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Paraplegic woman blocked from traveling to U.S. because she suffers depression which ‘could make her a danger to others’A Canadian woman has been denied entry to the U.S. by a border agent who cited a 2012 hospitalization for depressionEllen Richardson, a paraplegic, had planned a $6,000 cruise departing from New YorkThe agent said she could 'pose a threat to herself or others' based on the 2012 hospitalizationRichardson wants to know how the agent had access to her personal medical informationBy ALEX GREIGPUBLISHED: 20:45 EST, 28 November 2013 | UPDATED: 21:47 EST, 28 November 2013A Canadian woman has been denied entry into the United States by a Customs and Border Protection agent because she was hospitalized for depression in 2012. Ellen Richardson, who is paraplegic, went to Pearson airport to fly to New York City, where she was to embark on a Caribbean cruise.The agent who refused Richardson entry cited the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 212, which denies entry to people who have had a physical or mental disorder that may pose a 'threat to the property, safety or welfare' of themselves or others.According to The Star, the agent gave Richardson a document that said 'system checks' has uncovered details of her hospitalization and that she would need special clearance before being allowed entry into the States.Richardson is now left wondering how the agent had access to her private medical records.She had organized her cruise with about 12 others and paid $6,000 for the 10-day vacation. American arrested in Dubai for mocking youth culture with video about Arab 'gangstas''I was so aghast. I was saying, "I don’t understand this. What is the problem?"' Richardson told the Star.'I was so looking forward to getting away... I’d even brought a little string of Christmas lights I was going to string up in the cabin.'
Finding out that Ellen Richardson suffered from serious depression isn’t hard. Her self-branded website discusses it. And it’s one of the first things to come up when you google her. The book doesn’t mention her most recent hospitalization, but it does mention multiple prior suicide attempts and hospitalizations.Back in 2011, the CBC ran a story suggesting that the United States was barring some Canadians with mental problems. There was one document presented. And again it involved a suicide attempt.Seemingly people who attempt suicide result in a police record which is then used to keep them from entering the country.
I'm the first to assume the worst when border agents appear to have information they shouldn't have, but in this case, all the agent had to do was Google her name. Her site comes up fifth in the list on the first page, and plugs a book called "Hope for the Heavy Heart". It discusses numerous suicide attempts she made before jumping off the Bloor viaduct and becoming a paraplegic. This is not someone who had a single uncharacteristic bout of depression.
The Bloor Viaduct is a bridge over an expressway in downtown Toronto that was a suicide jumper magnet. She was one of the reasons the city spent millions putting a net around the viaduct to stop the jumpers splattering on the expressway. (This actually happened to a friend of mine who had a jumper land about 100 feet in front of his car on this road) Anyways, the net was a waste of money as now the jumpers just go a couple of blocks down the road and jump in front of the subway. Suicides are way up since they installed the net. This woman wrote a book and has a website chronicling her madness and multiple suicide attempts so I am not surprised U.S customs denied her.
Oh, well publicized book. Thanks for ruining my anti-government rant! Well, I'm sure it'll come in handy elsewhere!
