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submitted 2 weeks ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

Summary

Welsh tourist Becky Burke was detained for 19 days in a US immigration facility and transported in chains like "Hannibal Lecter" after alleged visa violations.

Burke had been backpacking and staying with host families in exchange for help around the house, which authorities suspected breached her tourist visa conditions.

Deported on March 18, she described the ordeal as traumatizing. Her parents criticized the harsh treatment and are considering addressing the issue politically.

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[-] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 39 points 2 weeks ago

Why are we not seeing more travel advisories? I know of a few but if this was any other nation you would have advisories from almost everyone by now.

[-] quack@lemmy.zip 23 points 2 weeks ago

It’s happening, slowly but surely. UK issued one today.

[-] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 23 points 2 weeks ago
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[-] AugustWest@lemm.ee 35 points 2 weeks ago

Another reminder: these, and all the detention facilities are privately owned and for profit. The motivation is to have a full house to maximize profits.

[-] CalipherJones@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago

Just more systems put in place to worship the American God: money.

No crime is too great as long as the parasites at the top are taking more and more and more of our wealth and prosperity from us.

[-] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 30 points 2 weeks ago

A US customs spokesman previously said they could not discuss specific cases but that travellers were treated with "integrity, respect and according to law".

Bullshit. Too many stories are coming out that prove that's a lie.

Fuck America and fuck Trump.

[-] zqps@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 weeks ago

Trump's tenure really exposes how many people work in various law enforcement functions apparently just for the privilege to humiliate and hurt people.

[-] bampop@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

At all levels too. I mean, why the 24 hours a day fluorescent lights so you don't know night from day? How does that help? Hell, how does it even make more money? Even with senior management, the cruelty is the point.

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The “according to the law” line gets me, the laws are inhumane, you’re not a good person because you enforce nazi laws

[-] BlackSheep@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago

There is no law anymore. This is full on dictatorship. Judges are being ignored. SCOTUS is complicit.

[-] metaldream@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Anyone who's been arrested here knows what a bunch of bullshit that is. The psychopath American people created a legal system that's as harsh and dehumanizing as they could possibly make it under the constitution, and now it's going to get worse.

The cop car seats are made out of hard plastic, and there are no seat belts. They literally want you to fucking die on the way to jail. It happens in a regular basis, and no one cares because this country is full of vengeful sociopaths. They don't care if you're innocent or guilty. They don't care what you were charged with (for me it was smoking weed). And that's just the beginning.

The American people have made it plainly obvious for decades that the constitution is just a piece of paper that gets in the way of their bloodlust and cruelty.

Anyone who's surprised by America veering into fascism has only known this country from a coddled point of view. The current dictatorship is a wet dream for a lot of Americans, and they aren't going to change their minds until he destroys the country, and even then they'll probably celebrate it.

[-] Yerbouti@sh.itjust.works 22 points 2 weeks ago

Traveling to a fascist country might be challenging, I personnaly wouldn't take the chance.

[-] char_stats@lemm.ee 6 points 2 weeks ago

Or, at least, only go with organized tours and a local guide. As long as you don't steal any propaganda posters, you should survive.

[-] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

Anyone willing to encourage tourism to America by being such a guide would probably take your money and then find a reason to get you arrested by ICE anyway. Not like you could take it up with a consumer protection agency now.

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[-] febra@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

Such an inhumane country. Keeping people in shackles like cattle. Hell, not even cattle gets treated like that.

[-] peetabix@sh.itjust.works 16 points 2 weeks ago

Me (British) and my American gf are planning to visit her friends and family over the summer in Navada, Washington and New Mexico. Not so sure i want to go anymore.

I’m Latino Canadian so I’m not going anywhere near the u.s, fuck that.

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

I'm brown in the US and I try not going anywhere. Every morning I have to drive by a school zone to get to the freeway and the police always parks right by the 20mph sign. If you don't see the fucker there, he is somewhere already detaining someone.

[-] AoxoMoxoA@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

I've got a few friends that were adopted , one of Columbian decent the other Korean. I askd them how their feeling about all this if theyre worried. My Columbian buddy is a little concerned , wants tinted windows on his car etc., cant say i blame him.

Back during fuckboys first term my Korean buddy got locked up for a few months (non violent crime). I went to pick him up , when I got to the jail they said he was being detained. I got in touch later that evening and he was released. They were about to send him to Washington D.C. to get sent back to south Korea because of some bull shit error on his adoption paperwork from the early 80's. Luckily it all got straitened out but he was scared , he said they weren't fucking around. He was terrified he was going to get sent back to a country he left at 3 years old with no chance to return over a clerical error.

I could only imagine the wrong people (im not saying anyone deserves this level of harassment) are going to get hammered by all this hair trigger jackboot coward behavior.

I hope you don't get fucked with out there

[-] SeaRobin@reddthat.com 6 points 2 weeks ago

At this point I would recommend against any non-US national from traveling to the US.

[-] zer0squar3d@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 weeks ago

And i would recommend anyone from the US, already traveling outside, and not 100% bleach white, to increase your vacation time for a few years and not come back if possible as you will probably be detained even with a legit passport and documentation. Maybe seek asylum.

[-] amon@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

not 100% bleach white

More like any from:

  • Not 100% bleach white
  • Not 4 generations American
  • Not a MAGA
  • LGBTQ+
  • Related to any anti-MAGAs
  • Is pro-Palestinian or pro-Ukraine
  • Has any part of their identity that can be used as an excuse to deport

Basically everyone other than Trump and the core MAGAs

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[-] Bongo_Stryker@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago
[-] BlackSheep@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Geezus. I’m right next door (Canadian), and I wouldn’t even consider going there. They’re going to start using ANY excuse to detain people. In December 2018, Canadian nationals Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were taken into custody in China. It appeared that their detention on December 10 and subsequent indictment under the state secrets law were linked to the arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada on December 1. In English-language media, the pair are frequently and colloquially referred to as the Two Michaels. Wikipedia. EDIT: I spent 35 years crossing the border camping, shopping, and feeling like I was with trusted neighbours. Really sad...

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[-] specterspectre@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

Don't. I used to hike around the southern states for fun. Currently residing in one. The border patrol goons are just headhunting to fill quotas now. Anybody is game. I myself am planning my move out of country right now. Even the magats are not safe and are willing to sacrifice themselves for their hateful ideals.

[-] Botanicals@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

100% trust your gut. It's not a good idea.

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[-] sommerset@thelemmy.club 10 points 2 weeks ago

For some reason I'm confident this is not the first time this happened. But now it's covered by European sources so news leak out to the public.

[-] Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee 4 points 2 weeks ago

It happened to a well known Canadian actress (she is well known for her role in the American pie films). She was detained for months over what would have been a tiny paperwork error just a few years ago. She said that the women she was imprisoned also had no criminal record but were treated like murderers.

[-] Freshparsnip@lemm.ee 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Anybody who still travels to the Untied States at this point is a fool

[-] aphonefriend@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 weeks ago

So long as Magats remain in charge, traveling to the US is now like traveling to China. You'll probably see some pretty cool things but also have an above 0% chance for a life traumatizing event.

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[-] obinice@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

They don't want foreigners in that country any more, and are willing to treat them badly to get their message across.

Don't end up in one of their detainment concentration camps, you never know when you'll be allowed to leave, the way they keep suddenly changing how they do things - for the worse - every few weeks, it could be never.

Don't go to that country. It's too dangerous.

[-] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago

Our government certainly doesn't want foreigners here, but the people remain welcoming.

I lived in San Diego, CA for the entirety of Trump's first term. He kept making it sound like criminals were flooding in there, and harming us. The narrative was that we were victims, and he was some sort of hero.

The reality was we love our Mexican neighbors... And we fucking hate that asshole for lying and demonizing our friends, colleagues, and family members.

This all said, it is not safe here any longer for us in the long term, or foreigners in the short term. He has lost his damn mind, literally, and his followers are brainwashed. America is unsafe, and unstable.

[-] NotSteve_@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I don’t know if I trust the people either when Trump has a nearly 50% approval rating

[-] madsjchic@lemm.ee 4 points 2 weeks ago

As an American, I agree with you. I DONT trust my neighbors or colleagues.

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[-] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 weeks ago

They probably freaked out when she started speaking Welsh. Understandable.

[-] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 3 points 2 weeks ago

Frankly, it's an upper class/ lower class situation. Welsh people, historically just couldn't afford vowels. ;-)

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[-] robbinhood@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

Can't wait until the summer rolls around and the fascists start arresting kids for setting up lemonade stands and whatnot.

[-] CalipherJones@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear about a cop shooting a kid for opening a lemonade stand.

[-] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 3 points 2 weeks ago

I mean, we already had a cop empty their entire mag into the woods because a walnut fell onto his car

[-] CalipherJones@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

HEY NOW, it was an acorn. Way different.

[-] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago

Also it wasn't the woods, but an already detained "suspect" in the back of their police cruiser (where suspect is just really a person of colour in the wrong place at the wrong time).

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this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2025
131 points (100.0% liked)

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