Silly bureaucracy in action! An internationally renowned cyber-guru who often comes into the U.S. to train DoD, DoE, and other alphabet soupers was held for 4 hours by customs, and deported as he came in to speak at a Black Hat convention.

His own report on the issue makes it clear that it was a paperwork snafu that could have been cleared up immediately, if only anyone would have admitted to the authority to accept his signature on a standard form. Instead, he was deported, and has to re-apply for a visa (because he was deported).

The glitch is that the American organization that invited him to speak invited him as an individual, rather than himself as the CEO of his small company.

While it was bottom level customs bureaucrats that blocked him, I suspect that it is the political fight about visas for techies that snagged him. The tug-of-war between the security position of “block everyone”, and the freedom side of “allow everyone” is being fought in congress and for the upcoming election. Should America allow itself to reclaim technological superiority, or to stagnate?