Germany has updated its travel advisory for the United States to emphasize that a waiver or visa allowing in does not promise Germans will be allowed into the U.S. after several of its citizens have been detained at the border.
According to a notice on Germany’s Foreign Office website, the country warned that entry through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) system or a U.S. visa is not guaranteed every time and that the U.S. border authority has the final say.
“It is recommended that you bring proof of your onward journey on arrival,” the office said.
The office noted that a U.S. criminal conviction, false statements regarding one’s purpose of stay, or even a short visa overstay can lead to arrest, detention and deportation.
The new alert is issued during an investigation into the case of three German nationals being denied entry and detained when they tried to enter the U.S.
A representative said “the events of the past week concerning German citizens entering the USA” are being taken very seriously, local news reports.
Most visitors from European countries, including Germany, are usually allowed to enter the U.S. for up to 90 days.
But when German citizens were each stopped separately as they crossed the San Diego-Tijuana border, they were denied entry and were brought into a detention center, The New York Times reports.
The detentions and the policy shifts follow the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration at the country’s southern border and its implementation of a policy of mass deportations.
Though President Trump ran for office to stop illegal immigration, he’s really struck at long-standing programs that offer migrants and tourists legitimate ways to enter the U.S.
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