Dramatic twist emerges after Aussie was deported from the US under Trump's tough immigration policy - as Homeland Security 'fact checks' real reason she was stopped at the airport
Homeland Security has defended its actions for deporting an an Aussie woman after she was detained, stripped and held overnight in a federal prison while trying to visit her American husband.
Former NSW police officer Nikki Saroukos, 25, was detained by US border officials upon entering the country via Honolulu, Hawaii on May 17.
The 25-year-old thought it would be a routine visit to see her husband who has been stationed as a US Army lieutenant on the Pacific island and US state since August, 2023.
Mrs Saroukos had successfully visited the Hawaii three times in recent months an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) under the Visa Waiver Program.
At no point was she given a reason for her detention, beyond the fact that border officials did not believe her story that she was visiting her husband.
Mrs Saroukos said she was 'treated like a criminal' as she was denied her rights, subject to invasive searches, humiliating treatment and a night in a federal detention facility before being deported back to Australia.
However, The US Department of Homeland Security has fired back at Mrs Sourokos' claims in a post shared to X on Saturday.
The department described the post as a 'fact check' and defended its officers who determined Mrs Saroukos was 'travelling for more than just tourism'.
'Nicolle Saroukos's recent long-term trips to the United States and suspicious luggage resulted in her being reasonably selected for secondary screening by CBP,' it read.
Officials did not believe her story that she was visiting her husband after claiming she had packed more clothing than was necessary for a three-week stay.
'Officers determined that she was traveling for more than just tourism. She was unable to remember her wedding date just four months prior,' the post read.
Saroukos met her now-husband during a trip on December 13, 2024, the same day her ex-partner left her. The two spent only eight days together before she returned to Australia on December 21.
'Saroukos then got married on January 24, 2025, after only knowing her husband for just over a month.'
The department also accused her of having 'unusual activity on her phone' and making false claims about her husband's military service.
'During screening, CBP (Customs and Border Protection) noted there was unusual activity on her phone, including 1000 deleted text messages from her husband because she claimed they caused her "anxiety",' the post read.
'Saroukos even claimed that her husband was going to leave the US military, despite him telling CBP he was adding her to his military documents.
'If you attempt to enter the United States under false pretenses, there are consequences.'
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