To think it's crazy to be planning a holiday to the USA right now

[Fragmentedbrain]

I know border control there has never been a relaxed experience but the risk of being detained arbitrarily for weeks or longer seems unacceptably high now.

Hasn’t it always been the case? I had a similar experience to @Cososom20 years ago. I took the number of an US immigration lawyer with me, I didn’t need it.

What did that look like, searching his phone? Just opening social media apps and scanning timeline or more diligent? Gives me the ick.

What makes you think it’s extremely dangerous?

There are many much nicer more interesting countries to visit and we won’t go because of the threats to Canada but it’s no more dangerous than many European countries.

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But this was somebody who was already in the US (they claim illegally) who was arrested. Not someone who was arrested at the border and then detained for weeks. That's what the original poster was worried about. Nobody has yet been able to give an example of that happening. All the examples given in this thread so far are either of people arrested while already in the US, or who were never let in and sent back after no more than a couple of hours at the border.

This definitely appears to be heavy-handed, but there’s clearly much more to this story than is reported here, so I’m not sure how any conclusion can be drawn.

Well there is, really. As you know, when you apply for an ESTA you have to put in an address. You don’t have to update this when you next travel, but you do have to complete Advance Passenger Information to the airline, which includes a contact address. This has been the case for as long as I can remember (including when the green slips were in use before ESTAs).

The two girls (one of whom was actually travelling on a B2, according to reports) were unable to provide this information.

I’m not excusing heavy-handed behaviour, and I’m certainly not condoning anything DJT has done or said, but I have still seen no evidence that there’s an increased likelihood of being denied entry for ordinary folk holidaying within the requirements.

The story of the Australian travellers in Hawaii is only given from the travellers account. Given the mention of working online I suspect the issue was not just the lack of accommodation but also lack of available funds for a five week stay leading to a suspicion that they were intending to work. You just need to watch Australian border control to see travellers are regularly turned away from Australia for this reason.

For the chap who is a US citizen but adamant he won’t get a US passport - that is fine but it is also fine for the country he is so adamant he doesn’t want to acknowledge he is a citizen of to ask why when he is trying to visit that country.

As for getting the ‘ick’ at the idea of a country you are trying to enter looking at your phone for activities/activating against that country - what exactly do you think the purpose of border control is?

The Foreign Office Travel Advisory on the US is Level 2, the mildest. The US and several other countries have Level 2 travel advisories on travel to the UK.

Do you recommend against travel to the UK on the same grounds, @Eyesopenwideawake ?

I went to America a few years back to visit my friend. I was kept at the airport for an hour being asked questions. I still do not know why until this day. They were asking if I was planning on marrying if I was there. The dates of birth of my friend and her children (which I had no idea about but wasn't allowed to phone and ask them!), my history, my job etc. I am just a normal person, no criminal history, work for the civil service, etc. Was bizarre and scary.

As someone who, in the past, has lived and worked in the US I agree with whoever it was who described America as the nicest third world county in the world. So I can see how those from other developing countries would think like that :)

I'm an American citizen and I get grumpy border officials 99% of the time. My British husband always gets friendly ones. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Maybe they are confused about why I don't live in the states. Idk.

Huh? On what grounds? I'm not aware of people trying to enter the UK being arrested, detained without reason and summarily deported for no reason. Or maybe you are saying there's no good reason for foreigners to visit the UK. Which is a bit off.

I am saying that Level 2 travel advisories mean very little.

The Level 2 advisories for the UK specifically mention terrorist threats and anti-immigration riots, nothing to be proud of either. People are very occasionally killed. But it is exceedingly rare that travellers would be caught up in troubles.

For all the publicity, the same is true of people entering the US with paperwork in order also.

We all tend to seek out information confirming our biases, and - as your post I have quoted indicates - have a difficult time with that which refutes them.

From the article:

• Merlos, who is originally from Honduras, and her children were being held inside a detention center near Ferndale,

• The Department of Homeland Security accused Merlos of “attempting to smuggle illegal aliens” into the country, according to a statement.

• Merlos had requested that her children stay with her during her detention, the agency said.

• Merlos’ husband Carlos was detained several days later outside the family’s home in Portland, Oregon.

• The couple’s immigration status is unclear.

• Merlos’ sister, a legal resident of Canada, had stepped across the boundary while saying goodbye, “which triggered this unfounded accusation,” they said.

Wait..a few years back? 2021-2025?

Just back from holidays there and go there at least once a year for work or vacation. Never had issues and didn’t in January or the last two weeks.

It’s such a high risk that every time it happens it ends up on the news and being discussed online. You’re more likely to die in a car crash on the way to the airport to be fair

Only if the parents apply for a CRBA before the child's 18th birthday.

Road safety is another reason to be hesitant about visiting the US, true.

Of course if airports like LAX had decent public transport you could just avoid that risk, but they don't.

Heading there in September and looking forward to it. I’ve got an Esta, I’m staying with friends and I’ve got nothing to hide. I’ll leave when I say I will and I have no dodgy connections. If someone wants to look at my phone, they’re more than welcome. All they’ll see is random searches on ChatGPT, loads of WhatsApp messages and of course Mumsnet.

Looking forward to a lovely holiday.

As a black woman I wouldn't go there if you paid me 🤷‍♀️

Look. there’s very limited risk, like no risk at all, of being detained arbitrarily for weeks unless you lie on your immigration form (which can really only be about previous convictions / being denied entry / overstaying previous visa, etc). And even then more likely to be just put on the next plane back.

However, I and many others (looking at their most recent tourist data) are boycotting the US and choosing to holiday somewhere where we feel more welcome. That's different, if the effect is the same.

I’m in the U.S at the moment. I am white with a Spanish last name. I got pulled aside and had to give them my phone passcode. They then took my phone away while I waited 45 minutes. They did bring it back and let me go after asking the usual questions (purpose of visit, where am I staying etc). It was the worst experience I’ve had yet (I fly here frequently). This will likely be my last trip until the administration changes. There have been instances in the news of tourists being detained and even put right back on a return flight, but I believe that happens rarely. Being put through the wringer while trying to enter the country seems more commonplace though.

I have been through immigration in USA twice this year and been fine (I did hear some horror stories as well). I will say the experience probably depends on the airport (bigger ones expect a longggg wait we did 3 hours in the queue at one). The last one was is flying into Boston last month and was an absolute breeze, just answer the questions asked honestly and don’t take it as a joke or an a-front to your rights, they are there to do a job and although the questions are sometimes unexpected they are asking them for a reason. I will say passport control back in UK (UK citizen) was a bit more random, not sure if the bloke on the desk was bored or had a reason to ask so many questions, but again answer them honestly and you’ll be on your way.