Detentions and arrests at US borders sow fear

Newsroom

28-04-2025

America is witnessing an escalating fallout for migrants on local streets and in their homes – and visitors at the borders.
And the tougher approach could put Kiwis travelling to the United States at risk of arrest or detention.
'I wouldn't bet against it,' Newsroom national affairs editor Sam Sachdeva tells The Detail. 'I hope it doesn't come to that; you would hope the connection between New Zealand and the US would guard against that, but I would have thought the same about Australia and the US, and yet we have heard of a number of Australians who have found themselves in this situation.
'So, while I hope not, I certainly wouldn't rule it out, unfortunately. And that speaks to the really worrying situation we are in at the moment, in regard to the US.'
Donald Trump's return to the White House has seen an already tough border control toughen up, resulting in a growing number of tourists and backpackers being detained and strip-searched at American airports, then deported, even those armed with return tickets and visas.
Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, along with several European countries, have now updated their travel advisories for the US to reflect the added risk at the border.
New Zealand's Government says it has started a review of official travel advice, but the status remains at 'exercise increased caution', which dates back to last November, before Trump took office again.
Sachdeva believes it is time for New Zealand to join other countries and update the travel advisory.
'You could argue, one way or another, about what extent we should be criticising the US approach … but certainly in terms of travel advice, I think there is no harm in looking at the rules that are there and being a little bit more firm.
'You can point to the very public cases that have been reported on and say 'These are the consequences, this is what could happen – please double-, triple-check everything, all your travel documents.
'And be aware that if you are a transgender New Zealander or if you are someone with a history of activism, this could be an issue. It doesn't necessarily mean it will be a problem, or you will be detained … but equally, you shouldn't discount it, and I think you should have alternative plans or safeguards in place if the worst is to happen.'
The Trump crackdown has been most severe for migrants living in America, with a fast-growing number of those without – and with – proper documentation being picked up on the streets or from their homes and being detained, some for weeks or months. Many have been deported.
US immigration lawyer Hannah Brown represents detained immigrants, and says America is no longer the country she knows.
'This does not feel like my America right now, I can confidently say this is not my America,' she says from her attorney practice in Minneapolis.
'I talk to at least a couple of people a week who were taken into [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] custody at the bus stop, waiting for their kids to be dropped off or picked up from school.
'These are not people who are violent criminals – these are not people who are criminals at all, they are people who came to the US to work or to seek a better life or for fear of something happening in their home country.
'A lot of them are being picked up while they are around their children, which I think is devastating for everyone involved.'
She says the condition of detention centres is 'really rough'.
'They are not good, people are not getting access to the medications they need, they can't get access to their attorneys. Attorneys have had to sue the federal government just to get access to their clients to prepare for their hearings. It's bleak.
'They are treated like criminals, despite this being a civil detention.'
She says the feeling on the ground in America, right now, is 'tense'.
'You can feel it in the air. There are fewer people on the streets. You can feel that … shoulders are up, people are tighter, people are less willing to talk or have conversations. Nobody trusts anybody else right now, it's really difficult.
'People without the right documentation and even those who have it are being targeted right now … they are afraid to leave their homes; they are afraid to go to work.
'So, the Trump administration has created this class of people who are constantly living in fear, whether they are here lawfully or not'.
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