On one hand, this account sounds overly dramatized (and quite rude calling the officers "broom pushers"), and it's hard to feel sympathy for people who take the privilege of international travel too lightly by not researching the relevant visa regulations (especially when it's a journalist of all people).
On the other hand, US immigration and customs officials really do seem heavy-handed, and seem to revel in treating every tourist who filled out a form incorrectly or misunderstood some rules as the next Bin Laden.
Now it's just a TV show so I don't know how "cleaned-up" it is, but if you watch "Australia Border Patrol" they seem to have a much better relationship with their visitors. Many episodes have people arrive flouting quarantine rules or misrepresenting themselves still get let in, possibly just with a fine, since they get a change to explain themselves calmly and correct their mistakes and the officers come across as trying to help people rather than trip them up.
On the other hand, US immigration and customs officials really do seem heavy-handed, and seem to revel in treating every tourist who filled out a form incorrectly or misunderstood some rules as the next Bin Laden.
Now it's just a TV show so I don't know how "cleaned-up" it is, but if you watch "Australia Border Patrol" they seem to have a much better relationship with their visitors. Many episodes have people arrive flouting quarantine rules or misrepresenting themselves still get let in, possibly just with a fine, since they get a change to explain themselves calmly and correct their mistakes and the officers come across as trying to help people rather than trip them up.