In San Diego, an unsettling experience unfolded for Lennon Tyler and her fiancé, Lucas Sielaff, during a routine trip back from Tijuana. They often traveled to Mexico together, but their return from this trip took a dark turn.
U.S. border agents detained Tyler, a U.S. citizen, and sent Sielaff, visiting from Germany, to an immigration detention center after alleging he had violated his tourist permit. He was held for 16 days, while Tyler waited to hear from him.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Since the Trump administration began, cases of tourists being detained at U.S. borders have surged. Others have shared similar experiences. Jessica Brösche, another German tourist, spent over six weeks in a detention center, including time in solitary confinement. A Welsh backpacker was also held for nearly three weeks at the Canadian border.
Pedro Rios, who leads the American Friends Service Committee, noted that he has never seen travelers from Western Europe face such treatment. "The rationale behind these detentions is baffling," he said. "It reflects a growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) labeled Sielaff and Brösche as "inadmissible" but did not provide reasons for their detentions. Facing uncertainty, Tyler commented, “What happened at the border was blatant abuse of power.”
In recent years, attitudes toward immigration and tourists have shifted noticeably. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 65% of Americans express discomfort with immigration policies being too lenient—a stark contrast to attitudes a decade ago. This change in sentiment may complicate the experiences of travelers seeking to visit the U.S.
Both Sielaff and Tyler plan to start their lives together in Germany after this troubling incident. “We’re rethinking our plans for a wedding in Las Vegas,” Sielaff said, marking a shift driven by fear and uncertainty.
In another example of changing travel dynamics, on March 3, Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian actress with a work visa, was detained for 12 days at the Tijuana border. British Columbia Premier David Eby voiced public concern over such detentions, reflecting widespread anxiety about U.S. immigration policies.
As the world watches, many tourists now weigh the risks of traveling to the U.S. amid evolving border practices. Travelers across social media platforms, like TikTok, have shared their own nerve-wracking encounters at borders, creating a community of growing unease.
Tyler and Sielaff’s ordeal is a disturbing reminder of the complexities faced by tourists today and raises questions about the fairness of border policies.
Their story is one among many, showing how travel can quickly turn into trauma in unpredictable times.
For further reading on U.S. border policies, check Pew Research Center.
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Source linkDonald Trump, United States government, Lucas Sielaff, Wales, Germany, Las Vegas, Canada government, Mexico, San Diego, Prisons, General news, Domestic News, United States, Europe, CA State Wire, WA State Wire, NV State Wire, Pedro Rios, Law enforcement, Politics, Paul Burke, Jessica Brsche, World news, Immigration, Jasmine Mooney, Brittany Kors, David Eby, Becky Burke, Border security, U.S. news, Travel and tourism, Ashley Paschen, Rob Gillies, World News
