Police ICE/Immigrations/Customs

[Randy W]

While I was waiting to get on the plane in Newark to go to Beijing, a couple of ICE agents walked by, escorting someone to the plane - one in front, one in back. They were standing by the door to the plane when I get on, I guess to make sure that he would still be on the other side of it when the door was shut.

 

Coming back through Newark, processing with the green card was pretty much identical to my on - they simply scanned both passports, and the green card, and waved us through.

 

When we got to the baggage claim, however, there were (it seemed) as many Customs agents as passengers. They had two dogs sniffing around everywhere. All passengers from China were diverted through a baggage inspection area, where the luggage was x-rayed, and almost everyone's searched (they graciously let us through, however) - I assume because of the new bird flu scare in Hong Kong.

[Randy W]

One other thing happened - the Customs inspector was asking Jiaying if she had any <blah, blah, or blah>. She just pointed to me (since she obviously didn't understand the English) and I answered. I was asked if I knew any Chinese, and I enjoyed answering no I didn't (I wasn't about to try to do any translating for them), but that we were together.

 

We were one of the very few just passed on through without a search.

[Sebastian]

Sounds like they were looking for something NOT bird-flu related? Congrats...