American Lennon Tyler and her partner, German Lucas Sielaff, used to travel by road to Mexico when he was on vacation in the United States. That shared time was a dream for both of them... until last month when one of their worst nightmares unfolded. When they were returning from the border city of Tijuana, border agents stopped them, handcuffed the woman, chained her to a bench, while he was accused of violating the 90-day tourist permit rules and was sent to a crowded US immigrant detention center, as the couple claims. He spent 16 days locked up before being allowed to return to his country.
Incidents like this, with tourists detained for weeks, have been recurring since President Donald Trump returned to power. Another German tourist, Jessica Brösche, was detained at the Tijuana crossing on January 25 and spent six weeks detained, including one in isolation. At the Canadian border, a backpacker from Wales, Becky Burk, spent nearly three weeks in a detention center in Washington before being allowed to return this week. On March 3, Canadian Jasmine Mooney, an actress and entrepreneur with a work visa for the US, was detained at the Tijuana border crossing.
Pedro Ríos, director of the American Friends Service Committee, a non-profit organization that assists migrants, stated that in the 22 years he has worked on the border, he has never seen travelers from Western Europe and Canada, former US allies, locked up in this manner. "It is unusual for these cases to be so close to each other, and the reason for detaining these people makes no sense. The treatment and abhorrent conditions they endured are unjustifiable," he denounces. In his opinion, "there is a much more fervent anti-immigrant atmosphere."
US authorities did not respond to a request from The Associated Press for figures on how many tourists have been detained in detention centers or explain why entry was denied to them. These incidents are fueling anxiety as the Trump administration prepares for a ban on travelers from some countries. Considering the "evolution" of federal travel policies, the University of California, Los Angeles sent a notice this week urging its foreign-born students and staff to consider the risks of non-essential travel for spring break, warning that "re-entry requirements may change while you are away, impacting your return."
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency only pointed out in an email to AP that Sielaff and Brösche, who was detained for 45 days, "were deemed inadmissible" by Customs and Border Protection without specifying specific details, emphasizing that "if statutes or visa terms are violated, travelers may be subject to detention and expulsion."
Both German tourists were allowed to enter the US under a program offered to a select group of countries, mostly from Europe and Asia, whose citizens can travel to the US for business or pleasure for up to 90 days without needing to obtain a visa beforehand. Applicants register online in the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, but even if they are authorized to travel under that system, they may be denied entry into the country.
Sielaff arrived in the US on January 27. He and Tyler decided to go to Tijuana for four days in mid-February because Tyler's dog needed surgery, and veterinary services were cheaper there. They returned on February 18, only 22 days after Sielaff obtained his 90-day tourist permit. When they arrived at the border checkpoint, the US agent aggressively asked Sielaff: "Where are you going? Where do you live?". English is not Lucas's native language, so he replied, "We are going to Las Vegas," and the agent said, "We caught you. You live in Las Vegas. You can't do that," Tyler recounted. Sielaff was taken for further questioning.
Tyler explains that she asked if she could go with him or if she could get a translator, and she was told to be quiet. Then they took her out of the car, handcuffed her, and chained her to a bench. Her dog, recovering from surgery, remained in the car. After four hours, Tyler was allowed to leave but was not given any information about her fiancé's whereabouts. During the interrogation, Sielaff assured the authorities that he had never lived in the US and had no criminal record. They searched his entire body and ordered him to hand over his mobile phone and belongings. He was put in a cell where he slept on a bench for two days before being transferred to the Otay Mesa detention center in San Diego, where he shared a cell with eight other people. "You are angry, sad, you don't know when you will be able to leave," he recounted.
"Finally, they told him to take a direct flight to Germany and provide a confirmation number. In a frantic call, Sielaff bought it for $2,744. He flew back on March 5. "What happened at the border was a blatant abuse of Border Patrol power," Tyler denounces.
"The detentions come amid legal battles over the Trump administration's detentions and deportations of other foreigners with valid visas and green card holders, including a Palestinian activist who helped organize protests on campus against the war in Gaza. Tyler plans to sue the US government, and they are reconsidering their plans to hold their wedding in Las Vegas." Now their efforts are focused on overcoming the trauma: "No one is safe to come to the US as a tourist anymore."