Two young European backpackers say they were detained, strip-searched, and deported from Hawaii in what they describe as a “nightmare” experience at the hands of US border officials. The harrowing incident, shared anonymously on Reddit and later reposted by Cambridge professor Priyamvada Gopal on X, has sparked shock and concern about how travellers are treated at American ports of entry.
The teenagers, aged 18 and 19, flew into Honolulu from New Zealand last month to begin a backpacking trip across the United States. After booking only two nights in an Airbnb for flexibility—common among backpackers—they were pulled aside for “additional questions” at passport control.
“At first we didn’t think it was such a big thing, but then it became very intense,” they wrote. Officials questioned their travel plans, lack of further bookings, and online freelance work, which the pair said they occasionally did for clients in Germany and Asia—not the US.
“They took our phones, our passports, and put us in handcuffs — that moment was surreal. Like, you're a tourist and now you're treated like a criminal.”
Despite holding valid onward tickets, they were declared “inadmissible” and accused of intending to work illegally in the country. The situation escalated further when the pair requested to continue their travel to Asia instead of returning to New Zealand. They were told they would be detained overnight.
But rather than being held at the airport, they were transported to a federal detention facility in Honolulu, where they say they underwent a humiliating full-body strip search.
“It was a real jail. Metal doors, locked cells, cold air... We had to undress completely, including bra and underwear, and even had to squat and spread… it was humiliating and scary,” one of them wrote.
Wearing green prison uniforms, the teens spent the night in a locked cell with two other women who allegedly boasted about cartel ties. “It felt like a movie, but not a nice one. Of course we didn’t sleep even for a minute,” they said.
The next day, they were stripped again, changed back into their clothes, and escorted by officers directly onto their flight out of the country. They were warned they could no longer use the US visa waiver programme in the future.
The travellers are now warning others planning similar trips to book all accommodations in advance and avoid disclosing any form of remote work. “Be very careful if you plan to backpack in the US .. It’s not just ‘denied entry’ — it’s jail, strip search, and total loss of control,” they wrote.
Their story, now widely circulated, paints a disturbing picture of how innocent travellers can become entangled in harsh immigration enforcement. “My feeling is that backpacking culture isn’t understood or accepted at US borders right now. Be careful!”
The teenagers, aged 18 and 19, flew into Honolulu from New Zealand last month to begin a backpacking trip across the United States. After booking only two nights in an Airbnb for flexibility—common among backpackers—they were pulled aside for “additional questions” at passport control.
From Reddit (1/3) pic.twitter.com/cQzhIo4Xcq
— Priyamvada Gopal © (@PriyamvadaGopal) April 20, 2025
“At first we didn’t think it was such a big thing, but then it became very intense,” they wrote. Officials questioned their travel plans, lack of further bookings, and online freelance work, which the pair said they occasionally did for clients in Germany and Asia—not the US.
— Priyamvada Gopal © (@PriyamvadaGopal) April 20, 2025
“They took our phones, our passports, and put us in handcuffs — that moment was surreal. Like, you're a tourist and now you're treated like a criminal.”
— Priyamvada Gopal © (@PriyamvadaGopal) April 20, 2025
Despite holding valid onward tickets, they were declared “inadmissible” and accused of intending to work illegally in the country. The situation escalated further when the pair requested to continue their travel to Asia instead of returning to New Zealand. They were told they would be detained overnight.
But rather than being held at the airport, they were transported to a federal detention facility in Honolulu, where they say they underwent a humiliating full-body strip search.
“It was a real jail. Metal doors, locked cells, cold air... We had to undress completely, including bra and underwear, and even had to squat and spread… it was humiliating and scary,” one of them wrote.
Wearing green prison uniforms, the teens spent the night in a locked cell with two other women who allegedly boasted about cartel ties. “It felt like a movie, but not a nice one. Of course we didn’t sleep even for a minute,” they said.
The next day, they were stripped again, changed back into their clothes, and escorted by officers directly onto their flight out of the country. They were warned they could no longer use the US visa waiver programme in the future.
The travellers are now warning others planning similar trips to book all accommodations in advance and avoid disclosing any form of remote work. “Be very careful if you plan to backpack in the US .. It’s not just ‘denied entry’ — it’s jail, strip search, and total loss of control,” they wrote.
Their story, now widely circulated, paints a disturbing picture of how innocent travellers can become entangled in harsh immigration enforcement. “My feeling is that backpacking culture isn’t understood or accepted at US borders right now. Be careful!”
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