Clearing US Customs before getting on a flight to the States is convenient but but be aware American officers have been granted sweeping powers by our federal government.

Something as simple as refusing to answer a question about your past can get you charged with not cooperating and held indefinitely.

Len Saunders is an Washington state immigration lawyer and said on the NL Morning News, he’s concerned US officials have far too much power while on Canadian soil. “A Canadian can basically be held and not allowed to withdraw their application for a reasonable amount of time. You know, from what happened to the Persians at the US border recently just north of my office, that could be 10–12 hours.”

Saunders pointed to a recent incident where several people of Iranian decent were held for hours without explanation, one of those was his client, an American citizen. “But the main issue in my mind is if you do not cooperate with a US officer on Canadian soil, you can be charged with an indictable offence for not cooperating.”

The Blaine Washington lawyer said even our Prime Minister could be arrested for not answering an obvious question. “A great example is Trudeau, when he’s no longer Prime Minister, if he’s asked if he’s ever smoked cannabis in the past and he refuses to answer, technically he can be arrested for not cooperating because everybody knows the answer that he has smoked in the past and so it can happen to anybody at pre-flight clearance.”

The recent escalation of tensions in the middle east means US border crossings will likely be even tighter in the future.