Aussie tourists have been warned the decision to deport them from the US is now ‘subjective’ as Donald Trump takes a hardline stance on immigration.
Californian immigration lawyer Andrea Szew issued the warning on Wednesday following a spate of Aussies complaining they had been randomly sent home.
Last week, former NSW police officer Nikki Saroukos, 25, told Daily Mail she was detained, stripped, and held overnight in Hawaii for ‘having too much luggage’.
Ms Szew said tourists will continue to be subjected to heightened security at US borders.
She said border agents can choose who they will detain based on their ‘subjective’ suspicions.
‘Sounds terrible that someone’s subjective opinion can be that powerful to send me back on a flight all the way back to , but unfortunately it is a subjective decision,’ Ms Szew told Nine News.
She said travellers could be strip-searched and did not have a right to privacy on their devices like laptops and phones including social media accounts.
‘They can look at whose post you liked, they can look at the friends posts you’ve been tagged in, they can look at everything,’ Ms Szew said.
She said some border officials have been emboldened by Trump’s hardline stance on immigration.
ns can minimise their chances of a negative experience at the border by never booking a one way ticket, having their travel itinerary printed out and on their person and taking extra care filling out the visa application.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trading have updated their travel advice regarding the US, saying entry requirements are ‘strict’.
Ms Saroukos revealed how she was detained by US border officials after landing at Honolulu in Hawaii on Sunday.
The 25-year-old thought it would be a routine visit to see her husband who has been stationed as a US Army lieutenant on the Pacific island and US state since August 2023.
Ms Saroukos said she was not given a reason for her detention, beyond the fact that border officials did not believe her story that she was visiting her husband after claiming she had packed more clothing than was necessary for a three-week stay.
‘We went through customs and border security, as per usual, and we got stopped to check our passports,’ she said.
‘I’m an ex-police officer and he was taking a little bit, checking stuff on the computer. My mum started asking, like, ”Oh, is there a problem?” and asked if he needed any more information.
‘He went from being super calm, very nice, even giving my mum a compliment, to just instantly turning.’
The official’s attitude change was just the beginning of a two-day episode during which she was cuffed, frog-marched through the airport, cavity searched and locked up overnight.
‘I was in a foreign country. I had no idea what my rights were. I was terrified,’ Ms Saroukos said.
‘I thought I was never going to get out of that facility.’
‘Because of all the horror stories I’ve heard from other travelers traveling through the United States, I kept asking the officers if I was safe in that facility, because I felt like they put my life at risk because I was being housed with criminals.’
DFAT adjusted its travel advice three times in April in response to reports of increasingly harsh border controls.
The USA’s overall travel rating remains ‘green – exercise normal safety precautions’.
‘Entry requirements are strict. US authorities have broad powers to decide if you’re eligible to enter and may determine that you are inadmissible for any reason under US law,’ DFAT’s website read.
‘Check US entry, registration, transit and exit requirements. Whether you’re travelling on a visa or under the Visa Waiver Program, ensure you understand all relevant terms and conditions before attempting to enter the United States.
‘Expect enhanced screening procedures, including for domestic flights within the United States … US authorities actively pursue, detain and deport people who are in the country illegally. Be prepared to show documents proving your legal presence.’