The move comes after three Germans were detained.
Update – March 20 at 11:10 a.m. PDT: The United Kingdom has also updated its advisory for the United States, writing on its website, “You should comply with all entry, visa and other conditions of entry. The authorities in the U.S. set and enforce entry rules strictly. You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.”
The crackdown on immigration ordered by the Trump administration has drawn international attention. After three Germans were detained while trying to enter the U.S., Germany is emphasizing to its citizens that a visa or an entry waiver does not guarantee entry into the U.S. A spokesperson reminded people, “The final decision on whether a person can enter the U.S. lies with the U.S. border authorities.”
The German foreign office further clarified that an ESTA approval or a U.S. visa does not promise entry into the country. However, this is not a travel warning, and the reverse is also true.
German authorities are monitoring the recent detention of its citizens and investigating whether these were isolated incidents or indicative of a shift in immigration policies. Spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said, “Once we have a clear picture, we will then, if necessary, adjust our travel and security advice.”
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Two German tourists and one green card holder were arrested upon entering the U.S. The two tourists were sent back to Germany after their cases were resolved, but both endured lengthy ordeals. Tattoo artist Jessica Brösche, who attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico, spent more than six weeks in detention, including nine days in solitary confinement—a claim the detention center denied. Lucas Sielaff spent two weeks in detention after misunderstanding a question due to his limited English proficiency while trying to cross the border from Mexico with his American fiancée.
Meanwhile, permanent resident Fabian Schmidt remains in limbo. He was detained in Boston on March 7 and taken to a detention facility in Rhode Island. According to his mother, he was interrogated violently, stripped naked, and forced into a cold shower. The family has not been informed why he was detained. Schmidt and his mother moved to the U.S. in 2007 and obtained green cards a year later. He was returning from Germany when authorities detained him. His mother claims immigration agents pressured him to surrender his green card and denied him medication.
E.U. citizens can travel to the U.S. visa-free for up to 90 days, making these recent cases particularly perplexing.
Related: Why Are Popular Tourist Destinations on Trump’s Proposed Travel Ban List?
Foreign Nations Detained
The Trump administration has tightened border controls, with immigration officers taking a hardline stance without disclosing reasons for detainment. On March 9, a French scientist was denied entry into the U.S. after immigration officers found messages on his phone criticizing federal budget cuts to scientific funding. The U.S. authorities accused the researcher of “hateful and conspiratorial messages,” but the charges were dropped, and he was sent back.
Canadian citizen Jasmine Mooney described her ordeal after spending nearly two weeks in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility over a faulty work visa. Now back in Canada, she said it felt like she was kidnapped and stripped of her dignity. Her friends and family went to the media, consulted lawyers, and worked tirelessly to secure her release. In an article for The Guardian, she wrote that detention centers are run like businesses, profiting from the number of people they detain, which creates little incentive to release detainees. “They said the entire system felt rigged, designed to make it nearly impossible for anyone to get out.”
A Welsh tourist had a similar experience with U.S. immigration. Becky Burke, now back home in Wales, spent 19 days in detention. Her parents said she is traumatized after being chained and handcuffed during her ordeal.
In addition to tourists, ICE is also arresting students who participated in pro-Palestine protests. Columbia graduate and green card holder Mahmoud Khalil is currently in detention as the administration attempts to revoke his green card and expel him from the U.S. An Indian post-doctoral researcher at Georgetown, Badar Khan Suri, has also been detained at an ICE facility for deportation. Other students are facing similar threats of expulsion. Meanwhile, authorities are actively arresting immigrants and asylum seekers without criminal records, operating mass deportation flights, and are being accused of defying court orders.
Related: Canadians Are Canceling Travel Plans to U.S. and Threatening Boycotts
