US EditionCBP Clarifies Norwegian Tourist Barred for Drug Use, Not JD Vance Meme
- Norwegian tourist Mads Mikkelsen was denied entry to the US at Newark Airport on June 11, 2025, after ICE agents found a JD Vance meme on his phone.
- Tighter US immigration regulations introduced during Donald Trump's administration in 2025 have resulted in more difficulties for European visitors, with US Customs rejecting Mikkelsen's argument that the meme was the cause of his denied entry.
- Mikkelsen stated that officials baselessly accused him of drug trafficking and extremism, compelled him to provide his phone password under the threat of imprisonment or a hefty fine of $5,000, and conducted a strip search, along with collecting his blood samples and fingerprints.
- He described feeling like a terrorist suspect, stated he was held five hours without food or water, and told Nordlys he was harassed and abused by ICE agents despite pleading the photos were jokes.
- The incident triggered social media criticism over free speech concerns, while Norwegian officials urged travelers to understand US regulations and noted Norway cannot intervene in entry refusals.
92 Articles
92 Articles
Tourist denied entry over JD Vance meme
A Norwegian tourist told Norwegian newspaper Nordlys that he was denied entry to the U.S. on June 11 because of a meme of Vice President JD Vance.The 21-year-old tourist, Mads Mikkelsen, was set for a two month vacation in the states, but was denied entry after questioning at Newark Liberty International Airport. Reactions to Mikkelsen’s encounter have blown up to the extent that Irish lawmakers are waving “Babyface Vance” memes on the floor of …
Mads Mikkelsen, a 21-year-old Norwegian citizen, reported that he arrived at Newark Airport in New Jersey on June 11 to spend a vacation in New York and Texas. At the immigration point, border control agents questioned him, took him to a cell and demanded that he unlock his cell phone.The young man indicated that the authorities threatened him with a $5,000 fine or a sentence of up to five years in prison if he refused to provide his password.He…
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