Travelling with GC - Stopped for Further Screening

[pb273]

hi, i got my gc in 2009. prior to that i was on L1 and i rarely faced any serious questions and had mostly smooth entries into the US (via Newark primarily). since getting the gc, i have always been subject to additional questions or additional screening.

i just came back today from an office trip. after the finger-printing process, i was escorted to an additional area where they took my passports/gc to verify additional info, called me asked 20-25 questions (what do you do, etc), asked me to collect bags and come back, again asked 20-25 questions - and then let me go. this has been happening few times with different variations - e.g. last time the guy at the counter kept on asking me questions for nearly 20 minutes but eventually let me pass ( without the additional questioning room process).

This time, the bags are also unusually throughly checked - almost minutely. I was also asked to produce a business card since i had travelled abroad for business.

i suspect there is something in their file that pops up - but it seems to happen if i am traveling alone (i.e. without wife and kids) and particularly if i returned within a week.

i am an indian passport holder with a gc. unlike many of this forum, i work for a direct employer (financial firm) since the last 8 years who had transfered me to their nyc office 5 years ago - and i really don't seem to have anything unusual about my profile. i am also quite senior in my firm.

i find all of this quite wierd, as i thought once we get the gc, we can freely travel in-and-out of the country with less harrassment. but for me, the harrassment was almost nil on L1 and significantly more on gc.

1. did anyone else have a similar experience?

2. is there anyway to find out why i get pulled up everytime i am travelling on my own? i.e. anyway to know what in their database flags me?

never had a dwi or any ticker or anything whatsoever. i can't understand, once i have got a gc, why should the us govt care if i went abroad for business or work or whether i can still with the same firm that petitioned for met, etc. isn't gc supposed to be freedom from visa-related restrictions?

[pontevecchio]

Please get a Lawyer involved. Talk to the ACLU.

[Joe.F]

It doesn't seem to be based on the GC, probably more based on the name.

I think there is a way somewhere with CBP to check if your name is in one of the "special" databases.