I'm a Canadian citizen. A couple of years ago my family and I entered the U.S. for a vacation. When we arrived at the border, I was asked if I had ever been finger printed. I answered no at first, the border guard said "are you sure?" while looking at her computer screen.

I then admitted that yes I was fingerprinted many years ago due to a drug dealer living in the same rooming house as me, but I was not convicted (I was given an absolute discharge). I was told to enter the building. I then repeated my story to the other border guard.  

He then had me sign a declaration swearing that I have never been convicted. After checking on his computer, he let us in the country. (I had my police records purged many years ago, but did not tell him this).

When I got home, I ran a police security clearance on myself and it came up blank... no arrests, no convictions, which leads me to believe that the first border guard tricked me into confessing.

My question is, does the United States have a record of all arrests/fingerprints made in Canada? Also, would it be safe to just say no when entering the United States in the future, and back it up with my Police Security Clearance paper? (to avoid the border hassle each time I enter).

A purged record means there is NO record of it -like it was erased and no longer exists.
I doubt the US keeps or has Canadians records.
It should be safe to say that you have no record.

To intentionally destroy, obliterate or strike out records or information in files, computers and other depositories. For example, state law may allow the criminal records of a juvenile offender to be purged when he reaches the age of majority, to allow him to begin his adult life with a clean record. Or, a company or government agency may routinely expunge out-of-date records to save storage space.

The border guard didn't ask you whether you have ever been arrested or convicted of anything. He asked whether you had been finger printed. Your response should have been a simple yes. If asked why you reply, it was during an investigation of a neighbor. I think you volunteered too much information. I don't think he tricked you, but that you tripped up yourself.

I suspect that your fingerprint record was transmitted to an international database. But that record was JUST for identification and probably did not include the reasons you were fingerprinted. People are fingerprinted for all sorts of reasons, many of them innocent of any criminal wrongdoing.

I worked as a border guard on the Canada side for 6 years. The US and Canada have a single computer system that can access criminal records on both sides... maybe he saw some piece of information (like you being brought in and printed) but not a conviction and just wanted to see how you would react to the question.

So yes, he can see your record and there must be something (not a criminal charge that will pop up on a background check) but something.

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Originally Posted by Lowtax4eva

I worked as a border guard on the Canada side for 6 years. The US and Canada have a single computer system that can access criminal records on both sides... maybe he saw some piece of information (like you being brought in and printed) but not a conviction and just wanted to see how you would react to the question.

So yes, he can see your record and there must be something (not a criminal charge that will pop up on a background check) but something.

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If there is anything it doesn't sound like it would be anything all that incriminating or would they have just left it go and not said informed him of anything?

The new Homeland security has one of the largest fingerprint record ever,
And combine thiers with the FBI fingerprint records their background ability is amazing.

And to your surprise and many, plurging or explunging your records does not get rid of the governments copy, it only stops the public release of that info, ( so if you check it will not show up) but if the police check, they can see it, but it will show up as plurged or explunged.

So the master copy of fingerprinted once in the system, never never is done away with.

I'd like to thank everyone for your answers, especially the Canadian border guard who knows first hand how the system works.

It's good to know how to answer a border guard's questions beforehand as it's always an unpleasant experience crossing the US border in these paranoid post 9-11 days.

I don't deny the paranoia, but its clearly a well placed paranoia.