Aussie woman shares 'horrifying' story of being detained by US border force

A young Aussie who has been cat-sitting in the United States for the past five years was deported on her most recent trip abroad, and she has written a blog post about her harrowing experience with border security.

Madolline Gourley, from Brisbane, stopped in Los Angeles on June 30 on her way to Canada for a holiday, where she planned to house and cat sit in exchange for a place to stay.



But while she was in the airport, she was stopped by US border agents and taken to a detention room where she was patted down, fingerprinted, photographed, and questioned, including about whether she was pregnant or not.

Without giving her a reason, she was denied entrance to the United States and held in a cell without access to her phone until she could be rebooked on a flight back to Brisbane.

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Madolline travelled to Canada to look after strangers' pets in exchange for free accommodation, but things didn't go as planned. Credit: 7News.

'I was annoyed,' Madolline tells an online news source. 'I wanted to save an extra few hundred dollars, so I ended up booking a flight that went via the USA instead of going directly to Vancouver.'

'All I had to do was pass through immigration at LAX before getting on another flight.'

From the beginning of July, Madolline had planned consecutive housesits in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa. She also planned on going back to the US and continuing taking care of pets in Orleans and Baltimore before taking a flight back home to Australia.



However, an immigration officer started questioning her about the three-month trip, and things quickly went downhill from there.

'He started asking things like why I spent so long in the US, where did I go on that trip, and why was I back again so soon,' she says.

Madolline claimed that her 'high hourly rate' as a contract worker, combined with the free housing she secured through TrustedHousesitters, allowed her to afford foreign travel.

The website provides an opportunity for animal lovers to care for animals in exchange for a place to stay in different locations across the world.

'I told him I was able to get around to so many places because I looked after people's cats - unpaid, of course, and through a legitimate housesitting website - in cities and towns I wanted to visit,' she says.

KdrnC62PEXRE9ejYaNzYQ01wUaMnUAcR1kkEK-tnEOGeMQzuk41IYeXOC2VrZcrcGZcORzhSfMzdBtxbD1DjyoUTr97bCCIAA3iys4vx48wgiaS6PYZyX9UXhIZf9EDki_yjaL1GHJzlbYQg4_ZNo-A

A copy of Ms Gourley's Qantas ticket and baggage receipt. Credit: Madolline Gourley.

According to Madolline, her explanation only made the immigration officer more confused because, after that, they started asking her more and more questions that weren't even necessary.

During the interrogation, she was requested to present bank statements, information regarding her monthly salary, as well as the identities of both of her parents.

'What annoys me the most about all of this is I had all the relevant documentation needed to travel, like a valid passport, a completed passenger attestation, an approved ESTA and my international COVID vaccination certificate,' she says.

'I also had a very detailed itinerary, with the addresses of where I was staying and for how long. No one asked to see any of this. Not once.'



Later in her detention, she was instructed to take off her sneakers, carry cash at all times, and wait for a female immigration officer to arrive so she could be patted down discreetly.

Things started to get disturbing and uncomfortable for Madolline at this point. She felt as though the questions were becoming increasingly inappropriate and invasive of her privacy.

'She asked me twice if I was pregnant and if I'd had an abortion,' Madolline claims. 'She yelled at me several times throughout the pat down process because I misunderstood her instructions or asked her to repeat what she was saying.'

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Madolline was put on a plane back to Australia without being told why she was held up. Credit: 7News.

After several gruelling hours, Madolline was told she would not be allowed into the US and would be sent back to Brisbane on the next flight.

This was because she had broken the rules of the visa waiver program, which applies to people from Australia and many other countries who come to the US for short visits for business or tourism, but not for regular work.

According to a US Customs and Border Protection official, participants in the visa waiver program are not allowed to 'engage in any form of employment or receive compensation for services rendered'.

Madolline said the law, which appears to forbid house sitting for free accommodation, absolutely caught her off guard.



Since arriving home, Madolline has contacted the Australian Consulate in LA, US Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for assistance with the matter.

In an email to Madolline, a DFAT employee advised her to seek legal advice from an immigration attorney as they are unable to 'interfere with decisions made by US immigration authorities'.

So far, the 32-year-old cat sitter has had no luck with finding out whether she is permitted to return to the US.

What a horrible experience… Imagine that all you wanted to do was go on a holiday abroad, and then all of a sudden, your privacy is being invaded.

What are your thoughts, members? Do you think the border agents at the immigration centre owe Ms Gourley an apology? Or was it irresponsible of her not to be aware of the guidelines for the visa waiver program in the first place? Let us know in the comments!
 
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To hell with the US as they are becoming increasingly paranoid about so many idiotic things, what a senile idiot puppet who is meant to be in charge.... plenty of other countries one can visit
 
I'm with Tipsy on this one, they can shove the States right up where the sun don't shine. They are definitely a bunch of lunatics the lot of them and there should be a form of action that Madolline can take against them, there has to be surely!
 
I would have thought that the website she booked through should have been more aware of the rules and offered the information to their clients, so I would lay a lot of the blame at their feet. The actions of the border guards leaves quite a lot to be desired though, they certainly didn't have their listening ears on that day.
 
I think it’s irresponsible of her for not reading the ESTA rules & requirements! No one can go to USA or Canada & work on an ESTA! It is clearly stated also.. I am guessing she didn’t have a return ticket either which would’ve brought her to their attention.. USA Border Force have every right to detain her & refuse entry after admitting to working! They would’ve also searched her phone! This is no different to what Australian Border Force does! Remember Novak Djokovic? Once again Australian Border Force holds you longer & are much nastier than USA Border Force!
 
Over kill.....Could they not start out being HUMAN...what does her being pregnant or had an abortion got to do with her visitor status..I simply dislike they way border security behave like little hitlers, no manners , no respect...its disgusting...They have a job to do ..But they can do that job with respect...They have a hollier than thou attitude thats really disgusting
 
I travelled to USA in 1991 on behalf of the company I was working for at that time. It was a conference I attended and then I was scheduled to stay back for 2 more weeks working with my American colleagues. It was an American company I was working for.
When I had passed immigration and walking towards the exit, an "immigration" official pulled me over. He asked me for my passport. I showed him the Australian passport. He asked me about the purpose of my visit and how long was I staying there. I explained him all that. He asked me how much money I had on me. I told him about it. He was surprised I did not have more cash on me. I told him that I have company credit card for expenses and my accommodation is paid for already. He questioned me on a few other things. I was very tired after the flight as I don't sleep during flights. I was about to say to him that I don't need to be an illegal in America as I live in a beautiful and far superior country i.e. Australia. But I thought I better not say anything and just be nice. So after a while he literally looks me up and down and says that I can go. I would have only walked 15-20 steps and another official pulls me over. Same set of questions. Same look me up and down. By this stage I was really tired and thinking of saying, "Is this racial profiling". But I thought better of it. I was relatively patient in my younger days. And no guys, I am not of Mexican or middle eastern ethnic background. At that stage I vowed never to go to USA and I have kept to that. The second guy let me go as well.
American's are paranoid. Why the heck would I want to live there when I live in Australia? It makes no sense to me.
 
I'm with Tipsy on this one, they can shove the States right up where the sun don't shine. They are definitely a bunch of lunatics the lot of them and there should be a form of action that Madolline can take against them, there has to be surely!
Over kill.....Could they not start out being HUMAN...what does her being pregnant or had an abortion got to do with her visitor status..I simply dislike they way border security behave like little hitlers, no manners , no respect...its disgusting...They have a job to do ..But they can do that job with respect...They have a hollier than thou attitude thats really disgusting
I totally agree.
 
I am married to an American and lived there (legally) for five years. I have had lots of experience in dealing with the INS (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) and Homeland Security but I won't go into detail as it would make this post very long. Suffice it to say that, you are given the third degree when you enter the US because they are under the delusion that everybody is just dying to get into America with the intention of trying to stay there permanently. They ask you questions about your life in Australia (what family do you have there, where are your bank accounts, do you own property, do you have a job, etc) in trying to assess whether you have enough ties to Australia to return rather than attempt to stay in the US. The reason they ask about pregnancy is because, if you have a baby in the US, it automatically becomes a citizen by birth, enabling the mother to have residency rights. So there are valid reasons for asking these questions even if you can't see the reasons for them. My experience has been that if you remain calm, polite and co-operative, they will also calm down and treat you well. On my last trip, there was an issue with my previous residency visa but, because I remained calm, polite and co-operative, they went out of their way to help me sort it out quickly so I could catch my connecting flight. Sometimes, it all comes down to how you treat people - you get back what you give, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, etc. We don't know whether Madolline 's behaviour contributed to the unpleasantness of her experience. Also, if you travel overseas, it is your responsibility to be aware of the conditions of your visa, particularly in relation to any work that you do (paid or unpaid), time limits, etc.
 
Had the choice through work to attend a mining expo in the US a few years back - or go to one in Shanghai later in the same year. I chose China and would do so again in a heartbeat. Would love to spend more time in China - the people are very friendly and there is so much more to see and do (in my opinion anyway). The US really doesn't interest me at all, though I wouldn't mind a trip to Canada.
 
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I think it’s irresponsible of her for not reading the ESTA rules & requirements! No one can go to USA or Canada & work on an ESTA! It is clearly stated also.. I am guessing she didn’t have a return ticket either which would’ve brought her to their attention.. USA Border Force have every right to detain her & refuse entry after admitting to working! They would’ve also searched her phone! This is no different to what Australian Border Force does! Remember Novak Djokovic? Once again Australian Border Force holds you longer & are much nastier than USA Border Force!
Voice of reason! You have to know the rules when you travel, but I agree it’s the responsibility of the house sitting company to ensure people are informed as well, you just don’t get away with much in this world anymore. . .
 
DFAT, waftam, if they are not going to register a protest with US, who will in a political sense?
I feel for this girl who has been harshly treated particularly where she had an itinerary covering at least some time in Canada.
About time the US saw us as friends not adversaries.
DEFAT via our Embassy are there to support Australian citizens and if you can't get that support, get rid of the can't doers and leave the Embasy to look after trade matters.
Bureaucracy gone pedantic by both countries.
Another example of non existence of common sense
 
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I would have thought that the website she booked through should have been more aware of the rules and offered the information to their clients, so I would lay a lot of the blame at their feet. The actions of the border guards leaves quite a lot to be desired though, they certainly didn't have their listening ears on that day.
Have watched Australian Border Force and with a VISITORS visa one is NOT permitted to WORK or STUDY same in the USA and it is your RESPONSIBILITY to ensure that requirements are met. She would not have been able to enter Canada for the same reason!
I do agree the border guards were unnecessarily heavy handed.
 
A young Aussie who has been cat-sitting in the United States for the past five years was deported on her most recent trip abroad, and she has written a blog post about her harrowing experience with border security.

Madolline Gourley, from Brisbane, stopped in Los Angeles on June 30 on her way to Canada for a holiday, where she planned to house and cat sit in exchange for a place to stay.



But while she was in the airport, she was stopped by US border agents and taken to a detention room where she was patted down, fingerprinted, photographed, and questioned, including about whether she was pregnant or not.

Without giving her a reason, she was denied entrance to the United States and held in a cell without access to her phone until she could be rebooked on a flight back to Brisbane.

hC0T9VLmxNpLMNcusmL5XQkVwTUgqFIMwuqEYT1j9AUTB4eA1QRdPZODfdhTGcGXleUwA1O73kCQcXe6yuCxfPP2jP0pNZCYtsuFBjJz3Pvmch6L5H4lMuvfpGQkKdj8w9cBw0ufeZmuwGdCBksTfWM

Madolline travelled to Canada to look after strangers' pets in exchange for free accommodation, but things didn't go as planned. Credit: 7News.

'I was annoyed,' Madolline tells an online news source. 'I wanted to save an extra few hundred dollars, so I ended up booking a flight that went via the USA instead of going directly to Vancouver.'

'All I had to do was pass through immigration at LAX before getting on another flight.'

From the beginning of July, Madolline had planned consecutive housesits in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa. She also planned on going back to the US and continuing taking care of pets in Orleans and Baltimore before taking a flight back home to Australia.



However, an immigration officer started questioning her about the three-month trip, and things quickly went downhill from there.

'He started asking things like why I spent so long in the US, where did I go on that trip, and why was I back again so soon,' she says.

Madolline claimed that her 'high hourly rate' as a contract worker, combined with the free housing she secured through TrustedHousesitters, allowed her to afford foreign travel.

The website provides an opportunity for animal lovers to care for animals in exchange for a place to stay in different locations across the world.

'I told him I was able to get around to so many places because I looked after people's cats - unpaid, of course, and through a legitimate housesitting website - in cities and towns I wanted to visit,' she says.

KdrnC62PEXRE9ejYaNzYQ01wUaMnUAcR1kkEK-tnEOGeMQzuk41IYeXOC2VrZcrcGZcORzhSfMzdBtxbD1DjyoUTr97bCCIAA3iys4vx48wgiaS6PYZyX9UXhIZf9EDki_yjaL1GHJzlbYQg4_ZNo-A

A copy of Ms Gourley's Qantas ticket and baggage receipt. Credit: Madolline Gourley.

According to Madolline, her explanation only made the immigration officer more confused because, after that, they started asking her more and more questions that weren't even necessary.

During the interrogation, she was requested to present bank statements, information regarding her monthly salary, as well as the identities of both of her parents.

'What annoys me the most about all of this is I had all the relevant documentation needed to travel, like a valid passport, a completed passenger attestation, an approved ESTA and my international COVID vaccination certificate,' she says.

'I also had a very detailed itinerary, with the addresses of where I was staying and for how long. No one asked to see any of this. Not once.'



Later in her detention, she was instructed to take off her sneakers, carry cash at all times, and wait for a female immigration officer to arrive so she could be patted down discreetly.

Things started to get disturbing and uncomfortable for Madolline at this point. She felt as though the questions were becoming increasingly inappropriate and invasive of her privacy.

'She asked me twice if I was pregnant and if I'd had an abortion,' Madolline claims. 'She yelled at me several times throughout the pat down process because I misunderstood her instructions or asked her to repeat what she was saying.'

LosDyq1xSZmwG8urcy86sMVwrtNPj0gh1HuaVNweeqxFTt470b8O8wI7jW_SY08-w9jFGwAK0kuZJ5JFM9fK6ElUjZMmspUkKKCs9ZTIW60EdwnhZ3qLpnaf1bzfV6NJjDeYMwUMrWe3nlRMRbpMofc

Madolline was put on a plane back to Australia without being told why she was held up. Credit: 7News.

After several gruelling hours, Madolline was told she would not be allowed into the US and would be sent back to Brisbane on the next flight.

This was because she had broken the rules of the visa waiver program, which applies to people from Australia and many other countries who come to the US for short visits for business or tourism, but not for regular work.

According to a US Customs and Border Protection official, participants in the visa waiver program are not allowed to 'engage in any form of employment or receive compensation for services rendered'.

Madolline said the law, which appears to forbid house sitting for free accommodation, absolutely caught her off guard.



Since arriving home, Madolline has contacted the Australian Consulate in LA, US Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for assistance with the matter.

In an email to Madolline, a DFAT employee advised her to seek legal advice from an immigration attorney as they are unable to 'interfere with decisions made by US immigration authorities'.

So far, the 32-year-old cat sitter has had no luck with finding out whether she is permitted to return to the US.

What a horrible experience… Imagine that all you wanted to do was go on a holiday abroad, and then all of a sudden, your privacy is being invaded.

What are your thoughts, members? Do you think the border agents at the immigration centre owe Ms Gourley an apology? Or was it irresponsible of her not to be aware of the guidelines for the visa waiver program in the first place? Let us know in the comments!
Under the current environment where there are issues surfacing all the with complex situation, it irresponsible not to investigate all aspects of one's own circumstances thoroughly before embarking on an international tour especially when it involves unusual sets of qualifying criteria and boundaries. Not having any background information on the pourist, the safest measure for the concerned authorities is to deny entry and thus prevent even greater inconveniences to the tourist. The responsibility of avoiding travel hassle ultimately falls upon the traveller.
 
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Kindly explain we are one of the very few friends the USA has these days and we do not expect to be treated like criminals.
 
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