Reports indicate a recent surge in tourist detentions at U.S. border crossings, raising concerns about the safety of traveling to the United States. These incidents involve tourists from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada, who were detained for weeks upon entry and ultimately returned home at their own expense. These cases have sparked questions regarding the intensity of U.S. border enforcement and anxieties about the safety of tourists visiting the U.S.
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03-22, 2025The experience of U.S. citizen Lene Taylor and her German fiancé, Lukas Siraf, is particularly representative. While returning to the U.S. from Tijuana, Mexico, Taylor was handcuffed and chained to a bench, while Siraf was accused of violating the 90-day U.S. tourist visa regulations. Siraf was held in a crowded immigration detention center for 16 days before being allowed to fly back to Germany at his own cost.
Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service Committee's U.S.-Mexico Border Program, stated that in his 22 years of border work, he has never seen tourists from long-standing U.S. allies such as Western Europe and Canada treated in this manner. He believes that the concentration of these cases is highly unusual, and the reasons for detaining these individuals are perplexing, questioning whether this reflects a more zealous anti-immigration atmosphere.
In response to these events, the U.S. government has not provided statistics on the number of tourists detained, nor has it explained why entry was not simply denied. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has issued a notice urging its foreign students and faculty to consider the risks of spring break travel, warning that "entry requirements may change while you are away, affecting your return."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated that Siraf and another German tourist, Brosche, who was detained for 45 days, were deemed "inadmissible" by Customs and Border Protection. The UK and Germany have updated their travel advisories, reminding people to be aware of strict U.S. border enforcement. Taylor plans to sue the U.S. government, while Siraf says he is reconsidering his plans to hold his wedding in Las Vegas and is considering seeking psychological therapy to cope with the trauma.
