Man 'refused entry into US' as border control find bald JD Vance meme on phone
Mads Mikkelsen, 21, from Norway, has told how he was strip searched and "humiliated" at New Jersey's Newark Airport after immigration officers found a meme on his phone of JD Vance without hair
A tourist claims he was "humiliated" by immigration officers and denied entry to the United States after they found a JD Vance meme on his phone where the US vice-president was bald.
Mads Mikkelsen, 21, had arrived at New Jersey's Newark Airport on June 11 when he was pulled aside by border control and placed in a cell. He was travelling to the US to visit friends, first in New York and then in Austin, Texas, but says he suffered "harassment and abuse of power" at the hands of US immigration authorities. He claimed he felt "humiliated" before being taken to a room where he "had to hand over" his phone.
"I felt prejudiced, suspected and simply humiliated even then, in front of many other people at the airport," said Mads from Tromso, Norway. "They took me to a room with several armed guards, where I had to hand over my shoes, mobile phone and backpack."
Officers quizzed Mads about his visit, and his plans, before adopting a personal line of questioning. "They asked direct questions about drug smuggling, terrorist plans and right-wing extremism, completely without reason," he told Norwegian outlet Nordlys.
"They demanded full information about everyone I was going to meet in the US, including name, address, phone number and what they did for work." Mads' mother was due to meet up with him a few weeks into his stay and the pair had planned to travel to several national parks.
"I had travelled for 12 hours, slept poorly, and was physically and mentally completely exhausted even before they started the questioning," he continued. A strenuous crackdown by US Customs and Border Protection has followed Donald Trump's return to office, with officers allowed to search phones.
A French scientist was also denied entry at the border in March, after officers unearthed messages criticising Trump on his phone. Mikkelsen explained: "They threatened me with a minimum fine of $5,000 (£3,671) or five years in prison if I refused to provide the password to my phone."
After handing over his password, Mads was told he would not be allowed to go through with his planned vacation after two images were not to the officers' liking. One image was of a meme showcasing JD Vance with a bald, egg-shaped head. Variations of the image were shared endlessly in March on social media, with the Vice President himself posting his own version.
The other picture showed Mads with a wooden pipe which he had made years prior. "Both pictures had been automatically saved to my camera roll from a chat app, but I really didn't think that these innocent pictures would put a stop to my entry into the country," he said.
Mads claims he tried to say the images were harmless and meant as jokes but the immigration authorities ignored his pleas. He said he was then strip-searched, forced to give blood samples, a facial scan and fingerprints.
"Later I was taken back in, and the situation got even worse. I was pushed up against a wall and was strip-searched with a lot of force. They were incredibly harsh and used physical force the whole time," he claimed.
"I felt completely devastated and broke down, and was close to crying several times. I was on the verge of panic. It felt like I was a terrorist suspect where I was sitting. I tried to pull myself together several times, but in the end, I just wanted to get home again."
The Norwegian adds he was placed in a cell for a further five hours, refused food or water and placed on a plane back to Oslo the same day he arrived for the holiday of a lifetime. "I don't feel there is any point in contacting (Norwegian) authorities, nor do I think they have any power against such a powerful and strict country as the United States," Mads conceded.
Mathias Rongved, a spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned fellow Norwegians that it is their duty to be clued up on US regulations before entering the country. "Most trips to the US go without any particular problems," he said.
"Entry regulations can change at short notice, and it is the traveller's responsibility to have valid documents and be familiar with the current entry regulations. It is the immigration authorities upon arrival who decide whether you are rejected at the border.
"Norwegian authorities cannot intervene in this decision. It is also not necessarily the case that we receive a message either from other countries' border authorities or the Norwegian traveller if the person in question is not allowed to enter a country."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Senate pushes ahead on Trump's tax break and spending cut plan
By a 51-49 tally and with vice president JD Vance at the Capitol to break a potential tie, the Senate cleared a key procedural step on Saturday as midnight approached. Voting had come to a standstill, dragging on for more than three hours, with holdout senators huddling for negotiations and taking private meetings off the Senate floor. In the end, two Republicans opposed the motion to move ahead on Mr Trump's signature domestic policy plan, joining all 47 Democrats. 'Tonight we saw a GREAT VICTORY in the Senate,' Mr Trump said in a social media post afterwards. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all Republicans are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programmes as a way to help cover the cost of extending some 3.8 trillion dollars (£2.77 trillion) in Trump tax breaks. Mr Trump had threatened to campaign against one Republican, senator Thom Tillis, who had announced he could not support the Bill because of Medicaid cuts that he worried would leave many without health care in his state. A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the Senate version of the Bill would increase by 11.8 million the number of people without health insurance in 2034. Mr Tillis and senator Rand Paul voted no. Renewed pressure to oppose the 940-page bill came from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who called it 'utterly insane and destructive'. Ahead for senators now will be an all-night debate and amendments. If they are able to pass it, the Bill would return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House. With the narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans released the bill 'in the dead of night' on Friday and were rushing through before the public fully knew what was in it. He forced a full reading of the text that began late on Saturday and continued into Sunday morning. At its core, the legislation would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Mr Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The Bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit 350 billion dollars (£255 billion) to national security, including for Mr Trump's mass deportation agenda. But the cutbacks to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy investments are also causing dissent within republican ranks. Senator Ron Wyden said the environmental rollbacks would amount to a 'death sentence' for America's wind and solar industries.
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Senate pushes ahead on Trump's tax break and spending cut plan
By a 51-49 tally and with vice president JD Vance at the Capitol to break a potential tie, the Senate cleared a key procedural step on Saturday as midnight approached. Voting had come to a standstill, dragging on for more than three hours, with holdout senators huddling for negotiations and taking private meetings off the Senate floor. In the end, two Republicans opposed the motion to move ahead on Mr Trump's signature domestic policy plan, joining all 47 Democrats. 'Tonight we saw a GREAT VICTORY in the Senate,' Mr Trump said in a social media post afterwards. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all Republicans are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programmes as a way to help cover the cost of extending some 3.8 trillion dollars (£2.77 trillion) in Trump tax breaks. Mr Trump had threatened to campaign against one Republican, senator Thom Tillis, who had announced he could not support the Bill because of Medicaid cuts that he worried would leave many without health care in his state. A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the Senate version of the Bill would increase by 11.8 million the number of people without health insurance in 2034. Mr Tillis and senator Rand Paul voted no. Renewed pressure to oppose the 940-page bill came from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who called it 'utterly insane and destructive'. Ahead for senators now will be an all-night debate and amendments. If they are able to pass it, the Bill would return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House. With the narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans released the bill 'in the dead of night' on Friday and were rushing through before the public fully knew what was in it. He forced a full reading of the text that began late on Saturday and continued into Sunday morning. At its core, the legislation would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Mr Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The Bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit 350 billion dollars (£255 billion) to national security, including for Mr Trump's mass deportation agenda. But the cutbacks to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy investments are also causing dissent within republican ranks. Senator Ron Wyden said the environmental rollbacks would amount to a 'death sentence' for America's wind and solar industries.
Rhyl Journal
2 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Senate pushes ahead on Trump's tax break and spending cut plan
By a 51-49 tally and with vice president JD Vance at the Capitol to break a potential tie, the Senate cleared a key procedural step on Saturday as midnight approached. Voting had come to a standstill, dragging on for more than three hours, with holdout senators huddling for negotiations and taking private meetings off the Senate floor. In the end, two Republicans opposed the motion to move ahead on Mr Trump's signature domestic policy plan, joining all 47 Democrats. 'Tonight we saw a GREAT VICTORY in the Senate,' Mr Trump said in a social media post afterwards. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all Republicans are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programmes as a way to help cover the cost of extending some 3.8 trillion dollars (£2.77 trillion) in Trump tax breaks. Mr Trump had threatened to campaign against one Republican, senator Thom Tillis, who had announced he could not support the Bill because of Medicaid cuts that he worried would leave many without health care in his state. A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the Senate version of the Bill would increase by 11.8 million the number of people without health insurance in 2034. Mr Tillis and senator Rand Paul voted no. Renewed pressure to oppose the 940-page bill came from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who called it 'utterly insane and destructive'. Ahead for senators now will be an all-night debate and amendments. If they are able to pass it, the Bill would return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House. With the narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans released the bill 'in the dead of night' on Friday and were rushing through before the public fully knew what was in it. He forced a full reading of the text that began late on Saturday and continued into Sunday morning. At its core, the legislation would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Mr Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The Bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit 350 billion dollars (£255 billion) to national security, including for Mr Trump's mass deportation agenda. But the cutbacks to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy investments are also causing dissent within republican ranks. Senator Ron Wyden said the environmental rollbacks would amount to a 'death sentence' for America's wind and solar industries.
