U.S. apologizes to novelist

[mainer]

British writer Ian McEwan was "erroneously" prevented from entering the United States on March 30 at the Vancouver, B.C., international airport and has received an "extremely rare" letter of apology from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

William S. Heffelfinger III, deputy assistant commissioner for the office of field operations, wrote to McEwan in a letter dated April 12: "Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience and delay the refusal process caused you. Be assured that this erroneous refusal will not impact your future applications to the United States."

McEwan had been seeking to board a plane to Seattle for a speaking appearance before Seattle Arts & Lectures and subsequent appearances in Portland, Ore., and Pasadena, Calif., when a American inspector refused him admittance to the United States at the Vancouver airport immigration processing center.

The denial of admission to one of Britain's most respected and popular writers -- author of the best-selling novel, "Atonement" -- set off a 24-hour flurry of activity that reached to Washington, D.C., and included efforts by two Washington state members of Congress, Reps. James McDermott and Rick Larson. It also prompted international media coverage, as well as a public question to Homeland Security director Tom Ridge during his visit to Seattle two weeks ago.



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[ihaveaquestion]

1. By what right do Immigration

officials question the amount someone gets paid for speaking?

<SNIP>

McEwan had been refused admittance to the United States largely as a result of the size of the speaking fees he was to receive during his visit. Visitors are allowed to receive honoraria for appearances before academic groups in the United States, but immigration officials at the Vancouver airport ruled that the size of McEwan's speaking fees ($5,000 in Seattle alone) were too large to be considered "honoraria."

<SNIP>

Whatever happened to the "free" market?