It was supposed to be a short trip—just a quick getaway to Mexico, a few days to relax. Lennon Tyler, an American from Las Vegas, and her German fiancé, Lucas Sielaff, were used to making such trips. Mexico was just a day’s drive away, a welcome escape. But what began as a harmless excursion turned into a nightmare.
Arrested at the Border—Without Explanation, Without Rights
When the two returned from Tijuana on February 18, fate took a sudden and brutal turn. A U.S. border agent leaned into their car, scrutinized Sielaff, and asked, “Where do you live?”
“In Las Vegas,” he replied in broken English—meaning, of course, his fiancée’s home. But that was his mistake.
“Aha, so you’re living here illegally!” the officer declared triumphantly.
Then everything happened fast: Handcuffs clicked shut, Tyler was pulled from the car and chained to a bench. Her dog, still recovering from surgery, was left whining in the vehicle.
Lucas Sielaff, 25 years old, with no criminal record and no history of illegal entry, was taken away as if he were a dangerous felon. Only once inside a holding cell did he realize he was no longer in control of his own time. For two days, he sat on a cold bench, without a pillow, without a blanket, without answers. Then he was transferred to the notorious Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego—a facility meant for illegal immigrants. A German tourist, locked up among them.
Europeans Behind Bars—A New Trend?
Sielaff’s case is not an isolated incident. Since Trump’s return to the White House, reports of tourists from Europe and Canada being detained at U.S. borders have been piling up—without cause, without explanations.
Jessica Brösche, a young woman from Germany, was detained in Tijuana on January 25 and spent six weeks behind bars—including a week in solitary confinement.
Becky Burke, a backpacker from Wales, was stopped at the Canadian border and spent nearly three weeks in a U.S. detention facility.
Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian actress with a valid work visa, was arrested on March 3 and held for twelve days before finally being released.
And always the same story: No explanations. No legal process. No opportunity to defend themselves.
A New Policy of Intimidation?
Pedro Rios, a seasoned human rights activist, said: “In my 22 years at the border, I have never seen anything like this. Western tourists are now being treated like illegal immigrants. This is a completely new level of escalation.”
Surprising? Not really.
The Trump administration has equipped border enforcement with new powers. The atmosphere is toxic, the motto: Crack down at all costs. Especially hard-hit are travelers who appear "suspicious"—a vague criterion that can be used against anyone at any time.
Sielaff had been in the U.S. for only 22 days when he traveled to Mexico—well under the 90-day limit of the Visa Waiver Program. Yet he was treated as if he had attempted to enter the country illegally.
"They don’t talk to you. They don’t tell you what you did wrong. You just sit and wait, not knowing when you’ll get out," he said.
Only after 16 days was he given the option to leave—but only if he paid for his own flight. His fiancée bought the ticket for $2,744, and on March 5, he flew back home.
"No one is safe anymore traveling to America as a tourist," Sielaff said afterward.
The American Nightmare—Now Systematic
As shock spreads across Europe over the arbitrary detentions at U.S. borders, the Trump administration is tightening its policies even further. New travel bans for certain countries are reportedly in the works. Even universities are warning foreign students. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) issued an alert cautioning international students not to leave the country during semester breaks—they might not be allowed back in.
Fear is growing—not just among those who want to immigrate to America, but now among those who simply wanted to visit for a few weeks.
Lennon Tyler has announced plans to sue the U.S. government. But their wedding in Las Vegas remains in limbo. Sielaff suffers from nightmares, struggles with insomnia, and is considering therapy to cope with the trauma.
"This is not the country I once knew," he says. And Tyler adds:
"What happened at the border was nothing less than an abuse of power."
And this may only be the beginning.
English 
German 
