Posted on 06/28/2002 4:32:02 PM PDT by chance33_98
Veteran Villain Actor Deported Berkoff Appeared In 'Beverly Hills Cop,' 'Rambo'
POSTED: 9:28 a.m. EDT June 28, 2002
Veteran character actor Steven Berkoff is facing a real-life drama: He's been deported.
According the Ann Arbor News online, the British actor, known predominantly for playing movie villains, was sent home Tuesday after he was detained by Immigration and Naturalization Service agents at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The allegations were that he violated conditions of a 1997 work visa.
Berkoff has appeared in many notable films, including "Beverly Hills Cop" (as Eddie Muphy's main nemesis), "Rambo: First Blood, Part II," "Octopussy," and "A Clockwork Orange." He was set to take stage Wednesday in Ann Arbor's Summer Festival production of "Shakespeare's Villains," a one-man show.
Berkoff had just arrived on a flight from New York when he was apprehended for visa violation, according to the Ann Arbor News.
According to his American agent, Joe Ajlouny, Berkoff was told that he stayed one day past the expiration date of his work visa in 1997. However, Ajlouny added that Berkoff has been back to the United States over 20 times since 1997.
According to Ajlouny, Berkoff kept telling INS agents, "I'm not a terrorist, I'm an actor!"'
Ajlouny told the paper that the action was "outrageous." A representative from the INS could not go into details about the deportation, but only confirm that the action took place.
Nope.. the only thing "outragous" here is that it TOOK SO LONG TO SHIP HIM OFF.
If you are gonna have laws, then you should enforce them.
He overstayed, it's HIS fault.. Not yours, mine or the INS.
You know, I think maybe the INS is just profiling ugly, bat faced people..
(and I am not going to complain. nope..)
Mark one up for the ever vigilant INS.
A menace has been elimated.
Agreed, but let's be real here. This was just stupid on the part of the INS.
We have thousands of people here illegally from nations that are known to harbor terrorist and we go after a British actor?
It's like when Gore was picked for the extensive search when he flew on an aircraft a week or two ago.
Who is the threat, a relatively well-known British actor, a former VP of the USA or a 20-30 year old Arab student who has over stayed his visa and whose whereabouts are unknown because we won't let loose the dogs to track him on the off chance we might offend him?
What a crock.
This limey gets booted for a technicality and meanwhile Abdul, Mohammed and Achmed who came here from Saudi Arabia to attend college, never showed up for class, and now work security detail in our airports get to stay.
Nothing like an easy target for a one day violation 5 years ago...just for the show doncha know.
These INS folks are a pathetic lot. Folks come here from abroad and over stay their visas for a lifetime, that is even if they bother to get a visa...and then they are offered amnesty. Others come here and get a free loan for a convenience store or maybe a motel. Something we natural born citizens can't get. Meantime we just take it up the whaazoo without so much as a whimper.
How come Berkoff couldn't get amnesty too? Nevermind, he's a rich white guy from Britain.
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