Because Oregon was paying her an honorarium and expenses. Actually, the visa waiver rules allow that. The INS eventually admitted it and let her in – after first sending her to Canada. At that point it was too expensive to rebook everything, so she went home. Inside Higher Ed has the story:
Unfortunate, of course, but something seems not quite right about this story. A professor from Adelaide is granted admission within a rental car ride from Eugene, and goes all the way back? I had a similar interrogation at heathrow while entering UK on sabbatical, was asked many questions in a gruff tone about my sources of funding,purpose, etc., but I took it as their job, did not respond with anger and did not go all the way back to Eugene and blast the U K immigration.
The article states she had already paid to change her trip and lost her rental and overall would have lost money. At that point I can see how one would toss in the towel. Air fare is expensive and she was paying for that herself at that point and would probably not have been reimbersed if she changed her flight again either. You know what seems not right about this story? The American officials who did not know the rules, did not even look them up, and basically did not do their jobs. I want to hear they suffered consequences.
Like. And I think appropriate consequences would be a round-trip tourist class ticket to Auckland in a non-reclining seat next to the bathrooms, with 2 hour turnaround to be spent without leaving the plane.
Your absolutely right, the article clearly states one side of the story