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Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

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Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#101

Post by Tade0 »

EA-3167 wrote: post #57
Disposal8433 wrote: post #29

Going to the USA as a tourist might be the most stupid action that one can make at this time. Unless you have a dying mother or father, there is absolutely no reason to visit this country. It reminds me of the tourists that used to go to North Korea for fun some years ago, it never was a good idea.

In 2023, when tourism rates had yet to fully recover from Covid, over 66 million people visited the US from abroad. I don't have more recent statistics, but I'm going to assume that the number is the same or higher this year. Out of that population which could fill a decent-sized country, how many people have been treated so unfairly as the one in this article? How do those stats compare with other countries, and the…

This is unheard of anywhere in the developed world. Security at airports simply doesn't have this sort of power outside the US.

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#103

Post by pixelesque »

EA-3167 wrote: post #57
Disposal8433 wrote: post #29

Going to the USA as a tourist might be the most stupid action that one can make at this time. Unless you have a dying mother or father, there is absolutely no reason to visit this country. It reminds me of the tourists that used to go to North Korea for fun some years ago, it never was a good idea.

In 2023, when tourism rates had yet to fully recover from Covid, over 66 million people visited the US from abroad. I don't have more recent statistics, but I'm going to assume that the number is the same or higher this year. Out of that population which could fill a decent-sized country, how many people have been treated so unfairly as the one in this article? How do those stats compare with other countries, and the…

I doubt it's that high with loads of Canadians not visiting the US.

I planned last year to stop off in Hawaii and Seattle on the way from NZ to the UK this May, but in March this year I altered that and just did Vancouver instead as the stop-off.

I know several friends and colleages who have also done similar (even two didn't go to weddings of friends in the US).

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#104

Post by Someone1234 »

It is worth noting that the US has been doing digital device searches coming up to twenty years now. I had my phone searched back in the early 2000s, and my most recent US Visa required me to list all social media accounts.

I've even read (but not experienced) reports of GrayKey or UFED being used to download someone's unlocked phone for offline analysis also. Your choices at the border are either: Unlock your phone and MAYBE get let in, or refuse which is best case a guaranteed entry refusal or worse case a 5 ban (for "non-cooperation" as inadmissibility reason).

The US (and UK) treat non-citizens terribly at the border; even with zero history or justification. It is even worse for non-white Europeans.

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#105

Post by AdamN »

nelsonfigueroa wrote: post #26

Jeez...is the current administration that sensitive to criticism? I wonder if this comment will come back to haunt me some day.

This is really just the essence of bureaucracy - which is the problem with these rules that sounds fine if you don't think about the implementation of them.

Trump himself probably wouldn't care (which is why he thinks these rules are fine - he knows what should be a jailable offense) but of course the bureaucracy needs to make rules that any of the thousands of border guards can follow. The outcome is a bullwhip effect and you get this (or worse).

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#106

Post by tc313 »

United857 wrote: post #35

I’m no fan of the current administration but this is one person’s account so inherently 1 sided. I just flew in from Europe and most people were not searched. US border control don’t have time to systemically search the phones of all travelers. I’m guessing some other red flag triggered the questioning and phone search and denial (eg no return ticket or accommodation booked).

> it is the traveller's responsibility to have valid documents and be familiar with the current entry regulations

This response from the Norwegian foreign office makes it seem like the man lacked proper documentation, which led to the search. However, it’s unclear to me whether the comment is specific to this case or just a general statement.

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#108

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

gruez wrote: post #36
paxys wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have been to China multiple times and no, this does not happen.

To be fair something that makes the news isn't necessarily indicative of the median experience either. If US and China both looked through 0.1% of traveler's phones, that'd be both compatible with horror stories making the news, and widespread anecdotes of "weird, never happened to me".

US visa applicants are required to disclose five years of social media history and to make listed accounts public.

https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/20...

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#109

Post by arlort »

csense wrote: post #47
supertrope wrote: post #2

A teacher in school told me about the time they visited East Germany. Armed guards poked though his luggage. It's a slippery slope toward fascism.

Armed guards in 1980's East Germany open your luggage and poke through it by hand. TSA employees in 2000's USA scan your luggage and poke through it with technology. For any reason or no reason, they can open it up and poke through it by hand, or ask for assistance from nearby policemen with guns. Is there any moral difference? If so, what is it? (Also, nitpick: The East Germans were Communists, not fascists.)

Yes, the moral difference is in the motivation and consequences.

We take into account motivation pretty often to evaluate morality not sure why you can't apply it here

TSA's purpose is prevent harm to other passengers (effectiveness is debatable but not the point), the east German border guards were there to keep control on what information the population could access and share

They are not the same thing even if the means look the same

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#110

Post by perihelions »

ymhr wrote: post #53
perihelions wrote: post #18

> "placed in a cell" I think the title is deficient and should be based on this higher-weighted fact, over the weaker phrasing "refused entry". "Tourist jailed without trial for possessing political cartoon"

Even worse, you can omit “political” meme - he may be a political figure but as far as I can tell it has no relation to any policies…it’s just a silly picture.

Isn't the politics the entire point though? US federal law enforcement isn't jailing people over funny pictures; they're jailing people over funny pictures *of powerful government officials*. It's an instantly-recognizable trait of a certain kind of country: like "you can't refer to Xi Jinping as "Pooh", you go to jail for that", or "you can't talk about the King of Thailand's body weight, you go to jail for that"—it's a archetype of *that* kind of place. Everyone knows what it means. "You can't make silly pictures of Vice President Vance—you go to jail for that".
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