By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Chris Landry, a legal U.S. resident with a green card, was denied re-entry to the United States at the Maine border after a family vacation in Canada. Despite having no criminal record since 2007, he was informed that prior convictions for marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license made him ineligible to return. U.S. Customs and Border Protection cited the right to revoke a green card for broken laws, potentially leading to an immigration hearing. Landry, now separated from his family, has sought help from New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, with the offices of several representatives expressing concern.
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‘Very uncertain’: NH man denied reentry to U.S. after family trip to Canada – Let’s get right to it, this is about a guy, a Canadian citizen, who’s been living in the U.S. for a very long time, who got denied re-entry after a trip to Canada. He supported Donald Trump, and now he’s facing the consequences of the very policies he likely championed. It’s a story that’s sparked a lot of strong reactions, to say the least.
The man, apparently, is left in a state of serious uncertainty. He’s got family in the U.S., and now he’s separated from them. This is a situation, that according to the article, has him stating he feels that his life has been disregarded. He openly admits to supporting the “Make America Great Again” movement, and now he’s finding himself on the other side of the very policies he supported.
Now, as you can probably guess, opinions on this are varied, and pretty much split down the middle. Some people are reacting with, let’s call it, a lack of sympathy. They see this as a case of “you get what you voted for.” The sentiment is that he supported policies that have separated families, and now he’s experiencing that firsthand. The whole “face-eating leopards” analogy definitely comes to mind here.
Others, though, express a modicum of understanding, but also see the irony. The idea is that it’s easy to support policies that affect others until those policies affect you directly. There’s the realization that perhaps, if the situation were reversed, and he had a different political view, things might be different.
He’s lived in the US for a very long time, some 40-plus years. The fact that he never became a citizen is something that’s been brought up. Many feel that if you’ve lived somewhere for so long, and intend to make it your home, then you should go through the process of citizenship. It would have avoided all of this trouble.
And, of course, his past comes into play. He has a record with charges that include marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license. However, he claims that he has been clean since then. Regardless, these charges, however minor, may have played a role in the decision to deny him re-entry.
It’s worth mentioning that the article’s based on a variety of people’s comments, and they span the emotional spectrum. Some are frustrated that he’s being held accountable for his previous actions, while others seem a bit more empathetic. It’s safe to say that many think he’s getting exactly what he deserved.
Some people are quick to point out the irony. Many feel this is the inevitable consequence of supporting stricter immigration policies. It’s easy to be in favor of those things, but suddenly it’s a problem when their life is the one being disregarded. When their family is the one being torn apart. What a disgusting and shameful lack of empathy.
He supported Donald Trump. He supported a stronger, more unified country. Now, he’s separated from his family, and feels his life has been disregarded. The article indicates that he acknowledges his change of heart, but the damage is already done.
There’s also the concern over whether Canada is going to be willing to take him. Some people worry they’re stuck with this guy. It’s an interesting question and certainly adds another layer to the whole issue.
There’s a very clear sense of “you reap what you sow.” In this article, the people seem to think he’s reaping the consequences of his political choices. The fact that he can’t vote for president but still supported Trump is an interesting detail.
It raises the question of how much you can support someone’s policies without fully understanding their potential impacts, and how easily those policies can turn around and affect you. There’s also the idea that it’s easy to support policies that negatively impact others, until those policies begin to affect you directly.
Regardless of your view, it’s a complex situation, and a reminder that political choices can have significant personal consequences, and the “leopards eating faces” argument comes up more than once. In short, this NH man’s story is a microcosm of the political divisions and immigration debates happening in the United States, and it’s one that leaves a lot of people feeling very conflicted.