Two German teenagers, Charlotte Pohl and Maria Lepere, were detained, strip-searched, and deported from Honolulu after arriving with ESTA authorization but lacking pre-booked hotel accommodations. Immigration officials suspected illegal work intentions, despite the girls’ plans for a five-week Hawaiian stay as part of a round-the-world trip. Held overnight in a freezing cell with serious criminals, they were forced onto a flight to Tokyo and ultimately returned to Germany. The teens allege interrogation transcripts were falsified to suggest admissions of illegal work intentions.
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Nineteen-year-old Jose Hermosillo, a U.S. citizen visiting Tucson from Albuquerque, was mistakenly arrested by Border Patrol near Nogales, Arizona, for illegal entry due to lack of identification. Despite claiming U.S. citizenship and his family providing proof, Hermosillo was detained at the Florence Correctional Center before a Tucson magistrate judge dismissed the case. His release followed the family’s presentation of his birth certificate and social security card, highlighting concerns about wrongful detention by immigration officials. This incident mirrors similar recent cases of misidentification and detention of U.S. citizens.
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Fabian Schmidt, a New Hampshire resident with a recently renewed green card, was detained at Logan Airport and transferred to an ICE facility in Rhode Island. His family reports he was subjected to harsh interrogation, including a strip search and denial of food, water, and medication, resulting in hospitalization for influenza. While the reason for his detention remains unclear, past minor offenses, including a dismissed marijuana charge and a resolved DUI, are being investigated as potential grounds for deportation. Legal counsel has been secured, and efforts are underway to secure his release on bail.
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John Q. Hosedrinker