With the Trump administration continuing to push forward with its immigration crackdown, the heightened border scrutiny has in a growing number of cases also been extended toward tourists.
On March 18, British tourist Rebecca Bourke was arrested at the border between Washington state and British Columbia and finally returned home after three weeks spent in immigration detention.
Fabian Schmidt, a 34-year-old German national who had a valid green card and lived in the U.S. since 2008, has been in detention since coming back from visiting family in Europe through Boston’s Logan Airport on March 7. After finally being released back to Canada, BC resident Jasmine Mooney described her experience being placed in chains and made to sleep under aluminum foil after getting arrested when applying for a visa at the U.S.-Mexico border crossing.
‘You may be liable to arrest or deportation if you break the rules’
These instances have prompted all three of these tourists’ countries of origin to update their travel advisories for citizens who may be planning travel to the United States.
On March 19, the German Ministry sent out a warning saying that “false information regarding the purpose of stay or even a slight overstay of the visa upon entry or exit can lead to arrest, detention, and deportation upon entry or exit” while Global Affairs Canada had earlier reminded Canadians that the “decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveller.”
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On March 20, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office followed by also updating its U.S. travel advisory.
“You should comply with all entry, visa and other conditions of entry,” the office’s page for travel to the country now explicitly states. “The authorities in the U.S. set and enforce entry rules strictly. You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.”
As first reported by Reuters, the previous warning simply stated that “authorities in the U.S. set and enforce entry rules.”
In response to questions on whether the changed guidance was influenced by the current political climate or specific detention cases, the British Foreign Ministry said that it periodically reviews its guidance for all countries.
Germany, Canada and Mexico have all issued new guidance for traveling to the U.S.
Canada’s recently updated guidance also calls attention to the fact that Trump’s immigration rules may change rapidly — the current administration has recently changed its policy to require Canadians who drive across the border and stay for more than 30 days to register themselves with the government.
As the portal for doing this is yet to become available, the requirement has sown much confusion around what travelers are supposed to do.
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Mexico, meanwhile, warned citizens of a measles outbreak that has been spreading across Texas and nearby states. Mexicans who have not been vaccinated with the full MMR vaccine have been advised to not travel to the U.S. at all for as long as it is raging.
“Before traveling, make sure you have your complete vaccination schedule,” Mexico’s government advisory details. “[The] risk level of contracting measles is medium for people who go to Texas.”
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