Hey everyone, I’m new to this!
I am building out a van to travel from NYC to west coast and beyond. My friend will be coming with me and her Visa recently expired.
My question is, have any of you experienced vanlifers been stopped by police or ICE? I’m afraid of ICE traffic stops because if they ask for proof of immigration status she could get thrown into a cell and deported.
Thank you!!!
Don’t know how much this helps:
I’ve never met anyone from ICE with the exception of international border crossings. Technically, they are not allowed to operate more than 100 miles from the border, although they usually stay at the border.
I have been stopped at state lines near California on major highways. However, they only ask if you have any organic fruits or visited a farm (probably worried about invasive species) and have never asked for any sort of ID. However, I have only seen these on super-large interstates, consider taking some or the more back-road paths when crossing borders. Especially when there is a town near the border, cross the border through the town, not through the highway.
Police probably only care about driver’s license, insurance, and vehicle registration. They don’t care about the passenger. But if they do ask:
You aren’t legally obligated to bring ID everywhere. Only exception is driver’s license, if you’re driving. So just don’t let her drive, and if the police ask for her ID, just tell them she doesn’t have any. Even better: pull up some kind of non-government ID (eg. University ID card, credit card) that the police would be unable to trace to her citizenship, that way it doesn’t bring up suspicion. Most college students I know who can’t drive only carry around University ID and credit card. It’s not like they carry around their passport or anything, and half of them don’t even have passports. Only time you need ID is if you’re opening up a bank account or registering a vehicle or something.
Also, maybe I don’t understand the scenario, but what’s the difference between “thrown into a cell and deported” and “kind-of-awkward-and-unplanned but free trip back home”?