A 21 year old Norwegian citizen was detained at New Jersey’s Newark Airport on June 11 by border control agents and then subjected to what he called “abuse of power and harassment,” Nordlys, a Norwegian newspaper reported.
His case was not at all an isolated one as more and more European citizens are turned away ont he US border, or even, taken into custody. The developments surrounding US immigration policies have been noticed by US allies, as well.
A True Novelty: Turned Back Because of a Meme and a Photo
Mads Mikkelsen was about to board his flight when agents detained him in a cell at Newark Airport in New Jersey. He claimed he was strip-searched, forced to give a blood sample, and then coerced to unlock his phone under threat of a $5,000 fine or up to five years in prison. Upon discovering a meme depicting Vice President JD Vance with a bald head on his device, the guards sent him home the same day.
US Customs and Border Protection later posted he was denied entry due to his “admitted drug use,” since they found a photo of a wooden pipe on his phone as well.
But it was not just Mikkelsen who ran into trouble with US border agents; tourists from several countries have reported issues with border control as US President Donald Trump’s second administration increases border security and ICE detentions.
Australian writer Alistair Kitchen was interrogated at Los Angeles International Airport during a layover. He was refused entry to the US and sent home after interrogating him on his political beliefs due to his articles on a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University in New York, where he graduated.
At least 8 people from New Zealand have been detained at the US border since November, according to the New Zealand Herald, prompting authorities to review guidance. One of them reported being forced to buy a return ticket from San Francisco Airport after a 15-hour-long detention when agents took issue with her State Department-issued visa.
German Guidance: Even a Slight Issue “Can Lead to Arrest”
The German Foreign Ministry has also put out new guidance on travelling to the US, which they emphasized did not constitute an official travel warning.
“A criminal conviction in the United States, false information regarding the purpose of stay, or even a slight overstay of the visa upon entry or exit can lead to arrest, detention, and deportation upon entry or exit,” their website reads.
German authorities began a probe in March, with spokesperson Sebastian Fischer warning that they were “monitoring the situation” to confirm if these are isolated travel and visa issues or if they are representative of “a change in American immigration policy.”
The probe began after several German citizens encountered issues with US border control. Fabian Schmidt, a legal permanent US resident, was arrested at a Boston airport before being taken to a detention facility in Rhode Island.
His mother claimed he was stripped naked and forced into a cold shower after a difficult interrogation at the airport.
Jessica Brösche, a Berlin tattoo artist, attempted to enter the US at the Mexico border with a US citizen before being taken to Otay Mesa Detention Center, where she stayed for more than six weeks. Her friend claimed she spent nine days in solitary confinement, though the detention facility denied this to ABC 10News.
Lucas Sielaff spent two weeks in detention after entering the US on a tourist visa and visiting Mexico for a short trip. His girlfriend told the Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger that he was arrested after answering a question incorrectly due to his poor English skills.
Two German teenagers, Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, with loose plans to travel around the island, to California, and later to Costa Rica. Issues arose when authorities realized they hadn’t booked accommodation for the entire holiday, which Border Control found suspicious.
German outlet Ordsee Zeitung reported that Honolulu airport subjected them to lengthy interrogations, strip searches, and full body scans before detaining them with long-term detainees allegedly accused of serious crimes.
CBP later said the girls admitted they intended to work, which is strictly prohibited under a visitor visa, but the girls claim their words were twisted by border agents, which the interrogation transcripts show.
German travelers are allowed to enter the US visa-free with an ESTA (electronic system for travel authorization document) under the visa waiver program, but authorities now warn this does not guarantee entry to the US, as the final decision “rests with the American border authorities.”
Detention or Return?
Although legislation is targeted to clamp down on illegal migration, the directives have caused concern for tourists as well. The World Travel and Tourism Council says the US economy is expected to lose $12.5 billion in international traveler spending this year.
When travelers’ fates are up to border control, they have the right to remain silent, but they are likely to be denied entry using this tactic, an immigration lawyer advised the New York Times. Upon detention, travelers can be held for up to 90 days.
