Perhaps more to the story than Mr. Angel has let on, or he's just assuming it meant for life"

From HERE:

The US Customs & Border Protection agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington DC, said it "would not discuss" specific cases.

However a spokesman observed there are more than 60 reasons a person could be denied entry according to the Immigration and Naturalisation Act, including health concerns, immigration violations and security concerns.

Reports in the US have questioned Mr Angel's account on the basis that homeland security rules stipulate that individuals are never told when they have been banned from the country.

For life seems a bit harsh, imo.