‘Look at posts you've liked': Scary US truth
A US immigration lawyer has warned Aussies heading to the US to be 'aware and prepared' following a former NSW police officer's 'terrifying' ordeal.
Andrea Szew, who has specialised in US immigration law for over 20 years, explained that tourists are now being subjected to heightened scrutiny from border officials at American airports following a crackdown under the Trump administration.
'They can look at who's posts you've liked, they can look at friends posts you have been tagged in – they can look at anything,' she told Nine News.
The California-based lawyer said for Aussies to 'come, be aware, be prepared but don't be scared not to arrive'.
There are claims some officers are emboldened by Trump's America-first policies, the publication reported, and if they suspect anything, immigration officials can search your phone or laptop.
Nikki Saroukos claims she was a victim of this after being subjected to invasive searches, 'humiliating' treatment and a night in federal prison.
The former NSW police officer was heading to Honolulu to visit her husband, a US Army lieutenant stationed in Hawaii, for three weeks with her mother.
However, the moment she landed she says she was 'treated like a criminal'.
She had her phone and luggage searched, was forced to spend a night behind bars despite having no criminal record and a valid ESTA visa, before being sent back to Australia.
She claimed an officer told her she had 'too many clothes in her suitcase for a three and a half week trip'.
Mrs Saroukos, from south-west Sydney, felt she was being racially profiled as officers allegedly questioned her tattoos.
'It sounds terrible that someone's subjective opinion can be that powerful to send you back on a flight all the way to Australia, but unfortunately it is a subjective decision,' Ms Szew told Nine News.
Former cop detained, deported from US
In an interview with news.com.au, Mrs Saroukos said she visited Hawaii three times in recent months under the ESTA visa waiver program to see her husband with no issues.
But this time, when she and her mother arrived to Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on May 18, the duo were heavily questioned.
Her mother was eventually free to go but Mrs Saroukos was subjected to further interrogation.
'They questioned me about the demographic of my suburb and what crimes I was exposed to as a police officer,' she said.
'They were asking me about ice and meth and whether I knew how much was being imported from New Zealand.'
She said she had 'know idea how to answer the questions'.
'I was just dumbfounded,' Ms Saroukos said.
'They took a 45-minute sworn statement where they grilled me on my stream of income, my marriage, my phone history.
'They were clutching at straws. They even asked why I had deleted Instagram three days prior, I was completely honest.'
After hours of questioning, a DNA swab and a sworn statement, a supervisor informed her that her statement was deemed inadmissable and that she would not be entering the United States.
Mrs Saroukos said she was handcuffed, subjected to an in-depth cavity search before being taken to a federal detention facility.
Upon arriving at the prison she was fingerprinted again, ordered to strip naked, squat and cough, and handed prison issued briefs and green outerwear.
Mrs Saroukos says she was taken to a shared cell where her roommate was a Fijian woman who was being held over similar circumstances.
'There were prisoners everywhere. I learned that I was being housed with convicted murderers,' she said.
'(Other inmates) told me I looked like a fish out of water and even gave me soap and a towel.'
Mrs Saroukos was eventually freed and driven back to the airport where she was deported back to Australia. She and her family have now hired an immigration lawyer in the US to probe what can be done about her ordeal.
Travel advice for Aussies heading to the US
As of May 6, the Department of Foreign Affairs has toughened its travel advice for the USA in response to the Trump administration's increasingly harsh border controls.
While the overall rating of green to 'exercise normal safety precautions' has not changed, it has beefed up warnings about being detained at the border and requirements to carry identification while travelling within the country.
'Entry requirements are strict. US authorities have broad powers to decide if you're eligible to enter and may determine that you are inadmissable for any reason under US law,' the government's Smartraveller site states.
'Check US entry, registration, transit and exit requirements. Whether you're travelling on a visa or under the Visa Waiver Program, ensure you understand all relevant terms and conditions before attempting to enter the United States.'
It also warned that Aussies will now require a passport or United States-issued photo identification which meets the US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) REAL ID requirements to board domestic flights in the United States.'
Travel to the US drops
Tourism Economics says foreign traveller arrivals in the US are expected to sharply decline this year.
The travel data company revised its outlook after Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs announcement on April 2 — forecasting a 9.4 per cent decline in international visitor arrivals.
Tourism Economics' report says decisions from the Trump Administration are creating a 'negative sentiment shift toward the US among travellers' — with Mr Trump's stance on border security and immigration one of the factors cited as discouraging visits.
– with Ella McIlveen
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