Entry to the US

[brad465]

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www.railforums.co.uk

From Dublin Live: Man refused entry into US as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

I read the article & he claims he was forced to take blood samples, fingerprints, facial scanned & strip-searched.
Please understand i do not know the political bias of this news source but thought it was absolutely ridiculous that someone had this happen to them.

This could be an example of the Streisand effect: the incident has now led to that meme going even more viral than it might otherwise have done had the refusal of entry never happened.

 

[styles]

From Dublin Live: Man refused entry into US as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

I read the article & he claims he was forced to take blood samples, fingerprints, facial scanned & strip-searched.
Please understand i do not know the political bias of this news source but thought it was absolutely ridiculous that someone had this happen to them.

US border control have for decades had a reputation for being antagonising and power-hungry. Trump has no doubt made the situation worse with his recent border orders.

If I visited the US now, I would buy a £50 smartphone, add a barely-used email account onto it, and that's it. Back home my WhatsApp status would say to SMS me. I might not have anything illegal or incriminating on my phone but there's a fair chance I've got a meme somewhere that a US border official could take offence to.

 

[najaB]

US border control have for decades had a reputation for being antagonising and power-hungry. Trump has no doubt made the situation worse with his recent border orders.

If I visited the US now, I would buy a £50 smartphone, add a barely-used email account onto it, and that's it. Back home my WhatsApp status would say to SMS me. I might not have anything illegal or incriminating on my phone but there's a fair chance I've got a meme somewhere that a US border official could take offence to.

Something to keep in mind is that a frontline border protection officer can't compel you to decrypt a phone nor force you to enter you password without reasonable suspicion of illegal activity and specific managerial approval.

As such, if you want to avoid the expense of a second phone disable biometric unlock and turn the phone off. Since most modern phones have encryption enabled by default and require a PIN/password on boot they won't be able to search it without the password. At that point they may say that you have to unlock it but if they start to go off on a power trip the appropriate reply is "I withdraw my application to enter the United States".

That said, I usually travel with two phones: my main device that I leave at home base and an older one that I use when I'm out and about while abroad which only has basic apps installed, just in case it gets stolen/lost/dropped. Next time I go to the USA I'll have my main phone tucked away at the bottom of my hand luggage and the second phone in my hand/pocket.

 

[greatkingrat]

As such, if you want to avoid the expense of a second phone disable biometric unlock and turn the phone off. Since most modern phones have encryption enabled by default and require a PIN/password on boot they won't be able to search it without the password. At that point they may say that you have to unlock it but if they start to go off on a power trip the appropriate reply is "I withdraw my application to enter the United States".

That advice may be accurate but is not very helpful! Flying all the way to the USA only to turn around and fly straight back isn't what I would call a good outcome.

 

[najaB]

That advice may be accurate but is not very helpful! Flying all the way to the USA only to turn around and fly straight back isn't what I would call a good outcome.

If the situation is already heading downhill, I'd prefer being denied entry to being held in a detention cell for an indeterminate period and then still being denied entry!

 

[AM9]

That advice may be accurate but is not very helpful! Flying all the way to the USA only to turn around and fly straight back isn't what I would call a good outcome.

You could minimise the aggro by flying via Dublin, - dealing with immigration issues there.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Wife and I spent a week in NYC last November, just before Thanksgiving. No searches or interrogation at the US Border Control. No suggestion of it, either. My wife reads so much X on her phone... So I say, relax, travel and enjoy.

 

[styles]

Something to keep in mind is that a frontline border protection officer can't compel you to decrypt a phone nor force you to enter you password without reasonable suspicion of illegal activity and specific managerial approval.

As such, if you want to avoid the expense of a second phone disable biometric unlock and turn the phone off. Since most modern phones have encryption enabled by default and require a PIN/password on boot they won't be able to search it without the password. At that point they may say that you have to unlock it but if they start to go off on a power trip the appropriate reply is "I withdraw my application to enter the United States".

Yeah that doesn't really solve my problem though, that my trip to the US would come to an abrupt end, just I wouldn't be subject to the $5k fine or imprisonment for refusing a search under proper grounds. For the sake of £50 for a phone which will last me years, I reckon it's a safer bet.

That said, I usually travel with two phones: my main device that I leave at home base and an older one that I use when I'm out and about while abroad which only has basic apps installed, just in case it gets stolen/lost/dropped. Next time I go to the USA I'll have my main phone tucked away at the bottom of my hand luggage and the second phone in my hand/pocket.

If they've got to the point of wanting to search a phone, they'll almost certainly have searched the hand luggage thoroughly and found the main phone, so I'm not convinced this would help tbh.

 

[najaB]

Yeah that doesn't really solve my problem though, that my trip to the US would come to an abrupt end, just I wouldn't be subject to the $5k fine or imprisonment for refusing a search under proper grounds. For the sake of £50 for a phone which will last me years, I reckon it's a safer bet.

Oh definitely. And I personally think having a second device is a good option in any case as noted above.

If they've got to the point of wanting to search a phone, they'll almost certainly have searched the hand luggage thoroughly and found the main phone, so I'm not convinced this would help tbh.

The idea is that you if you willingly hand over the phone when asked, they're less likely to get their backs up and want to search your bags, person, etc.

Wife and I spent a week in NYC last November, just before Thanksgiving. No searches or interrogation at the US Border Control. No suggestion of it, either. My wife reads so much X on her phone... So I say, relax, travel and enjoy.

Quite a lot has changed since last November, unfortunately. Yes, the majority of visitors will be welcomed and face no problems, but there is a concerning rise in the number of cases of people being searched, questioned, etc for sometimes quite spurious reasons.

You could minimise the aggro by flying via Dublin, - dealing with immigration issues there.

I'm travelling to the USA in July and will transit via Dublin for exactly that reason.

 

[edwin_m]

Wife and I spent a week in NYC last November, just before Thanksgiving. No searches or interrogation at the US Border Control. No suggestion of it, either. My wife reads so much X on her phone... So I say, relax, travel and enjoy.

The situation in November might have changed in January.

 

[najaB]

Another consideration that I had forgotten about earlier is that CPB are only allowed to access data which is stored locally on the device, not things that are stored in the cloud. So another thing to do is remove any local files that could possibly give them reason to object to your entry and disable account sync.

 

[Calthrop]

This exchange re pitfalls attendant on entering the US, or attempting to do so, has me wondering -- I am elderly, and a total technophobe and general "dinosaur": don't own a mobile phone, and don't want to. If I were to attempt travel to the US: would I be likely, at the relevant entry point -- to be regarded, owing to my non-ownership of such a device, as weird and suspect; and subjected to heaven-knows-what, possibly including being summarily sent back to the place whence I had come?

 

[najaB]

If I were to attempt travel to the US: would I be likely, at the relevant entry point -- to be regarded, owing to my non-ownership of such a device, as weird and suspect; and subjected to heaven-knows-what, possibly including being summarily sent back to the place whence I had come?

Probably not, as long as you had your hotel reservations, etc. printed out and available to be confirmed.

 

[AM9]

With all this potential trouble, I can't see the attraction in travelling to the US for leisure reasons, there's plenty of other places in the workl to visit where tourists are welcome. Of course it's not a choice if the trip is for business reasons.

 

[Brubulus]

With all this potential trouble, I can't see the attraction in travelling to the US for leisure reasons, there's plenty of other places in the workl to visit where tourists are welcome. Of course it's not a choice if the trip is for business reasons.

There's always the risk of trouble when crossing a border, especially the US border. It's just a lot more newsworthy now they've got Trump. I went to the US in May and the border was actually faster than usual (I would presume that's because some have been scared from going) and I only got asked about 4 questions. I think there is a risk, but it's tiny given the tens of millions of people who cross the US border each year.

 

[signed]

I can't see the attraction in travelling to the US for leisure reasons

Price, it has never been that cheap to travel to the US.

I have seen fares where you could travel from Europe to the west-coast for 5-600€ return in economy. Under 300€ if you can suffer through using Norse. I would never though.

 

[66701GBRF]

With all this potential trouble, I can't see the attraction in travelling to the US for leisure reasons, there's plenty of other places in the workl to visit where tourists are welcome. Of course it's not a choice if the trip is for business reasons.

Because once you are in the country its actually a nice place to visit, particularly away from cities.

 

[AlterEgo]

You can always avoid this hassle by simply not going to America, if possible. Screw them.

 

[baz962]

The situation in November might have changed in January.

I went March and again in June. Not one single person of any demographic was stopped , searched or even asked for their phone. The CBP officers couldn't of been happier or nicer and were joking around. Not even asked to prove my return flights or my accommodation in the States. Heck we don't even have to fill in the blue cards anymore.

 

[nw1]

Because once you are in the country its actually a nice place to visit, particularly away from cities.

Yes, the ordinary Americans are only too happy to see tourists, IMX.

It's just the border police who seem to suffer from paranoia.

That said, I do not intend to go while Trump is in power, or indeed JD Vance should he succeed Trump.

 

[davetheguard]

You could minimise the aggro by flying via Dublin, - dealing with immigration issues there.

Or if the trip is a holiday, just visit a welcoming country instead rather than one which seems determined to ruin their international reputation.

 

[Speed Whiskers]

You can always avoid this hassle by simply not going to America, if possible. Screw them.

It seems that this is indeed happening.

Data for March 2025, show UK arrivals are down nearly 15% year over year, Germany, plunged more than 28% and South Korea was down almost 15%. Spain, Colombia, Ireland, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, dropped between 24% and 33% [1]. Canadians returning from visits to the US by land plunged 31.9% and air arrivals fell 13.5% [2].

[1] https://wttc.org/news/us-economy-set-to-lose-12-5bn-in-international-traveler-spend-this-year

London, UK, May 13, 2025: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the global body representing the Travel & Tourism private sector, today announced its latest Economic Impact Research which found that the U.S. is on track to lose a staggering $12.5BN in international visitor spending this year.

Notably, international visitor spending to the U.S. is projected to fall to just under $169BN this year, down from $181BN in 2024.

This significant shortfall represents a 22.5% decline compared to the previous peak.

The loss won’t be felt by Travel & Tourism alone, with WTTC saying it represents a direct blow to the U.S. economy overall, impacting communities, jobs, and businesses from coast to coast.

According to the study, the U.S, the largest Travel & Tourism sector in the world, is the only country among 184 economies analysed by WTTC and Oxford Economics, forecast to see international visitor spending decline in 2025.


A Global Leader in Reverse

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “This is a wake-up call for the U.S. government. The world’s biggest Travel & Tourism economy is heading in the wrong direction, not because of a lack of demand, but because of a failure to act. While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign.”

Simpson continues, “Without urgent action to restore international traveller confidence, it could take several years for the U.S. just to return to pre-pandemic levels of international visitor spend, not even the peak from 10 years ago.

“This is about growth in the U.S. economy - it is doable, but it needs leadership from DC.”


In 2024, nearly 90% of all tourism spending came from domestic travel, with Americans holidaying at home in record numbers. But this heavy reliance on homegrown tourism is masking a serious vulnerability; the international market is where the real growth lies, and the U.S. is losing its crown.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, new international arrivals data for March 2025 reveal a sharp and widespread drop in inbound travel from many of the country’s key source markets:

1. UK arrivals, one of the U.S.’s most important source markets, down nearly 15% year over year
2. Germany, another significant source market, plunged more than 28%
3. South Korea – down almost 15%
4. Other key markets, such as Spain, Colombia, Ireland, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, saw double-digit drops between 24% and 33%

As widely expected, the Canadian market is drying up, with early summer bookings down over 20% compared to last year. This is more than a dip. It’s a wake-up call.

While other countries are powering forward, the U.S. is slipping backward. Relying on domestic travellers might have kept the lights on during the pandemic, but without a bold international recovery plan, the world’s biggest Travel & Tourism economy risks falling further behind.


A Missed Economic Opportunity

The economic cost of inaction is clear. Travel & Tourism contributed $2.6TN to the economy last year and supported more than 20mn jobs. It also contributed more than $585BN in tax revenue annually, accounting for almost 7% of all government income. It could be even higher with a strong international visitor base. The sector has long been a reliable driver of federal, state, and local tax receipts.

At the same time, outbound travel is surging. Americans are travelling abroad in large numbers, yet inbound recovery from key markets has stalled. The U.S. is welcoming fewer visitors from its neighbours and countries further afield, which is a clear indicator that the global appeal of the U.S. is slipping.

WTTC warns that this imbalance not only affects local economies and employment but also undermines America’s position as a top global destination for trade, culture, and business.

In 2019, international visitors generated $217.4BN in revenue and supported almost 18MN jobs across America. Today, that legacy is under threat.

WTTC is calling for immediate action to address travel access, rebuild international marketing efforts, and restore global traveller confidence in the U.S.

[2] https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/resource/inbound-travel-to-us-in-steep-decline/

As rhetoric sharpens and tariffs mount, international perceptions of the US have taken a hit—at a time when we had expected to build on post-pandemic momentum.
Official data releases for March 2025 show international travel to the US in decline. The drops are attributable to the global fallout from the intensified “America First” stance, although later Easter timing also contributed. The March data reflect foreign visitor patterns before the April 2 “Liberation Day” tariff announcement, which may draw further backlash.

• Canadians returning from visits to the US by land plunged 31.9% year-over-year in March, while air arrivals fell 13.5%. Overseas visitor arrivals to the US in March contracted 11.6%, with particularly sharp declines from Germany and the UK. Air visitors from Mexico fell 23.0% in March.
• Policies and pronouncements from the Trump administration have contributed to a growing wave of negative sentiment toward the US among potential international travelers. Heightened border security measures and visible immigration enforcement actions are amplifying concerns. These factors, combined with a strong US dollar, are creating additional barriers for those considering travel to the US.

 

[simonw]

Price, it has never been that cheap to travel to the US.

I have seen fares where you could travel from Europe to the west-coast for 5-600€ return in economy. Under 300€ if you can suffer through using Norse. I would never though.

Travel might be cheaper but I'm not sure it's a particularly cheap place once you are there.

 

[PauloDavesi]

A visit to the USA can be quite ecconomical, you just have to do your research and be selective over where you stay and eat etc.
Provided your documents are all in order, with details of where you are staying and return flights etc, there shouldn't be any hassles entering the country, in my experience.

 

[nw1]

Travel might be cheaper but I'm not sure it's a particularly cheap place once you are there.

I always remember the USA as being cheaper than the UK (e.g. eating out, public transport): we are talking about many years before Trump I though - basically Clinton, George W., and Obama.

One particular memory is that a single from San Francisco Airport to the downtown area on the bus was precisely "One Dollar".... I can still remember the accent of the slightly surly driver, but the fare was very good value.
This was 1996, but even still, getting a single bus ticket for around 65p or so for that distance in the UK would have been just about impossible.

 

[Harpers Tate]

That is still the case (give or take some inflation) at least in Orlando where a one-way-ride (regardless of distance) costs $2, and that allows free transfers to other routes within 90 minutes of issue. $16 for a week's unlimited use.

As to entry: I have every intention to visit the USA again, perhaps later this year. I have successfully applied for and obtained approval for "Global Entry" and on my last entry (which was pre-Trump 2) I visited the auto kiosk with my passport and was called to the booth where I was greeted with "Welcome back" and that was it. I have no reason to suppose my next entry will be any different, but we'll see.

 

[AM9]

Because once you are in the country its actually a nice place to visit, particularly away from cities.

I've been there enough time to know how it can be. I found it a lot more relaxing in Canada, more accomodating to visitors, even when they aren't spending money.

 

[Cloud Strife]

This exchange re pitfalls attendant on entering the US, or attempting to do so, has me wondering -- I am elderly, and a total technophobe and general "dinosaur": don't own a mobile phone, and don't want to. If I were to attempt travel to the US: would I be likely, at the relevant entry point -- to be regarded, owing to my non-ownership of such a device, as weird and suspect; and subjected to heaven-knows-what, possibly including being summarily sent back to the place whence I had come?

Generally no, the reports are quite consistent that they're mostly causing trouble for people who are likely to be anti-Trump. An older person who doesn't use a mobile phone and who has their arrangements in order (reservations, return flights, etc) wouldn't arouse any attention whatsoever unless they had you flagged for some reason.

 

[westv]

I went March and again in June. Not one single person of any demographic was stopped , searched or even asked for their phone. The CBP officers couldn't of been happier or nicer and were joking around. Not even asked to prove my return flights or my accommodation in the States. Heck we don't even have to fill in the blue cards anymore.

I went in April to Orlando and, like you, it was a breeze. I wasn't asked for anything.

 

[styles]

You can always avoid this hassle by simply not going to America, if possible. Screw them.

I've been to maybe 6 states for a mixture of work and leisure, and just didn't really connect with it.

It's far from my favourite country to visit. It feels weirdly insular in many places, and even in more moderate states it's odd seeing people hopping on the bus with a handgun openly on their belt. The politics make it even less attractive.

I would love to go to Colorado for the hiking, the mountains, the kayaking, mountain biking, etc. Otherwise I'm very much of the opinion that I'd like to avoid it. And for now they're really sending the message that outsiders aren't welcome.