Rules and Regulations

No photo today, but a bit of a rant. I heard a first hand account today, of something that made me quite upset. What is your reaction?
The lady beside me was recounting the story, and it just happened this last weekend, Sept 11th. She has a 63 year old brother who has been in her constant care since he had an industrial accident when he was 19 years old. He has been more or less housebound but recently, after years of saving and planning, the lady and her husband were taking the handicapped brother on an Alaska Cruise, leaving from the port of Vancouver. The cost was $9000.00 for the three of them, including some very expensive medical insurance and trip cancellation insurance. 
Before check-in, they all went through US Customs (Homeland Security) They were denied entry. The reason? The injured man had a warrant for his arrest on suspected car theft in the USA. This was news to all three and they demanded to see documentation. Request denied and all three were escorted out of the terminal. No refund from the cruise ship cancellation insurance because it was an infraction of the law that made them cancel the trip. The lady and her husband could not abandon the brother in the terminal and take the cruise and had no one to call to come pick him up. The drove home, no cruise and no $9000.00. 
There is the letter of the law, and there is the intent of the law. In this case, the letter of the law states that no entry be allowed because of an apparent infraction of the law. The intent of Homeland security is to prevent terrorists, drug dealers and or criminals from entering the USA. The problem is that nobody is allowed to, or nobody is brave enough to think outside the box. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that this 63 year old man is not a threat, in fact he has to be escorted and cared for by his two guardians. Could  someone not recognise this and allow this threesome their trip of a lifetime? 
There is an email 'forward' floating around that mourns the death of 'Common Sense'. When I hear something like this, I know it is true.