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The US says this Australian writer was expelled because of a drug lie. He's not the first

The Age

2 days ago

The Age

The US says this Australian writer was expelled because of a drug lie. He's not the first

A years-long legal battle followed. In 1975, Lennon triumphed. While the government had attributed its attempt to expel Lennon to his cannabis conviction, documents submitted to the court suggested the Nixon administration had been motivated by a fear Lennon could promote opposition to the president. Judge Irving Kaufman would have none of it. 'The courts will not condone selective deportation based upon secret political grounds,' he ruled. Chaplin's exile was on flimsy grounds, too. Scott Eyman, who wrote a book on Chaplin's stoush with the US government, told NPR that authorities had no legal grounds to revoke the actor's entry permit because he had not committed a crime. 'What was not stated and what Chaplin did not know was that if he had turned around and come back and demanded a hearing to get back his re-entry permit, they would have had to give it to him,' Eyman said. 'So they actually had no legal justification for excluding him from coming back to the country.' But times – and visa rules – have changed. ANU international law professor Donald Rothwell told the ABC that US border officials have complete discretion over whether to allow someone into the country, whether or not they hold a valid visa or visa waiver. Loading 'They don't have to give a reason, and there is very little ability for an Australian traveller to challenge that,' Rothwell said. Along the way, they can search phones and luggage and detain people without providing access to a lawyer. The system is not new, or particularly different to Australia's border regime, but the way in which it is being used has shifted. Cases of Australians being denied entry to the US are getting coverage they have never had before. There was the man who told this masthead's Traveller in April he had been sent home from New York for taking a circuitous route to the US (which he said he did because it was cheaper). And a former NSW police officer travelling to Hawaii to visit her American husband was expelled in May for taking three suitcases, which the Daily Mail reported made officers suspicious she would stay longer than allowed in the country. Whether these deportations were caused by the Trump administration's aggressive new approach to screening remains unclear. What is obvious is that its rhetoric has shifted. The US Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on social media questioning the circumstances of the marriage of the former police officer who had travelled to Hawaii, Nikki Saroukos. The department said Saroukos met her husband the same day her former partner left her, and that they had married one month later. 'I never want to return back to the United States,' Saroukos said, even before the statement was issued. Loading It has barely dented other travellers' appetite to go stateside. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows 56,770 Australians travelled to the US in April 2025, down from 60,520 in April 2024. Kitchen, the writer who was denied entry, says the US government has immense discretion that it uses to keep out people it doesn't like. 'The question [on the visa waiver application] asks if you've consumed illicit drugs in the past,' Kitchen said. 'If every Australian flying into Los Angeles International Airport answered honestly, the lines would get very short, very quickly.' Chaplin's exile deeply hurt the star, who never returned to the heights of success he had enjoyed in America. He would not go back to the country for 20 years, but was greeted as a hero with a 12-minute standing ovation at the 1972 Academy Awards. Loading Lennon stayed in America and was slain five years later. Kitchen is back with his family in Castlemaine, north-west of Melbourne, and has achieved a dream of many young writers: The New Yorker published his account of his deportation.

Antoinette Lattouf reveals shock career change as she signs with Abbie Chatfield's talent agency after unfair dismissal case against the ABC

Sky News AU

2 days ago

Sky News AU

Antoinette Lattouf reveals shock career change as she signs with Abbie Chatfield's talent agency after unfair dismissal case against the ABC

Antoinette Lattouf has undergone a significant career change following her unfair dismissal case against the ABC after signing with a talent agency best known for representing reality TV stars. Ms Lattouf, 45, who briefly worked as a fill-in radio host for Sydney Mornings, launched legal action against the national broadcaster last year, claiming her contract was unfairly terminated in December 2023. She claimed she was dismissed from the ABC after sharing a post on Instagram by Human Rights Watch (HRW) about the war in Gaza on December 19, which read "HRW reporting starvation as a tool of war". The hearing concluded in February, with Justice Darryl Rangiah thanking both Ms Lattouf and the ABC for the 'vast amount of work they have put into this matter and for their assistance' and reserving his judgment for a later date, which is yet to be disclosed. In the months following her high-profile case, Ms Lattouf has expanded her social media presence, where she speaks about social justice issues. She continues to be outspoken about the war in Gaza and frequently calls out headlines she perceives as inappropriate about the matter. It's expected she will now endeavour to secure more paid work in the media through the help of the Talent Management company Stage Addiction. Ms Lattouf took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce she secured representation with the talent agency in a tongue-in-cheek post. "Who is this human headline hottie now being represented by Stage Addiction?" she wrote in the caption of a professional image of herself. "Get your people to call my people etc etc." Ms Lattouf's famous friends welcomed her latest move in the comments, with Aussie Olympic Giaan Rooney commenting three flame emojis. The Bachelor star Matt Agnew, who Stage Addiction also represents, wrote: "Welcome!!" Stage Addiction's Ben Grand will manage Ms Lattouf, utilising his more than 15 years of experience "building the profiles of some of best-known personalities and entertainers," according to his LinkedIn profile. Stage Addiction also represents The Bachelor and FBoy Island star Abbie Chatfield, as well as The Bachelorette alum Angie Kent. It's understood Ms Lattouf, together with Ben, will elevate the journalist's personal brand and seek to further expand her presence into television, music, radio, film, social media, podcasts, theatre, and publishing. She has experience in multiple mediums, including podcasting as co-host of the news and analysis podcast The Briefing and hosts The Weekend Briefing, which profiles prominent Australians. Ms Lattouf has interviewed Grace Tame, a prominent advocate for survivors of sexual assault, as well as Fatima Payman, who sensationally quit the Labor Party in 2024 to launch a political party called Australia's Voice. The Lebanese journalist has also emerged as a voice for charity work and mental health advocacy and holds speaking engagements. Before her case against the ABC, Ms Lattouf did not frequently platform social justice figures on social media as she does now. She said she was informed in a meeting with ABC management the day after sharing the HRW post that she had breached the national broadcaster's policies regarding the personal use of social media. In her statement of claim, she alleged her political opinion on the Israel-Gaza war and race both played a part in the reasoning for her removal mid-way through her five-day radio presenting contract. The broadcaster has denied that Ms Lattouf's contract was unlawfully terminated. has contacted Ms Lattouf and Ben Grand for comment

Sydney Morning Herald

2 days ago

Sydney Morning Herald

The US says this Australian writer was expelled because of a drug lie. He's not the first

A years-long legal battle followed. In 1975, Lennon triumphed. While the government had attributed its attempt to expel Lennon to his cannabis conviction, documents submitted to the court suggested the Nixon administration had been motivated by a fear Lennon could promote opposition to the president. Judge Irving Kaufman would have none of it. 'The courts will not condone selective deportation based upon secret political grounds,' he ruled. Chaplin's exile was on flimsy grounds, too. Scott Eyman, who wrote a book on Chaplin's stoush with the US government, told NPR that authorities had no legal grounds to revoke the actor's entry permit because he had not committed a crime. 'What was not stated and what Chaplin did not know was that if he had turned around and come back and demanded a hearing to get back his re-entry permit, they would have had to give it to him,' Eyman said. 'So they actually had no legal justification for excluding him from coming back to the country.' But times – and visa rules – have changed. ANU international law professor Donald Rothwell told the ABC that US border officials have complete discretion over whether to allow someone into the country, whether or not they hold a valid visa or visa waiver. Loading 'They don't have to give a reason, and there is very little ability for an Australian traveller to challenge that,' Rothwell said. Along the way, they can search phones and luggage and detain people without providing access to a lawyer. The system is not new, or particularly different to Australia's border regime, but the way in which it is being used has shifted. Cases of Australians being denied entry to the US are getting coverage they have never had before. There was the man who told this masthead's Traveller in April he had been sent home from New York for taking a circuitous route to the US (which he said he did because it was cheaper). And a former NSW police officer travelling to Hawaii to visit her American husband was expelled in May for taking three suitcases, which the Daily Mail reported made officers suspicious she would stay longer than allowed in the country. Whether these deportations were caused by the Trump administration's aggressive new approach to screening remains unclear. What is obvious is that its rhetoric has shifted. The US Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on social media questioning the circumstances of the marriage of the former police officer who had travelled to Hawaii, Nikki Saroukos. The department said Saroukos met her husband the same day her former partner left her, and that they had married one month later. 'I never want to return back to the United States,' Saroukos said, even before the statement was issued. Loading It has barely dented other travellers' appetite to go stateside. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows 56,770 Australians travelled to the US in April 2025, down from 60,520 in April 2024. Kitchen, the writer who was denied entry, says the US government has immense discretion that it uses to keep out people it doesn't like. 'The question [on the visa waiver application] asks if you've consumed illicit drugs in the past,' Kitchen said. 'If every Australian flying into Los Angeles International Airport answered honestly, the lines would get very short, very quickly.' Chaplin's exile deeply hurt the star, who never returned to the heights of success he had enjoyed in America. He would not go back to the country for 20 years, but was greeted as a hero with a 12-minute standing ovation at the 1972 Academy Awards. Loading Lennon stayed in America and was slain five years later. Kitchen is back with his family in Castlemaine, north-west of Melbourne, and has achieved a dream of many young writers: The New Yorker published his account of his deportation.

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The US says this Australian writer was expelled because of a drug lie. He's not the first

Antoinette Lattouf reveals shock career change as she signs with Abbie Chatfield's talent agency after unfair dismissal case against the ABC

The US says this Australian writer was expelled because of a drug lie. He's not the first

Don't vote for me: Lego master topples Gold Logie bid

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Try Our AI Features

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Related Articles

The US says this Australian writer was expelled because of a drug lie. He's not the first

Antoinette Lattouf reveals shock career change as she signs with Abbie Chatfield's talent agency after unfair dismissal case against the ABC

The US says this Australian writer was expelled because of a drug lie. He's not the first

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