Latest news with #Lepere
The Herald Scotland
22-04-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Why two German teens were turned away at the US border
According to the paper, Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu without hotel reservations for their planned five-week stay on the island. Although both travelers had approval to travel to the U.S. from the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), that does not guarantee entry into the country. Customs and Border Protection said officials acted properly based on the situation. "These travelers were denied entry after attempting to enter the U.S. under false pretenses. One used a Visitor visa, the other the Visa Waiver Program," CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said in a statement. "Both claimed they were touring California but later admitted they intended to work - something strictly prohibited under U.S. immigration laws for these visas." It's not unusual for arriving visitors, or even permanent U.S. residents or citizens, to have to attest to their accommodations at the border. Other countries similarly require proof of lodging, or at least an address, on entry paperwork at the border. Pohl and Lepere said they were handcuffed and given prison uniforms during their detention. They were reportedly held in a deportation detention facility in Hawaii overnight before being deported to Tokyo. "It was all like a fever dream," Lepere told Ostsee-Zeitung. "We had already noticed a little bit of what was going on in the U.S. But at the time, we didn't think it was happening to Germans. That was perhaps very naive. We felt so small and powerless." Germany is among the countries that recently updated its guidance for citizens planning to visit the U.S., advising them to be prepared for questioning at the border. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
German teens detained and deported in Hawaii over missing hotel reservation
A pair of German teenagers was turned away at the border in Honolulu last month because they were unable to present lodging confirmation to Customs and Border Protection officers. The incident was first reported by Ostsee-Zeitung, a major German daily newspaper. According to the paper, Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu without hotel reservations for their planned five-week stay on the island. Although both travelers had approval to travel to the U.S. from the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), that does not guarantee entry into the country. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It's not unusual for arriving visitors, or even permanent U.S. residents or citizens, to have to attest to their accommodations at the border. Other countries similarly require proof of lodging, or at least an address, on entry paperwork at the border. Pohl and Lepere said they were handcuffed and given prison uniforms during their detention. They were reportedly held in a deportation detention facility in Hawaii overnight before being deported to Tokyo. 'It was all like a fever dream,' Lepere told Ostsee-Zeitung. 'We had already noticed a little bit of what was going on in the U.S. But at the time, we didn't think it was happening to Germans. That was perhaps very naive. We felt so small and powerless.' Germany is among the countries that recently updated its guidance for citizens planning to visit the U.S., advising them to be prepared for questioning at the border. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why two German teens were turned away at the US border
USA Today
21-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
German teens detained and deported in Hawaii over missing hotel reservation
German teens detained and deported in Hawaii over missing hotel reservation Show Caption Hide Caption Trump gives military control over federal lands at US-Mexico border President Donald Trump issued a memorandum giving the U.S. military jurisdiction over federal lands at the southern border. Two German teens were denied entry to the U.S. in Honolulu for lack of lodging confirmation. Despite having ESTA approval, the travelers were detained overnight and deported to Tokyo. Germany recently updated its travel guidance, advising citizens to be prepared for questioning at the U.S. border. A pair of German teenagers was turned away at the border in Honolulu last month because they were unable to present lodging confirmation to Customs and Border Protection officers. The incident was first reported by Ostsee-Zeitung, a major German daily newspaper. According to the paper, Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu without hotel reservations for their planned five-week stay on the island. Although both travelers had approval to travel to the U.S. from the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), that does not guarantee entry into the country. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It's not unusual for arriving visitors, or even permanent U.S. residents or citizens, to have to attest to their accommodations at the border. Other countries similarly require proof of lodging, or at least an address, on entry paperwork at the border. Pohl and Lepere said they were handcuffed and given prison uniforms during their detention. They were reportedly held in a deportation detention facility in Hawaii overnight before being deported to Tokyo. 'It was all like a fever dream,' Lepere told Ostsee-Zeitung. 'We had already noticed a little bit of what was going on in the U.S. But at the time, we didn't think it was happening to Germans. That was perhaps very naive. We felt so small and powerless.' Germany is among the countries that recently updated its guidance for citizens planning to visit the U.S., advising them to be prepared for questioning at the border. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@
Hindustan Times
21-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Handcuffed, strip-searched, deported: Shocking reason 2 young female travellers' Hawaii trip turned into worst nightmare
Two young German travelers expecting to have the time of their lives on their Hawaii trip instead had to face handcuffs, jail time, and deportation. The incident highlighted the risks international visitors may face at US borders. The story of the ordeal Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, faced was first reported in Germany's Ostsee-Zeitung newspaper. The German Foreign Office confirmed that it was involved in the case, and provided consular support after the two women were detained in Honolulu. Pohl and Lepere arrived in Honolulu from Auckland, planning to explore Hawaii before heading to California and Costa Rica. However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) became suspicious of their flexible travel style, including the fact that they had not pre-booked lodging for their planned five-week stay in Hawaii. The women were accused of potential illegal work intentions even though they had ESTA travel authorisation. For border officials screening travellers without fixed plans, this is not an uncommon concern. The German Foreign Office says that ESTA approval does not guarantee entry to the United States, as the final say is always left to border officials when travellers arrive. Pohl and Lepere said they were questioned for hours at Honolulu Airport, and then placed in handcuffs and loaded into a transport vehicle. They were then taken to a deportation detention facility. The women said that at the detention facility, they were subjected to full-body scans, strip searches, and issued green prison uniforms. They had to spend the night in a holding cell with long-term detainees, including people accused of serious criminal offences. They were forced to sleep on thin, moldy mattresses, and use rudimentary toilets. Guards warned them to avoid expired food. Pohl and Lepere were brought back to Honolulu Airport in handcuffs the next morning, and subsequently deported. At their request, they were sent to Japan, and not Germany, avoiding a longer return trip to New Zealand. United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, recently tried to ease European travellers' concerns about visiting the US. 'If you're not coming to the United States to join a Hamas protest, or to come here and tell us about how right Hamas is, or…stir up conflict on our campuses and create riots in our streets and vandalize our universities, then you have nothing to worry about,' he said. In several cases, travellers may be denied entry if they do not have clear lodging plans, a well-defined itinerary, or proof of sufficient funds. The ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) lets citizens of some countries travel to the US for short stays without a visa, but ESTA approval permits travel only to a US port of entry. There, the border officials decide whether the travellers will be granted entry. Germany's updated travel advisory now warns that 'entry to the United States is at the sole discretion of U.S. border authorities.'
