 "The officers pressured him to unlock his phone and threatened him with a fine of $5,000 if he refused. Source: X")
A 21-year-old Norwegian tourist, Mads Mikkelsen, has claimed he was denied entry into the US at Newark Liberty International Airport, allegedly due to a meme of Vice President JD Vance with a bald head and cartoonish face, reported Daily Mail.
Mikkelsen planned to visit friends in New York and Austin and tour national parks with his mother.
However, his plans were derailed after immigration officials questioned him.
“They took me to a room with several armed guards, where I had to hand over my shoes, mobile phone, and backpack,” he told the local newspaper, Nordlys.
The man further claimed that immigration officers accused him of being involved in “drug trafficking, terrorist plots, and right-wing extremism,” which he said were baseless.
He claimed the meme was auto-saved from a group chat and meant as a joke, but immigration officials also flagged a photo of him with a handmade wooden pipe.
“Both pictures had been automatically saved to my camera roll from a chat app, but I really didn’t think that these innocent pictures would put a stop to my entry into the country,” he said.
Mikkelsen said he was pressured to unlock his phone under threat of jail or a $5,000 fine, and officials searched his belongings, took fingerprints, and collected blood samples, demanding details of his US contacts.
“I had travelled for twelve hours, slept poorly, and was physically and mentally completely exhausted even before they started the questioning,” he added.
Later, he was put on a flight back to Norway.
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More ShortsUS Customs and Border Protection denies the tourist’s claim
US Customs and Border Protection denied that the meme was the issue, citing Mikkelsen’s admission of past drug use as the reason for refusal.
Stricter US immigration policies under President Donald Trump in 2025 have led to increased entry issues for European travellers.