Mads Mikkelsen was sadly detained by ICE officials in a New Jersey airport and thereafter deported back to Europe for something as seemingly innocuous as a JD Vance meme. Furthermore, Mikkelsen is now banned from entering the US because of what ICE considers an offensive image on his phone.
21-year-old Mads Mikkelsen from Norway, not to be confused with Hollywood and Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, was merely visiting the US on a holiday back on June 11. To the Norwegian student’s surprise, New Jersey’s Newark Airport immigration officers pulled him aside and asked for his phone’s password. Mikkelsen also claims that airport security allegedly threatened him with a $5,000 fine or five years in prison if he didn’t comply.
Mikkelsen gave his password, but he landed in even more trouble after they found an image of the bald JD Vance meme on his smartphone. The other image that landed Mikkelsen in trouble was a picture of a wooden pipe he made years ago. For this, the 21-year-old was strip-searched and placed in a cell for five hours, then deported back to Oslo, Norway, on the same day. Mikkelsen has since reported his struggle to Nordlys, a Norwegian news outlet.
“They demanded full information about everyone I was going to meet in the US, including name, address, phone number, and what they did for work. I had travelled for twelve hours, slept poorly, and was physically and mentally completely exhausted even before they started the questioning…
They threatened me with a minimum fine of $5,000 or five years in prison if I refused to provide the password to my phone. Later, I was taken back in, and the situation got even worse. I was pushed up against a wall and was strip-searched with a lot of force. They were incredibly harsh and used physical force the whole time.
I felt completely devastated and broke down, and was close to crying several times. I was on the verge of panic. It felt like I was a terrorist suspect where I was sitting. I tried to pull myself together several times, but in the end, I just wanted to get home again,” according to Mads Mikkelsen, transcript courtesy of Dublin Live.
Additional questions from the immigration officers included suspicions of drug smuggling, terrorist plans, and even right-wing extremism, which, according to Mikkelsen, was completely unreasonable and unexpected. It appears Mads Mikkelsen is fine now, though he likely won’t be making any future trips to the US again.
Detained as Soon as They Landed
Sadly, Mads Mikkelsen’s case is not an isolated one, as ICE officers in different airports all across the US have been arresting and deporting tourists or even actual US citizens merely based on suspicion. In fact, just a few weeks ago, a US citizen was detained by ICE for 3 months even though she has been a legal American for 50 years, all because she took a short vacation outside the US.
Another case similar to Mads Mikkelsen’s airport detention would be what happened to a French scientist who was also denied entry after ICE officers discovered messages that criticized President Donald Trump on their phone. An Australian writer is also in a similar boat after he was turned away from the US due to his pro-Palestinian articles.
Meanwhile, people online are puzzled by the news due to its absurdity, though some are not surprised anymore, considering how ridiculous some of the most recent events are, especially concerning ICE and the Trump administration.
“Won’t be long until they start doing this ti citizens,” suggests @cossackgundi
“And this violates what law again?” questions RhoOfFeh
“The thinnest of thin skin,” jokes c-k-q99903
