November 15, 2011

Banned from the U.S.A.



Pogo (Nick Bertke) is one of my favorite independent electronic music artists. He's a young, extremely talented DJ who is travelling around the world to do tours and remix movies and culture. His fans alone foot the bill for travels. Here's one video he did while in Johannesburg, South Africa:



I just found out that while attempting to travel to the U.S., Pogo was detained for not having all the proper paperwork. Rather than attempt to remedy their goof, his travel agency cut their ties to him and refused to speak to either him or U.S. customs on his behalf. Pogo sat in a New York jail for three weeks before finally being deported and being informed that he was barred from attempting to enter the country for 10 years.

In light of this situation, I'd like to cordially extend my middle finger to the United States Customs and Border protection and Department of Homeland Security.