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Detained Welsh tourist tells of experience in US

Maria Cassidy & Gavin Thomas
BBC News
Paul Burke Becky Burke stood on Brooklyn Bridge in New York. The sun is shining, and New York's skyline can be seen in the background against a bright blue sky. Becky smiles at the camera with her hands in her pockets, she wears a navy and green raincoat, and has a tote bag over her shoulder. Paul Burke
Becky Burke had planned a "life-changing" trip around North America

A Welsh tourist who was detained in a US immigration centre has spoken of her experiences.

Becky Burke, 28, spent 19 days in a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing centre in Washington State after being denied entry into Canada, over a "visa mix-up".

Ms Burke believed that her case was "prioritised" following a combination of media, social media and diplomatic pressure since her case was first made public.

A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection previously told the BBC they could not discuss specific cases but travellers were treated with "integrity, respect and according to law".

Speaking to BBC World Service's Outside Source, Ms Burke said she had planned a four month backpacking trip across North America, Canada and other areas.

She had flown from New York to Portland, Oregon, where she spent time with a host family, helping with household chores in return for accommodation.

At the end of February she travelled to Seattle with plans to travel to Vancouver in Canada to stay with another family.

"After I bought my tickets I saw that Trump had come into power so I was making sure that I left the country well within my ESTA," she said.

She described how she spent six hours at the border waiting while officials were "trying to determine if what I had been doing in America counted as work".

"I was getting quite worried.

"I then had an interrogation for about an hour in a small room where they were asking me loads of details about what I had been doing in America and at the end of that, they had determined that I had been working in America and violated my ESTA."

Paul Burke Becky Burke smiles as she hugs Bo Jangles. She has long plaited brown hair and is wearing glasses. A bottle of sparkling wine - possibly champagne - can be seen on a table behind them. Paul Burke
Becky Burke has been reunited with the family dog Bo Jangles

Ms Burke said while in the ICE centre many people were telling her that she was "lucky" to be in this one, as it was known as "one of the better ones".

"A few of the woman had come from San Diego and they were telling me how awful [it was] and how they were treated.

"The officers would shout at them and throw them in the shower for like five seconds [max]."

She added that she wanted to use the spotlight on her to share the stories of the other woman in the centre.

Ms Burke believes pressure from the press coverage helped with her early release.

She said an ICE officer told her that her case had been brought to "the top of the pile" after they received an email from the British consulate.

The following day she was told a flight had been booked to take her home on 18 March.

A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) previously said it could not comment on specific cases for privacy reasons, but added: "All persons arriving at a port-of-entry to the United States are subject to inspection.

"CBP officers treat all travellers with integrity, respect, professionalism and according to law."

The spokesperson said in the event of a foreign national being found inadmissible to the United States, CBP would "provide the foreign national an opportunity to procure travel to his or her home country".

"If the foreign national is unable to do so, he or she will be turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) for repatriation," they added.