'Banned In America’:
Ongoing Immigration Hassles Don't Stop This Songstress
From Her Drive To Conquer The U.S.
ARG Productions
This Vancouver-based artist was
banned by homeland security for 5 years due to a customs official accusing
her of wanting to become a "working girl" in the states. This predicament
hindered Jade from promoting her newly released album appropriately titled
Banned In America which was released on June 13, 2006. JADE was verbally
harassed by a customs official in 2004 based on the way she was dressed,
implying that they thought she was a prostitute and would not let her cross
the border. Associated Press (AP) took interest to the story immediately and
interviewed JADE on her brutal experience trying to cross the border, it can
be read here.
Since JADE moved to Canada to study business administration at the
University of Victoria, she visited the U.S. multiple times without a
problem. But in June, 2004, when she was heading down to L.A. to do a photo
shoot for the new album, customs officials in Vancouver stopped and
questioned her about her business in America. They sent her to the U.S.
Embassy to get a new Visa, but she was told she didn't need one—she had been
mistakenly detained for over six hours and even after the misunderstanding,
never received an apology. In Sept. 2004 JADE attempted to head south again
by vehicle and was verbally harassed by another customs official who then
banned her from entering the states for five years.
Find Jade on
MySpace.