SXSW-bound Italian band Soviet Soviet denied entry to U.S., jailed and deported

[icymist]

Source: KIRO News

SEATTLE - Italian rock band Soviet Soviet was scheduled to perform next week at the South by Southwest Music Festival, but according to a statement from the band posted on Facebook, they were forced to cancel their festival appearances and a few other promotional appearances when they were denied entry to the United States, detained and deported Wednesday.

According to the band, when they arrived in Seattle, they provided passport control officers with documentation that they were traveling under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, a letter from their American record label declaring that the band was in the country for promotional purposes only and their letter of invitation from SXSW.

The three band members say they were detained and individually interrogated by customs agents. During this time, they say, they were able to put the agents in touch with the American owner of their record label, who pleaded their case. Still after four hours of interrogation, the customs agents decided to send them back to Italy.

“They declared us illegal immigrants even if our intention was by no means to look for work in the United States,” the band said in the statement.

Read more: http://www.kiro7.com/news/trending-now/sxswbound-italian-band-soviet-soviet-denied-entry-to-us-jailed-and-deported/501673887

[geek tragedy]

1. Just not a good idea for people to travel to the United States

It's sad that it's had to come to this, but much better idea to visit Canada or Europe or anywhere else.

[jeanmarc]

22. Yep, Trump killing tourism

You would think he would see value in that, but mr. Business Man makes every mistake possible.

[dragonlady]

23. It's called the Trump slump in the travel industry

Just read that in this morning's newspaper.

[dchill]

26. #trumpslump

[sarcasmo]

27. Already down 10 percent.

[Honeycombe8]

2. That's insane! nt

[metalbot]

20. The insane part is that they'd ignore the invitation from SXSW

I'm referring to the band here, not USCIS.

SXSW makes it pretty clear to bands that they invite that they need to get visas, and provides instructions on how to do this.

Side note: SXSW got a lot of flack this year because in their contract they remind people that they aren't allowed to do other shows while they are here, and that they would expelled from the festival if they did so, with USCIS being notified (which is actually legally required if you are sponsoring an employment visa and you fire someone). Some acts were so offended that SXSW would "narc" people out to immigration that they cancelled (this ignores the fact that they are legally required to and have never done so.

[ProudLib72]

3. I can't believe I'm going to say this but...

I hope word of this gets out and would be foreign tourists cancel their trips to the U.S. Although I realize how much this is going to hurt a lot of people here, I feel the more that can be done to garner global condemnation of the ludicrous travel ban the better.

[George II]

7. It's already happening, I read recently that tourism from outside the country is down 10%

[zentrum]

16. It's already happening

The tourism industry which is huge in America is already down.

On the up side it will really hurt Trump hotels.

[PoliticAverse]

4. NPR story on the events...

http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/03/10/519707931/italian-band-soviet-soviet-denied-entry-to-the-u-s-jailed-and-then-deported

Artists cannot perform on visitor visas (B-1/B-2) or through the Visa Waiver Program ("ESTA&quot regardless of whether or not they are being paid and regarding of whether or not tickets are sold. Except in the most narrowly defined circumstances, US immigration law has always defined "work" as it pertains to artists, as any kind of performance. Artists denied entry on the basis of fraud, will have a denied entry on their record, impeding future visas and travel."

[George II]

9. Just "artists"? What about sports teams (thinking NHL and MLB teams)?

[PoliticAverse]

10. Yes athletes need visas too. For example the P-1A visa...

https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/p-1a-internationally-recognized-athlete

[George II]

5. Damn, that sucks. So who pays for the return flight? I've got a trip coming up in two months...

...to Canada to visit relatives.

I've crossed the border maybe 50-60 times in my life, for the first time I'm concerned that I may have problems getting back into the country since I'll be driving into Canada through Port Huron, Michigan (after visiting my brother in Detroit) and returning through Niagara Falls (after visiting relatives in Toronto)

I was born in Brooklyn, but who knows it that matters anymore?

[iluvtennis]

6. I want these artists to work with ACLU to sue Trump admin for their return flights - this is insane.

...is this in the "Travel" Ban Exec Order or had the admin changed other visa laws and we the public weren't informed. GAH

[PoliticAverse]

13. This has nothing to do with the travel ban, they came to work in the US without a work visa.

Here's an article from 2014 which explains that professional musicians need a work visa to play in the US:
http://www.m-magazine.co.uk/creators/advice-musicians-traveling-us/

[Sunlei]

28. "American record label declaring that the band was in the country for promotional purposes only"

Letter from the bands American record label.

They had the required paperwork for this visit, our American "border guards" are making ridiculous mistakes.

[former9thward]

30. No mistake was made.

The band needed a work visa. Those are and have been the rules. They either did not want to pay for one or take the time to get one. A "letter" is not a government document. It is not a visa. They thought they could break the rules and got caught.

[Ken Burch]

32. Seriously? You're defending this?

It's not as though letting them play at SXSW cost a US band the gig. There was almost certainly nobody else who sounded like them.

[former9thward]

33. So what other visa rules should be ignored?

You don't like this one, I get that. Any others? Why the sudden outrage over a rule which has been around forever?

[Ken Burch]

34. Is it worth enforcing for a band that's here for one gig?

A nationwide tour I could see it, but just for THIS? Clearly it was the manager who was to blame and the band itself was blindsided-It would have been enough to issue a fine and a warning if there had to be enforcement.

Other than the whole "rules is rules" thing, why is this something you feel compelled to be a stickler about? It sounds like this is a big thing to you, and I'd simply like to understand where you're coming from here.

[former9thward]

35. I tell my clients to keep their cars and shit street legal.

Make sure all lights work all the time, licence plates, registration, insurance up to date. No cracks in any glass. Guess what? The clients that do never have any issues with the cops. They could be carrying guns, drugs, who the hell knows what and no problems. Its the ones who ignore that warning that give the cops excuses to stop that wind up with bigger issues.

What is my point? My point is follow the rules. Do not expect low level federal employees who have a pension and benefits to protect to look the other way. Especially in this day and age where everyone has a camera and tape recorder on them 24/7. Yes, letting this rule slide would not be the end of the world. But that can be said about thousands of rules in thousands of applications everyday of the week. Follow them and no issues. Work to change them if they are a problem.

[Ken Burch]

36. OK.

n/t.

[PoliticAverse]

38. You are correct in that it would have been nice to ignore the law in this case and let them play.

But please don't count on customs officials ignoring the letter of the law.

[Ken Burch]

40. Fair enough.

But the point could have been made by fining the manager. He was the one who screwed this up.

Most bands aren't watching every single thing their managers do, after all.

[Sunlei]

41. thousands of bands, models, sport teams, tv stars,travel to the USA for promotional visits. not work

The letter was part of their "papers" not the lone document ian.

I know scores of people I work for who travel back and forth (for many years, more than 15 years) from other countries with visas. work, promotional, resident papers, work permits/vacation from visa free countries. Many of them go back and forth every 6 months to meet work requirement laws in USA.

Our border guards make travel ridiculous for LEGITIMATE people who travel to USA because of The current Admins new policies. to hunt down undocumented OR republicans "crazy fear" a person won't leave once they're "in"

[PoliticAverse]

37. No. Please read the article I linked too. Professional musicians performing for free in the US...

must have a work visa even though they are performing for free.

[orleans]

8. be sure to bring your passport n/t

[George II]

14. It used to be that all one needed was a driver's license, that changed about 15+ years ago....

...but this steps it up another notch or two.

Now I even need a special insurance card for my car, even if I rent a car! This is crazy, but then again so is our "president".

[orleans]

15. well, i mention the passport b/c i had just finished reading this article

where ali had to even explain the origin of his name! and was screened by tsa & homeland security for flying within the states
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-reg-muhammed-ali-red-flag-flight-20170310-story.html

[George II]

21. That's because he had the audacious stupidity of being born black! What was he thinking....

....just because his father was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom*?

Seriously, we know he's being targeted for that reason and because of his name. A 10-second glance at his passport would show, on the page with his name, that he is a citizen of the United States of America and born in Philadelphia!! No reason whatsoever for him to be detained for even a few minutes. Its harassment, pure and simple.

I've crossed the border dozens of times and been to the UK, France, Japan, and Taiwan, and never have been asked my religion or the origin of my name.

*make no mistake, Muhammad Ali was awarded that medal by REPUBLICAN president george bush. Sad to say but he's looking pretty good right now to many.

[PSPS]

11. Musicians always need a real work visa, not a ETSA. Their manager/label should have known better.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

29. Oh I am sure they knew better

But the fee for the P2 permit keeps going up and in addition to the fee issue they're often so slow in issuing the visas that the original performance gets cancelled so people take chances.

[PoliticAverse]

12. Article from 2014 explaining that musicians need a Work Visa not a Visa Waiver...

http://www.m-magazine.co.uk/creators/advice-musicians-traveling-us/

The hard truth is that as a member of the entertainment profession – which includes musicians, DJs, singers and other personnel such as technicians – the VWP is unlikely to be an option for you. Instead, you will need to apply for a temporary work authorised visa.

You may come across conflicting advice from those who suggest ‘risking it’ under the VWP. However, be aware that lying or omitting essential information about the purpose of your trip to the US will likely constitute fraud or misrepresentation and can have potentially serious consequences, including being barred from the US indefinitely. The US government gives relatively clear advice on eligibility for the VWP, so it is well worth establishing the appropriate route for you well in advance of travel and following it.

[msongs]

17. the feds are willingly joining the new gestapo - they want the power and $$ nt

[FakeNoose]

25. What???

What power is that?
Power to be a drone for Trump and discriminate against other Americans? Not quite.

Trump is giving money to Federal employees? He's firing them all.

There won't be a gestapo in the US unless they're brought in from some foreign country.
Like maybe Russia for instance.

[Dopers_Greed]

18. This is mostly their manager's fault (due to reasons already mentioned)

Still, the treatment they received is totally fucked. Welcome to Trump.

We are soon to be pariahs to the entire world.

[lark]

19. FUCK, drumpf is hurting us in ways we never thought about.

Or at least I didn't think far down enough the chain to realize how much he's going to hurt tourism and business travel to US. He's just a 1 person US destruction machine that Russia has built, armed and pointed straight at the heart of what makes this country work both domestically and internationally. It just breaks my heart and totally infuriates me at the same time.

[FakeNoose]

24. They called the US State Dept. for help - nobody answered the phone

There's nobody left.

[jpak]

31. The Beatles will never play the Sullivan Show! Not on my watch! #therealDonaldTrump

[PoliticAverse]

39. Did the Beatles have a proper visa? n/t