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Original poster

Are you going to the USA? Just make sure you've not said anything nasty about Trump or your phone might get searched and you won't be allowed in

160 replies

cakeorwine · 19/03/2025 22:42

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/trump-musk-french-scientist-detained

I wonder what he said in his private messages that were looked at when US Border Agents looked at his phone.

“I learned with concern that a French researcher” on assignment for the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) “who was traveling to a conference near Houston was denied entry to the United States before being expelled”, Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister of higher education and research, said in a statement on Monday to Agence France-Presse published by Le Monde. “This measure was apparently taken by the American authorities because the researcher’s phone contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration’s research policy,” the minister added.

"Another AFP source said that US authorities accused the French researcher of “hateful and conspiratorial messages”. He was reportedly also informed of an FBI investigation, but told that “charges were dropped” before being expelled."

Clearly some people might need a burner phone. And be careful of your social media use.

French scientist denied US entry after phone messages critical of Trump found

France’s research minister said the scientist was traveling to Houston for a conference when his phone was searched

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/trump-musk-french-scientist-detained

OP posts:
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karenesoum · 24/04/2025 03:08

AlisonDonut · 20/03/2025 21:03

How does sending people who have messages on their phones that meet the criteria of terrorism back out of the country make it less 'safe'?

If counties let terrorists in, it would less safe, surely?

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How does criticising Trumps research policy count as terrorism?

DuncinToffee · 26/03/2025 10:27

https://www.newsweek.com/netherlands-issues-us-travel-warning-belgium-set-follow-2050630

Netherlands Issues US Travel Warning, Belgium Set to Follow

Petuniaspetal · 23/03/2025 07:55

https://youtube.com/shorts/LBY6aZhX9KA?si=E5SlEEvOcYM5779c

American is taking this all very seriously.

TooBigForMyBoots · 22/03/2025 20:52

comradepumpkin · 22/03/2025 13:25

Many people are worried about the inconsistency of justice in the UK. Why are some people jailed for what they say and others not?;

freespeechunion.org/no-charges-for-east-london-imams-destroy-jewish-homes-sermon/

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If you go around locking up preachers who ask God to smite folks, the jails would full to capacity after the weekend.😆

Inciting humans to commit violence is very different. It's punishable by law.

DdraigGoch · 22/03/2025 20:32

Not related to social media posts but another case of someone being detained in awful conditions. Dormitories of 110.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjd3prze9yjo

Original poster
cakeorwine · 22/03/2025 20:28

Boomer55 · 22/03/2025 17:15

Quite. My son emigrated out there 15 years ago when he married an American woman.

He's kept his British nationality, and lives, works and pays taxes out there.

Hes no Trump supporter, but reassuringly, he's never been detained or arrested. 🙄

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Some food for thought

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/22/us/green-card-visa-holders-deportation-fears-cec/index.html

Marina Sinden, a green card holder in Washington state who’s married to a US citizen, is looking forward to visiting her family in Canada for Easter. But the 37-year-old tattoo artist says she’s not looking forward to what she fears might happen when she tries to return to her US home afterward.
“I’m really concerned about making the crossing back into the United States. … I have an entire world here to lose if I’m not allowed to re-enter,” Sinden says.

‘They’ve never been afraid before’: Why some green card holders’ concerns are growing | CNN

Some immigrants with green cards — documents deeming them lawful permanent residents of the United States — tell CNN they’re still scared the Trump administration could kick them out of the country.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/22/us/green-card-visa-holders-deportation-fears-cec/index.html

OP posts:
DdraigGoch · 22/03/2025 20:17

Boomer55 · 22/03/2025 17:15

Quite. My son emigrated out there 15 years ago when he married an American woman.

He's kept his British nationality, and lives, works and pays taxes out there.

Hes no Trump supporter, but reassuringly, he's never been detained or arrested. 🙄

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How many times has he entered the country in the time since the current regime took power?

suburberphobe · 22/03/2025 19:49

He won't last long anyway.

Petuniaspetal · 22/03/2025 19:21

https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/BBo4lxbeXz

Just saw this on instagram. Relevant to this topic.

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/BBo4lxbeXz/

Puzzledandpissedoff · 22/03/2025 18:40

cakeorwine · 19/03/2025 23:13

Clearly many people get into the USA and they don't check everyone's phones. '
But I wonder what made them check this person's phone. They have the right to do this if you want to get into the USA.

Since they tend not to comment on individual cases I doubt we'll ever know what led to a more intensive search, but as PPs have said there'll certainly be more to this than has been presented

It won't stop the media making a complete mares nest out of it though ...

SquareHeader · 22/03/2025 18:25

You don’t have to give your social media details for an ESTA - it is optional. Just applied for and got my esta very recently without giving them.

Petuniaspetal · 22/03/2025 18:14

Boomer55 · 22/03/2025 17:15

Quite. My son emigrated out there 15 years ago when he married an American woman.

He's kept his British nationality, and lives, works and pays taxes out there.

Hes no Trump supporter, but reassuringly, he's never been detained or arrested. 🙄

Show quote history

Yet. The British husband Riley Gaines can't get a green card because he didn't have documentation /or didn't get the covid vaccine...which is all the more absurd given the maga trumpets seem largely against the vaccines...despite the trumpet himself taking it.

It's worth saying that alot of immigrants also married locals worked paid taxes and have got chucked out despite being married to a local. I suspect though that the identification process might be more about their skin colour or their origins South of the usa border.

DuncinToffee · 22/03/2025 18:04

comradepumpkin · 22/03/2025 18:02

Here's another link to the story seeing as you seemingly want to deflect. Personally, I'm worried about what is going on in the UK with Orwellian "non-crime hate incidents" and the inconsistent way justice is levied.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/21/met-police-claimed-imams-sermon-saying-destroy-jewish-homes/

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You are derailing.

comradepumpkin · 22/03/2025 18:02

DuncinToffee · 22/03/2025 14:03

Toby Young has never been arrested, has he?

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Here's another link to the story seeing as you seemingly want to deflect. Personally, I'm worried about what is going on in the UK with Orwellian "non-crime hate incidents" and the inconsistent way justice is levied.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/21/met-police-claimed-imams-sermon-saying-destroy-jewish-homes/

DuncinToffee · 22/03/2025 17:27

It's the first time the UK issued a travel warning with the added

'You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.'

Things have changed

Boomer55 · 22/03/2025 17:15

AnyoneWhoHasAHeart · 21/03/2025 05:00

Links to the articles of holidaymakers who are routinely being deported for criticising trump? Oh wait. There aren’t any.

We’re talking about one person here. one person who was clearly up to no good if the article linked to above is anything to go by.

But the rabbit hole dwellers and the gutter press are anxious to whip this into a frenzy about how if you go and see Mickey Mouse your phone will be searched and if you’ve said anything anti trump you’ll be deported when there is 0 evidence to support that.

the people buying into this shit are akin to the Covid conspiracy theorists and the flat earth brigade.

Show quote history

Quite. My son emigrated out there 15 years ago when he married an American woman.

He's kept his British nationality, and lives, works and pays taxes out there.

Hes no Trump supporter, but reassuringly, he's never been detained or arrested. 🙄

Original poster
cakeorwine · 22/03/2025 16:57

littletesco · 22/03/2025 14:14

They did the same last time round. People were sending phones ahead and travelling with temporary phones but then they started demanding social media logins

But how do they know if you are on Facebook / Twitter / Blue Sky / Instagram etc.

OP posts:
StandFirm · 22/03/2025 15:24

StandFirm · 22/03/2025 15:22

You are absolutely allowed to take business meetings on an ESTA. The ESTA does not allow for PERMANENT work but it allows for business trips. However, it's now sensible to print the terms and conditions of your ESTA and proof of its status just in case.

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And to add: what you cannot do on an ESTA is the digital nomad thing when you decide to work from a US location for a foreign employer for no good reason. That's not allowed. However if you have business meetings or a conference/work event to attend that is absolutely OK. You just have to have a valid business reason for being in the US. Hope that makes sense.

StandFirm · 22/03/2025 15:22

Bigcat25 · 22/03/2025 03:35

My spouse is in this position of turning down a work trip. The other thing is they may expect you to have a visa, whereas in the past a two or three day work trip wouldn't require a visa.

Some of these officers have quotas to meet as well, and some detentions centres are private with horrible conditions.

Show quote history

You are absolutely allowed to take business meetings on an ESTA. The ESTA does not allow for PERMANENT work but it allows for business trips. However, it's now sensible to print the terms and conditions of your ESTA and proof of its status just in case.

StandFirm · 22/03/2025 15:20

lljkk · 21/03/2025 20:00

It sounds like violation of fourth amendment.
The precedent has been that the Constitution applies to everyone, even illegal persons, present on US jurisdiction soil. That's slowly being eroded, and the precedent may yet be cast asidel but not yet for actual citizens.

I'm American citizen. They can't keep me out.

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You are right as an American citizen but foreigners on a visa have literally zero rights before they're cleared for entry.

littletesco · 22/03/2025 14:14

They did the same last time round. People were sending phones ahead and travelling with temporary phones but then they started demanding social media logins

DuncinToffee · 22/03/2025 14:03

comradepumpkin · 22/03/2025 13:25

Many people are worried about the inconsistency of justice in the UK. Why are some people jailed for what they say and others not?;

freespeechunion.org/no-charges-for-east-london-imams-destroy-jewish-homes-sermon/

Show quote history

Toby Young has never been arrested, has he?

Serpentstooth · 22/03/2025 13:56

No patience left for this. Bullshit. Utter bullshit.