A Norwegian tourist claims he was harassed and deported by US immigration officials over a meme of Vice President JD Vance.
A Norwegian tourist has claimed he was harassed and denied entry to the United States after border agents discovered a meme mocking Vice President JD Vance on his phone.
Mads Mikkelsen, 21, landed at Newark Airport on June 11, but was pulled aside, detained, and eventually deported. He told Norwegian outlet Nordlys that the experience was an “abuse of power and harassment.”
“They asked questions about drug trafficking, terrorist plots and right-wing extremism totally without reason,” he said. Officers allegedly threatened him with five years in prison or a $5,000 fine if he refused to unlock his phone. The agents found a meme showing JD Vance with a bald, egg-shaped head. He was sent home that same day.
Separately, Australian writer Alistair Kitchen said he was refused US entry on June 12 and questioned over his views on the Gaza conflict. “I was interrogated about my beliefs on the crisis in Gaza,” Kitchen told The Sydney Morning Herald.