WASHINGTON (KXXV) — Since President Donald Trump took office, some tourists have been detained at U.S. border crossings and held in immigration facilities for weeks before being permitted to return home at their own expense.
Reports of European tourists being detained at U.S. border crossings have sparked growing concerns about travel to America, with some visitors facing prolonged stays in immigration detention facilities before being allowed to return home.
Several travelers have reported being stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and accused of violating visa terms. In some cases, tourists were held for days or even weeks in detention centers before being permitted to leave at their own expense.
According to the AP, couple Lennon Tyler and her German fiancé, Lucas Sielaff, often took road trips to Mexico when he visited the U.S., taking advantage of the short drive from her home in Las Vegas.
However, their return from Tijuana last month took a drastic turn.
U.S. border agents detained Tyler, a U.S. citizen, handcuffing her and chaining her to a bench, while Sielaff was accused of violating the terms of his 90-day U.S. tourist permit, the couple said.
Authorities later shackled Sielaff and transferred him to a crowded immigration detention center, where he was held for 16 days before being allowed to return to Germany.
