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For the second time this month, United States border practices are being criticized after an ambulance from Windsor, carrying a heart patient en route to emergency surgery in Detroit, was stopped at U.S. customs by border guards.

On Nov. 11, volunteer firefighters from Quebec were held up at the U.S. border when they tried to help fight a fire in Upper New York State.

In the Windsor incident, Rick Laporte, 49, was heading to Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital for the emergency heart procedure last Monday when his ambulance was stopped at the secondary inspections office.

The ambulance driver was asked to check into the office and was there at least three minutes, according to a Windsor Regional Hospital nurse travelling with Laporte.

Laporte was being taken to Detroit because the angioplasty surgery he needed was not available at the Windsor hospital.

Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj said hospital staff gave the ambulance a "pre-clearance" by fax.

Laporte's girlfriend, Kat Lauzon, has been vocal about the border wait.

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"It was freer before, but we live in a different world now," said agent Mark Henry..."9/11 changed everything," said Border Patrol agent Fernando Beltran...

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[ 25 August 2008: Message edited by: M. Spector ]

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Jason Haist's arrival in the U.S. was a complete accident. After nearly drowning in rapids on the Niagara River, he washed ashore on American soil, where he was promptly informed he faced charges for entering the country illegally and could be detained for up to three weeks while officials try to determine his intentions.

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Originally posted by Skinny Dipper:
I would hate to be on a Canadian flight from Toronto to Montreal which lands on the St. Lawrence in an emergency. All the people in the liferafts on the left side of the plane will be OK paddling to the Canadian shore; all those on the right will be arrested for reaching the American shoreline.

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