Woman detained after crossing into U.S. by accident

Cedella Roman courtesy of Facebook.

By Stefanie Donahue

A jog through Peace Arch Park ended unexpectedly for a Canadian visitor last month.

According to media reports, 19-year-old Cedella Roman was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 21 for illegally crossing the U.S. border while jogging along the beach south of White Rock. Roman was detained for two weeks at Tacoma Northwest Detention Center.

Roman, a French citizen, had traveled to Canada to visit her mother who lives in North Delta.

“At the time Ms. Roman was encountered by border patrol, she was nearly one-half mile into the United States and was traveling south,” said a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson in an email. “Additionally, Ms. Roman bypassed the Peace Arch port of entry, which is visible from the beach she traversed to enter the U.S. and she was not carrying identification.”

The spokesperson added, “It is the responsibility of an individual traveling in the vicinity of an international border to maintain awareness of their surroundings and their location at all times to ensure they do not illegally cross the border. Additionally, it’s important for people traveling near the border to carry identification at all times, so that agents or officers can easily verify their identity.”

In an interview with CBC, Roman said didn’t realize she crossed the U.S. border illegally and that she expected to receive a fine or warning from border officials. Instead, she was transferred 145 miles south to Tacoma.

“They put me in the caged vehicles and brought me into their facility,” Roman said to CBC. “They asked me to remove all my personal belongings with my jewelry, they searched me everywhere … Then I understood it was getting very serious, and I started to cry a bit.”

According to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson, the agency received Roman’s travel documents on May 24. After the Canadian Border Services Agency determined her admissibility on June 5, she was sent back to Canada.

“Once the U.S. Border Patrol transfers an individual to ICE custody for expedited removal to Canada, ICE must review the case and receive permission from the Canada Border Services Agency to complete the removal,” an ICE spokesperson said in an email. “This can take several days, especially when the individual is a third-country national.”