this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2025
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Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme (www.dailystar.co.uk)
submitted 14 hours ago by XLE@piefed.social to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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A 21-year-old tourist has described the horrendous treatment he allegedly received after being denied entry to the USA due to a meme depicting JD Vance as bald being found on his phone

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[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 146 points 13 hours ago (3 children)

This not only has been going on awhile, it's worse than it sounds.

A French scientist was denied entry at the border earlier this year, in March, after officers unearthed messages criticising Trump on his phone.

Mikkelsen explained: "They threatened me with a minimum fine of $5,000 or five years in prison if I refused to provide the password to my phone."

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 0 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

shouldve wrote it in french, instead of english. also whats a scientist still doing in the USA, they are usually fleeing the us.

[–] refalo@programming.dev 3 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

How do you put someone in prison who has not entered your country yet?

And I thought it was already ruled that they can't hold someone for that long just for not giving up a password at the border?

[–] XLE@piefed.social 61 points 13 hours ago (4 children)

Any idea if these threats are actionable? He's not a US citizen to just fine or imprison.

[–] PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat 73 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

They have "deported" dozens of US citizens at this point. Usually, being a non-citizen makes you more vulnerable to arbitrary bullshit at the border, whereas if you're a citizen you can stand up much more so for your rights if they're trying to push you into something illegal, but as of this year it's starting to matter less and less.

Everything is actionable once the rule of law collapses. At this point, if you're crossing the border, you're in danger of whatever they want to do to you.

[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 62 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

i think this is a concept that a lot of people are having a hard time grasping: laws are meaningless if no one enforces them. this 100% applies both to laws meant to protect you, AND laws meant to punish those who are harming you

On the other hand his actions are not regulated by law or by any clearly formulated code of behaviour. In Oceania there is no law. Thoughts and actions which, when detected, mean certain death are not formally forbidden, and the endless purges, arrests, tortures, imprisonments, and vaporizations are not inflicted as punishment for crimes which have actually been committed, but are merely the wiping-out of persons who might perhaps commit a crime at some time in the future.

-1984

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 10 points 9 hours ago

There's neither even a rhyme nor reason to Trump's fascism (or to fascism in general). But it does correlate with the observation that they are fantasists. They do things out of whim and emotions, disregarding expert advice and opinions. Any promulgation of fascism will eventually lead to its own downfall, because they live in a fantasy world where they believe that their will alone could shape reality; ignoring the basic common sense that reality could never be altered to one's desires.

[–] flandish@lemmy.world 22 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

they are not legal, as the first amendment applies even to noncitizens. however that doesn’t mean they can’t deny entry for “any” reason. they are fascist after all.

[–] refalo@programming.dev 3 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

It has been ruled by SCOTUS that the Constitution specifically does not apply at border entry to non-citizens:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_ex_rel._Knauff_v._Shaughnessy

the Constitution does not grant aliens any protections when trying to enter the United States.

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C18-8-7-3/ALDE_00001263/['article',%20'14']

an alien "on the threshold of initial entry stands on a different footing" because he or she is theoretically outside the United States and typically beyond the veil of constitutional protection.

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/345/206/

Although a lawfully resident alien may not captiously be deprived of his constitutional rights [to due process], the alien in this case is an entrant alien or "assimilated to that status" for constitutional purposes.

The Attorney General therefore may exclude this alien without a hearing, as authorized by the emergency regulations promulgated pursuant to the Passport Act, and need not disclose the evidence upon which that determination rests.

[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 12 points 12 hours ago

Basically like firing you from work for discrimination isn't legal, but firing you for performance is (your performance being anything they wish to come up with).

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Depressingly, SCOTUS has ruled that you really don't have the same rights at border crossings as you do once you've passed through.

This applies to citizens as well as foreign nationals.

[–] refalo@programming.dev 1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

You have even less rights at border crossings if you are not a citizen and have not technically entered the country through immigration yet... basically the Constitution does not even apply:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_ex_rel._Knauff_v._Shaughnessy

[–] Kirp123@lemmy.world 5 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Once you're in a country you are subject to that country's laws, it's a thing you need to be aware of when traveling. A lot of people find that out the hard way.

So yea, they are actionable if they want it to be.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 3 points 9 hours ago

It's against American law.