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SARNIA -- One city couple is done with cross-border shopping after they were ordered from their car and handcuffed in front of their frightened children by U.S. border officials.
Jeff and Kelly Thomas had crossed the Blue Water Bridge near Sarnia to do a little shopping in Michigan Friday when they pulled up at an inspection booth around 5 p.m.
While a U.S. border official processed his identification, a security warning sounded," Jeff Thomas said.
"All of a sudden there was this ear-piercing alarm that went off. I looked over and saw 15 to 20 custom officers coming towards us."
The officers, with hands on guns, ordered Jeff to switch off the vehicle and place his hands on the steering wheel. He was ordered from the car, handcuffed, and taken into the U.S. Customs and Border Protection building, he said.
"I just froze."
Meanwhile, his wife said she was handcuffed and taken into custody as their frightened children, Brandon, 14, and Mackenzie, 10, looked on.
"My daughter was crying. I remember Jeff's face just going grey. It was a horrible experience," Kelly Thomas said Monday.
The Thomas' said a few minutes later border agents removed the restraints and released them. They were told it was a case of mistaken identity and that Jeff's name and birth date were "similar" to someone wanted for a crime.
"There were no apologies. All we wanted to do was go to Target and pick up some early Christmas gifts," Kelly Thomas said.
The couple said the experience was humiliating. Traffic lanes were essentially closed during the incident as hundreds of motorists looked on. To add insult to injury, customs officials said the same thing might happen again if Jeff returns to Port Huron.
Repeated attempts to contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials for comment were unsuccessful.
Jeff and Kelly Thomas had crossed the Blue Water Bridge near Sarnia to do a little shopping in Michigan Friday when they pulled up at an inspection booth around 5 p.m.
While a U.S. border official processed his identification, a security warning sounded," Jeff Thomas said.
"All of a sudden there was this ear-piercing alarm that went off. I looked over and saw 15 to 20 custom officers coming towards us."
The officers, with hands on guns, ordered Jeff to switch off the vehicle and place his hands on the steering wheel. He was ordered from the car, handcuffed, and taken into the U.S. Customs and Border Protection building, he said.
"I just froze."
Meanwhile, his wife said she was handcuffed and taken into custody as their frightened children, Brandon, 14, and Mackenzie, 10, looked on.
"My daughter was crying. I remember Jeff's face just going grey. It was a horrible experience," Kelly Thomas said Monday.
The Thomas' said a few minutes later border agents removed the restraints and released them. They were told it was a case of mistaken identity and that Jeff's name and birth date were "similar" to someone wanted for a crime.
"There were no apologies. All we wanted to do was go to Target and pick up some early Christmas gifts," Kelly Thomas said.
The couple said the experience was humiliating. Traffic lanes were essentially closed during the incident as hundreds of motorists looked on. To add insult to injury, customs officials said the same thing might happen again if Jeff returns to Port Huron.
Repeated attempts to contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials for comment were unsuccessful.
"There were no apologies." - What a surprise.
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