Canadian-American who lived in the US for 43 years on a green card was denied re-entry at the border; here’s why

A Canadian-born American man who has been living in the United States for the last 43 years on a green card was denied re-entry into the country. He was stopped at the border in Houlton, Maine. The matter surfaced after the man, identified as Christopher Landry, was returning after visiting his family in New Brunswick from New Hampshire.

Landry, who has lived in the U.S. since he was three, lives in New Hampshire with his partner and children and has a job here. According to media reports, he was stopped by officials at the border in Houlton, Maine, because of convictions in 2004 and 2007 for possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license, and he was subject to detention.

At that time, he received a suspended sentence and settled the fine. "Every little detail has been put on hold, from my dog's veterinary appointments to taking my kids to the doctor's appointments and paying bills … my life has been disrupted," he said. Born in New Brunswick, Landry moved to Peterborough, N.H., 43 years ago, when he was three. “I was absolutely shocked,” said Landry, who works in manufacturing and has a green card. I've crossed the same port of entry since 2007, with no issues at all, he said.


“It’s terrible. Everything in my life is essentially put on hold. My primary concern right now is, how is my family going to survive at home without me?” he added.

Landry criticizes Trump

Landry said that he backed Trump before he was elected but now says he feels misled. He said that he's critical of U.S. President Donald Trump's scrutiny of the border between Canada and the U.S.

"In the United States … it doesn't matter if you're a better person now, 20 years later, they're going to hold it against you," Landry said, according to CBC News. "If I had known that he was going to do this to hundreds, if not thousands of people across America, whether they deserve it or not, like, I don't know if I would have supported that," he further stated.

"As far as supporting this administration, it definitely has changed my views. I think it's gone too far," he continued. Landry is currently finding ways to getting clear of the old charges so he can return home.

“I’m hopeful that we can get this cleaned up and I can go home and resume my life,” he said. He also stated that he never pursued citizenship because he is a third-generation green card holder, but now intends to apply if he is allowed back into the U.S.