Aussies flying to US warned after tourists strip searched, thrown in federal prison
Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii after backpacking in Thailand and New Zealand when they were denied entry and were detained until deportation.
The teens told a German publication that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials were 'suspicious' they hadn't booked hotels for their entire stay and claimed interrogation transcripts contained words they didn't say.
CBP said the women intended to work in the US which is prohibited on a visitor visa and when using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) under the Visa Waiver Program.
Melissa Vincenty, a US immigration lawyer and Australian migration agent who is managing director of Worldwide Migration Partners, told news.com.au that either way, being taken to federal prison with no criminal record, no drugs on them or anything that is a danger to society is an extreme measure — but it's the reality of being denied entry to the US in Hawaii.
Ms Vincenty, a dual-citizen who was a deportation defence lawyer in Honolulu before moving to Australia, explained the state did not have an immigration facility so people were taken to the Federal Detention Center Honolulu, where there was no separate wing for immigration.
It meant tourists who were denied entry to the US could be held alongside those awaiting trial — or who have been convicted and were waiting to be transferred to a mainland prison for serious federal crimes, such as kidnapping, bank robbery or drug crimes.
'It's like in the movies; you go there and there's bars, you get strip searched, all your stuff is taken away from you, you're not allowed to call anybody, nobody knows where you are,' Ms Vincenty said.
She said it would have been a 'horrific' experience for the young German tourists.
Ms Vincenty said for Australians who were denied entry to the US in other locations like Los Angeles, San Francisco or Dallas, being held in detention facilities until the next available flight home was a real risk as there weren't constant return flights to Australia — meaning you might have to wait until the next day.
If not taken to a detention facility, some travellers may stay sitting for hours in what is called a secondary inspection at the airport.
A secondary inspection includes further vetting such as searching a travellers' electronic devices.
'That period can last from half an hour to 15 hours or more,' she said.
Ms Vincenty warned it was crucial Australians travelling to the US had the correct paperwork for what they were there for, and should 'absolutely' wait for the right visa if they planned to work.
'Now more than ever, understand what the parameters are of what you can and can't do, and don't try to 'get around it',' she said.
'Over the years I've had a lot of people get around it and think 'I'm invincible, I can do whatever I want'. Now is not the time to play that game. Don't do it.'
Dr Lee Morgenbesser, an associate professor in comparative politics at Griffith University, said in his opinion, Australians planning to go to the US now 'need to ask themselves whether their travel is absolutely essential'.
He personally cancelled a business trip for research purposes in July.
'I am somewhat outspoken of the Trump administration,' he said of his reasoning. 'It is important what you say about the Trump administration online. It does have a bearing, which is certainly something that's different to the past.'
Fewer Australians are already travelling to the US
March saw the sharpest drop in Australians travelling to the US since during the height of the Covid pandemic, according to US International Trade Administration statistics.
Australian visitor numbers fell 7 per cent in March this year, compared to March 2024 — the biggest drop since March 2021.
Foreign traveller arrivals in the US are expected to sharply decline this year, according to Tourism Economics.
The travel data company revised its outlook after Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs announcement on April 2 — forecasting a 9.4 per cent decline in international visitor arrivals.
Their spending is expected to decline 5 per cent, representing a loss of $9 billion in spending.
It is a significantly different 2025 forecast than that released in December, which anticipated a 8.8 per cent growth in international visitation and 16 per cent increase in visitor spending.
Tourism Economics' report says decisions from the Trump Administration are creating a 'negative sentiment shift toward the US among travellers' — with Mr Trump's stance on border security and immigration one of the factors cited as discouraging visits.
James Robertson, head of global security for the firm International SOS, told news.com.au the company's overall security case folio for the US (people wanting advice before travelling or while already over there) had tripled from January to April, compared to the same period last year.
He said the Los Angeles wildfires were responsible for some of that spike, but so was Mr Trump's border crackdown.
Ms Vincenty said Worldwide Migration Partners had seen 'a huge drop' in clients wanting to go to the US.
'We handle immigration in both directions. We've seen a big drop in inquiries about visas to go the US and a huge uptick in people wanting to come back to Australia and bring their families,' she said.
'That's only happened in the last 60 days. We get hundreds of calls in a month so we can kind of see the trend and that's absolutely what the trend is.'
How to prepare for travel to the US
Mr Robertson said International SOS was encouraging people to plan ahead and think through how the rules will affect them.
'It's obviously better to prepare for these sorts of things and consider what information might be on your devices before you go, then end up missing your connecting flight for example because you've shared memes or messages critical of the government,' Mr Robertson said.
Dr Morgenbesser said it was important Australians do not assume they will be safe from enhanced vetting because their travel is innocuous.
'I make the assumption that I might be a bit more at risk because the work I do and what I say online but we're seeing instances of German tourists, French scientists, Australian UFC trainers — clearly this enhanced vetting is hitting a lot of people regardless of their profession.'
He advises rehearsing answers for CBP officers about why you are in the US, how long you'll be there for, where you are staying and when you are leaving, so you can answer confidently.
Dr Morgenbesser said one idea to prepare for the worst case scenario of being detained is setting up an email with details about where you are that will automatically send if not manually cancelled.
Ms Vincenty warns travellers from Australia to be alert when they arrive into the US and not be affected by sleeping pills or alcohol.
She advises travellers to print out their itinerary that shows their accommodation bookings, return flights and even evidence of funds in their bank account.
This is so you do not have to open up your phone in front of CBP officers unnecessarily.
If you are instructed to show your phone and choose to do so to avoid being denied entry, Ms Vincenty encourages people to enter their passcodes themselves instead of providing that information to the officer. She also recommended removing biometric access to your phone, such as a fingerprint or facial recognition to unlock.
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