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The 12-member volunteer group from the Canadian church that was denied entry at the border. (Courtesy Seth Kaper-Dale)

A Canadian volunteer group said it was forced to scrap its plans to help Superstorm Sandy victims rebuild their homes on the Jersey Shore after border officials denied them entry to the country this past weekend.

Erik Hoeksema, outreach director for the Canadian Rehoboth United Reformed Church, said a border official told the group on Saturday its relief work was taking away from American jobs -- and turned them away.

But border officials dispute the claim.

"Border patrol said we are doing work and we are pursuing American jobs," Hoeksema, 34, said. "Common sense here says (Sandy victims) still need help, that's why we are going there. We're just a church group, there's no way we're stealing American jobs."

Dave Long, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Buffalo, N.Y., told NJ Advance Media the 12-member group was shut out because they lacked proper documentation. He said the denial was within the officer's discretion and not tied to any recent policy change under the Trump Administration.

"Nothing is new, the questions that the officers are asking haven't changed, for years. What the officers are looking for, it's all grounded in the U.S. code, there's no mystery to what we do," Long said. "The same rules were in force for volunteers who traveled to the U.S. to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina."

President Trump's executive orders on immigration have clamped down on legal and illegal immigration; his most recent iteration limits travel from six majority Muslim countries and will take effect on Thursday. The orders do not include Canada but have raised the specter of tougher enforcement at border checkpoints.

The Reformed Church of Highland Park, run by Pastor Seth Kaper-Dale, planned to host the volunteers from from Hamilton, Ontario. Kaper-Dale said he's had seven other Canadian groups come across the border to perform similar work without a problem.

"Never once has there been an issue," said Kaper-Dale, who is also running for governor as a Green Party candidate. "And the first group from Canada since Trump has a problem."

Long said any international visitor doing humanitarian work "must provide documentation in advance to the port where they are seeking admission to the U.S., that should include a letter from the municipality stating what the arriving group will be doing."

He said the border officer tried to help the Canadian volunteer group but "ultimately the group was unable to obtain the proper documentation to support this visit."

Hoeksema said the border officer asked for a letter from Kaper-Dale but the letter was not specific enough. He said when the officer received a second letter that specified the work included community clean-up, "that kind of became the thing we couldn't do, that was the work for hire."

Hoeksema said the border officer also told them that because Sandy happened in 2012, relief efforts were not an immediate need.

After two hours at the border, the group -- including a 15 year old -- was told to go home, group members said.

Long said border officials are responsible for enforcing U.S. laws that "safeguard American industry, including laws that restrict employment of foreign visitors." Last year 19.5 million people passed through the northern border.

Hoeksema said church groups have a "long history" of volunteering in the U.S. and was disappointed by the weekend's outcome.

"You don't know if it's a political issue. it's frustrating," he said. "Did we get stuck on a technicality? Did we make a mistake possibly? I don't know. Is this new enforcement? I don't have an answer to that."

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.