Jonathan, who asked not to have his real name disclosed, said he had returned to Australia for a brief trip to scatter his sister’s ashes, carrying little more than a change of clothes for a two-day stay and the urn. His return journey to the U.S. turned into a nightmare when he was detained in Houston, Texas, despite his visa being in good standing.
Now back in Australia and “couch surfing,” Jonathan described the situation as “disastrous,” he told The Guardian.
He recalled being held with about 100 people from various countries, many from South America, and called in for questioning after a brief wait.
Initially, Jonathan, who had been living with his American girlfriend and working in the U.S., thought the encounter would be routine, but things escalated when officers accused him of having two phones and being involved in drug trafficking.
Despite his protests that he did not engage in drugs and only owned one phone, the officers continued to interrogate him, asking for his phone’s passcode. He requested a lawyer but was told he had no rights.
He said he complied by handing over his phone and smartwatch.
He waited for hours before being summoned for another round of questioning, as reported by The Guardian on Friday.
The new officer suggested that Jonathan might be involved with suspicious individuals and dismissed his valid visa, claiming it indicated an intent to stay permanently.
After multiple interviews, Jonathan was informed that his visa had been revoked and that he was banned from re-entering the U.S. for five years. He was handed a document stating he was an “immigrant not in possession of a valid unexpired immigrant visa” and was put on a flight back to Australia.
Jonathan’s experience is part of a surge in alarming border incidents in recent months.
In February, British traveler Rebecca Burke was stopped, questioned, and labeled an illegal alien by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while trying to leave the country.
German nationals Lucas Sielaff, Fabian Schmidt, and Jessica Brösche were detained upon arrival in the United States. Canadian citizen Jasmine Mooney reported being held by ICE for almost two weeks and deported, despite holding a valid work visa.
Strict immigration enforcement under Trump has intensified scrutiny of green card and visa holders, sparking concerns about due process. Legal experts warn that expansive interpretations of immigration laws could result in deportations for minor infractions or subjective policy reasons.
Civil rights organizations and immigration attorneys continue to challenge the administration’s actions, arguing that many legal immigrants face unfair targeting.
Kripa Upadhyay, a Seattle-based immigration attorney, cautioned in the Times of India that foreign nationals, especially those renewing H-1B or F-1 visas, should “really need to think twice” about international travel.
Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer, an immigration law professor at Cornell Law School, told AP that lawful permanent residents generally have robust protections and “should be the most protected short of a U.S. citizen.”
However, Kelley-Widmer emphasized that protection is not absolute; green card holders can be deported for crimes, failure to update addresses with immigration authorities, or fraudulent marriages.
More than 800 international students and recent graduates in the U.S. have reportedly had their visas revoked or their immigration status changed by the State Department, according to data collected nationwide.
Those affected include individuals involved in protests against the war in Gaza, as well as others penalized for minor infractions, according to industry news site Inside Higher Edwhich compiled information from over 150 colleges and universities regarding students who lost their F-1 or J-1 visas as of April 11.
Many university officials say they are unsure of the reasons behind these visa revocations, and most affected students have not received formal notification from immigration authorities.
