U.S. Customs and Border Protection has overturned the decision to bar a North Vancouver man from accessing his vacation cabin in Washington state – though the property has already been sold.
Leah Shaffer received a letter Wednesday informing him that the expedited removal order against him had been rescinded – though he received no guarantee of future entry into the U.S.
"My office strongly encourages you to assemble, and carry with you, all available documentation which establishes that you continue to maintain a residence in Canada which you do not intend to abandon," it reads.
Shaffer was given a five-year ban in April, shortly after he filed a complaint over his treatment while crossing the border on the way to his cabin in Point Roberts in February.
In that incident, border guards turned Shaffer away and accused him of living in his cabin – even though he provided documents that showed he lived and worked in Canada.
Shaffer works in Tsawwassen and sometimes makes trips to the cabin during the week.
U.S. law requires Canadians without residency status to stay a maximum of six months, less one day per year – which leaves plenty of time for summer and weekend trips.
He complained to the director of field operations in Seattle, only to find himself barred for five years while trying to cross over again on April 22.
Feeling hopeless, Shaffer put his vacation getaway on the market. He and his wife owned the property for 23 years, and frequently spent weekends and summers there.
