, last one on, and now people are giving me looks…ffs
At least they didn’t have me in handcuffs
Sucks, but ironically, the young US customs guy in charge of my file or whatever was a good person. He knew the red tape or bullshit was happening, he was sympathetic and even understanding, a good person. As he was finger printing me, finger by finger, he actually was apologizing, and when he found out I was a composer, I did hear him tell his supervisor to treat me okay,
But big regret not being with Amabile Choirs and Sherryl Sewepagaham and our songs this weekend.
The Creator has different ideas than we….
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