San Diego (AP) — Lennon Tyler, a U.S. citizen, and her German fiancé, Lucas Sielaff, frequently enjoyed road trips to Mexico during his visits to the United States. This was a delightful perk of their long-distance relationship, as it was only a day's drive from her home in Las Vegas. However, their journey back from Tijuana last month took a harrowing turn when U.S. border agents detained them. Tyler was handcuffed and chained to a bench, while Sielaff faced accusations of violating the terms of his 90-day U.S. tourist permit.
The couple recounted how their ordeal escalated quickly. Following their return from Mexico, Sielaff was handcuffed and sent to a crowded U.S. immigration detention center, where he spent 16 days before he was finally permitted to fly back to Germany. This incident is not isolated; since the Trump administration took office, there have been multiple reports of tourists facing similar detentions at U.S. border crossings. Many have been held for weeks in immigration detention facilities before being allowed to return home at their own expense.
Another German tourist, Jessica Brösche, was detained at the Tijuana crossing on January 25 and spent over six weeks in custody, including more than a week in solitary confinement. Similarly, a backpacker from Wales endured nearly three weeks in a detention center before being released. A Canadian woman, who held a work visa, was also detained at the Tijuana border for 12 days before returning home.
Both Sielaff and the other tourists expressed confusion about the reasons behind their detentions, especially as they had offered to return home voluntarily. Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service Committee, noted that in his 22 years of working at the border, he had never seen travelers from Western Europe and Canada, countries traditionally seen as U.S. allies, subjected to such treatment. He remarked, “It’s definitely unusual with these cases so close together, and the rationale for detaining these people doesn’t make sense.”
U.S. authorities have not provided statistics on the number of tourists detained or clarified their reasons for detention instead of simply denying entry. These incidents have raised concerns as the Trump administration prepares to implement a travel ban on visitors from certain countries. The University of California, Los Angeles recently issued a notice advising foreign-born students and staff to reconsider non-essential travel for spring break, citing potential complications with re-entry requirements.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that Sielaff and Brösche were deemed inadmissible by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). According to CBP, if travelers violate visa terms or statutes, they may face detention and removal. This policy raises questions about the treatment of tourists who enter the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens from select countries to travel for business or leisure for up to 90 days without a visa.
Sielaff had arrived in the U.S. on January 27, and he and Tyler decided to visit Tijuana for a few days in mid-February due to lower veterinary costs for Tyler's dog. Upon their return on February 18, just 22 days into Sielaff's tourist permit, they faced aggressive questioning from a border agent. Tyler recalled the encounter, saying, “Lucas was asked, ‘Where do you live?’ and when he answered, ‘Las Vegas,’ the agent responded, ‘Oh, we caught you.’” Following this, Sielaff was taken away for further questioning, while Tyler was handcuffed and chained to a bench, leaving her dog unattended in the car.
After four hours, Tyler was released without any information about Sielaff's fate. Meanwhile, Sielaff underwent a full-body search and had his belongings confiscated before being placed in a holding cell for two days. He was later transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, where conditions were harsh, sharing a cell with eight others. “You are angry, you are sad, you don’t know when you can get out,” Sielaff expressed about the emotional turmoil of being detained.
In a desperate attempt to facilitate Sielaff's return, Tyler purchased a plane ticket for $2,744 after receiving a frantic call from him. He finally flew back to Germany on March 5. Tyler described their experience as “blatant abuse of the Border Patrol’s power.” The situation drew further attention when Ashley Paschen learned about Brösche's detention and took action to help her. Brösche was eventually released and returned home on March 11.
The growing number of detentions, including those of travelers like Becky Burke from Wales and Jasmine Mooney from Canada, has sparked anxiety regarding U.S. immigration policies and their unpredictable nature. British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed concern over the implications of these events, emphasizing the anxiety many Canadians feel about the current U.S. administration's stance on immigration.
In light of their traumatic experience, Tyler plans to sue the U.S. government. Sielaff shared that both he and Tyler are reconsidering their wedding plans in Las Vegas, as he continues to cope with nightmares stemming from the ordeal. “Nobody is safe there anymore to come to America as a tourist,” he remarked, highlighting the chilling effect of such incidents on international travel.
