Dr Behnoosh Dashti, a Maine-based physician and dual Iranian-Canadian citizen, says she was unable to return to the United States for more than four months after a driver’s licence renewal issue led her to cross briefly into Canada. Her lawsuit alleged that US border officers deemed her inadmissible despite her valid passport and H-1B work visa; she has since returned home and agreed to dismiss the case permanently. The incident highlights the potential consequences of administrative and border-entry disputes for lawful visa holders.

Dashti said Maine’s motor-vehicle bureau advised her to cross the border to update immigration information missing from its system, after extending her visa through 2029. She alleged that, when she tried to return minutes later on 8 April, she was detained for 10 hours, questioned about Iran and geopolitical issues, and released into Canada without being allowed back into the US. During her absence, she stayed in hotels and short-term rentals, could not work, and was separated from her husband and two children.