Hawaii Local Media: “Suspected of Intent to Work Illegally”
Claims of Being Detained in Green Prison Uniforms, “Two German teenagers on a world tour were denied entry to the U.S. in Hawaii because they didn’t book a hotel for their stay. On the 21st (local time), the British Independent reported that they were detained by immigration officials due to ‘suspicious’ travel intentions and were subsequently deported. According to the German Ostsee-Zeitung, Charlotte Paul (19) and Maria Lepere (18) from Rostock, about 244km north of Berlin, started their world tour after graduating high school.”,
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The story of two German teenagers on a world tour being denied entry to the U.S. in Hawaii for not booking a hotel and being detained due to ‘suspicious’ travel intentions before being deported has been reported. Reddit,
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, ‘The two arrived in Honolulu on March 18 after traveling through New Zealand and Thailand. They had obtained electronic travel authorization (ESTA) for their U.S. trip in advance but were still refused entry into the country. Paul and Lepere underwent several hours of interrogation at Honolulu International Airport, alongside body scans and strip searches. However, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) informed them of their entry denial and deportation.’,
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, ‘Hawaii media ‘Beat of Hawaii’ reported, “CBP officials suspected the two German teenagers of intending to work illegally in Hawaii, as they planned a 5-week stay without booking accommodations.” Paul complained, “They probably thought it was suspicious that we hadn’t booked accommodations for our 5-week stay in Hawaii, but we just wanted to travel naturally like we did in Thailand and New Zealand.” Lepere also expressed, “It all felt like a dream. We were already aware of what was happening in the United States, but we never thought such things would happen to German citizens. We felt very naive and powerless.”‘,
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, ‘The pair claimed they were handcuffed, dressed in green prison uniforms, and detained overnight on a moldy mattress. After being denied entry, they returned to Honolulu International Airport in handcuffs on March 19. They eventually returned to Rostock 3 days after their arrest, traveling through Tokyo, Qatar, and Frankfurt, as reported by the Ostsee-Zeitung.’,
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, ‘Meanwhile, ‘, A German government official stated to the Washington Examiner that they are in “close contact” with the U.S. government regarding this incident. The German government is also investigating recent cases of citizens being arrested or deported while attempting to enter the U.S., Since the inauguration of the Donald Trump administration, incidents in Germany have continued where individuals with legitimate documents are denied entry or arrested in the U.S. One of these individuals was a U.S. permanent resident. Germany has recently advised citizens planning to visit the U.S. to prepare for interrogations at the border.