[Text/Observer Network Qi Qian] Not long ago, a French scientist was denied entry to the United States simply because there were chat records criticizing the Trump administration in his mobile phone. This news caused an uproar in public opinion and even led to a "verbal dispute" between the French and American governments.

According to a report by the Financial Times recently, this French scientist's experience is not an isolated case. After President Trump took office, he tightened immigration and entry policies, and many European and Canadian tourists encountered hostility from U.S. border guards when entering the country.

In a report on March 30, the Financial Times recounted the experience of German citizen Lucas Schiraf when he entered the United States recently.

In February, 25-year-old Schiraf was waiting in line with his American fiancée to cross from Mexico into the United States. However, after seeing his German passport, a border guard began asking him a series of questions and eventually handcuffed him and took him away for questioning for several hours. Schiraf was detained for 16 days and was only allowed to fly back to Germany at the beginning of March.

"I still have nightmares, I haven't recovered," Schiraf said when talking about that terrible experience. "I am trying to handle everything properly. But it takes time." He told the Financial Times that due to communication barriers, a misunderstanding occurred with the border guards, but he was still detained for 16 days as a result. At the time, he held a valid visa waiver entry permit and had visited the United States multiple times before.

The report stated that Schiraf is just one of the cases where European and Canadian tourists have been met with hostility from border guards since Trump took office.

Personal photo provided by German citizen Lucas Schiraf, The Financial Times (same below).

A backpacker from Wales, Becky Burke, was detained for 19 days on charges of traveling with the wrong visa and was deported from the airport wearing leg irons, waist chains, and handcuffs.

Canadian actress Molly Mooney was detained for 12 days because she attempted to renew her expired work visa when entering the United States. She said she felt like she was being kidnapped and forced to participate in some kind of "mad... psychological, social experiment."

Such experiences are becoming increasingly common recently. This obvious change has prompted some countries to modify their travel advice for their citizens, and there are numerous questions on social media and travel forums about whether it is safe to visit the United States.

Becky Burke (left) and Molly Mooney

"I receive calls every day from citizens, visa holders, immigrants, and travelers," said David Leopold, an immigration expert at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. "Everyone is very concerned... The government is creating an atmosphere that is extremely strict for immigrants, visitors, and tourists alike."

Noor Zafar, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, said that these publicly disclosed detention and deportation cases are part of a more active enforcement model at the border since President Trump's second term began in January.

Immigration lawyers told the Financial Times that while certain nationalities have long been subject to stricter scrutiny, now any foreign citizen arriving in the United States will face more questioning than before.

Ted Chiappari, head of the immigration law group at Duane Morris LLP, said that for most tourists, the U.S. authorities have not changed any regulations. However, he warned that the discretionary power of border officials is now being exercised differently than before.

According to a report by Agence France-Presse on March 20, a French scientist was recently denied entry to the United States when attending a conference. The French government stated that the reason was that U.S. immigration officials found critical chat records about the Trump administration on his mobile phone during the inspection. The U.S. official refuted this accusation, claiming that the scholar possessed sensitive scientific research information and violated confidentiality agreements.

The report stated that currently, many countries have updated their travel warnings to address this change. The British government pointed out that U.S. border authorities "strictly formulate and enforce entry rules" and warned travelers that they "may be arrested or detained if they violate the rules." Some European countries, such as Germany and Denmark, also issued special warnings for transgender travelers.

According to data from the World Travel & Tourism Council, the increase in such travel warnings may harm the U.S. tourism and hospitality industry. The data shows that this sector accounts for about 11% of U.S. jobs and contributed $2.36 trillion to the U.S. economy last year.

Marta Soligo, a tourism expert at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said: "Travelers are already under pressure and do not want anything to make their journey more difficult. People are seriously considering whether they should visit the United States, which is a major concern for the U.S. tourism industry."

Roland Lescoeur, a French MP responsible for French citizens in the United States, said that recent weeks have shown that travelers must be more careful when entering the United States, and many are reconsidering whether they should relocate to the United States. A survey he conducted recently found that about 19% of people have doubts. He warned: "The United States is no longer a home for the free and brave; it has become unrecognizable."

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7489339315567313427/

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