Girls deported from Hawaii after false claims about illegal work intentions

In April 2025, Charlotte Pohl and Maria Lepere, two German tourists, experienced a harrowing situation in the United States after arriving in Hawaii from Auckland. They were excited to embark on a five-week trip across Hawaii, California, and Costa Rica, but their travels took a drastic turn when U.S. immigration officials questioned their travel plans. The officials became suspicious due to the absence of booked accommodations and their financial arrangements. Despite having valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), they were accused of attempting to enter the U.S. with the intention of working illegally. The girls were handcuffed and taken to a detention facility where they faced full-body scans and strip searches before being placed in a holding area with significant criminals. They were forced to wear prison jumpsuits and spent a sleepless night in a freezing cell. In the midst of their confinement, the duo felt powerless and shocked, especially as they hadn’t anticipated such treatment, believing that their German nationality would protect them from such severe scrutiny during their travels in the United States. They described the experience as feeling like a fever dream, emphasizing the surreal nature of their ordeal. Following what they described as an unjust detention, they were escorted back to the airport in handcuffs the next morning. They were placed on a flight to Tokyo, instructed that their passports would be returned to them upon arrival. A significant part of their complaint involved the alteration of transcripts from their interrogations, which they claimed misrepresented their statements and made it seem like they had admitted intentions to work illegally. The girls were devastated as their backpacking journey was marred by this incident, wishing they had been able to enjoy Hawaii and the experiences it offered. In response to their claims, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated that they had denied entry after the girls reportedly admitted intentions that contradicted their visa authorizations. However, discrepancies arose regarding whether they possessed only ESTA authorizations or if one of them had a visitor visa. Though the situation was complex, the overall consequences were stark: two young travelers faced a traumatic experience at the hands of immigration authorities, highlighting the tensions that can exist in the bureaucratic processes governing travel and visas.