Who is Mads Mikkelsen? Norwegian tourist, 21, claims he was denied entry into US over JD Vance meme in phone
Mads Mikkelsen was set to visit his friends in New York and Texas, but went through "harassment and abuse of power" by US immigration officials, he alleged.
A Norwegian tourist has alleged that he was denied entry into the United States after ICE agents found a JD Vance meme on his phone. On June 11, Mads Mikkelsen, 21, landed at Newark Airport in New Jersey and was subsequently detained by border control and put in a cell, he told Norwegian news outlet Nordlys. Mikkelsen was set to visit his friends in New York and Austin, Texas, but went through "harassment and abuse of power" by US immigration officials, he claimed.
Who is Mads Mikkelsen?
Not to be confused with the famous Danish actor, this Mikkelson is a Norwegian from Tromsø, a city located north of the Arctic Circle.
"I felt prejudiced, suspected and simply humiliated even then, in front of many other people at the airport," Mikkelson said of his experience. "They took me to a room with several armed guards, where I had to hand over my shoes, mobile phone and backpack.”
Mikkelsen said that officers initially asked him about his travel plans and intentions, but soon began asking more personal questions.
"They asked direct questions about drug smuggling, terrorist plans and right-wing extremism, completely without reason," he alleged, according to the Daily Star. "They demanded full information about everyone I was going to meet in the US, including name, address, phone number and what they did for work."
Mikkelsen said his mother was about to join him on the trip soon. They had planned to explore various national parks together.
"I had travelled for twelve hours, slept poorly, and was physically and mentally completely exhausted even before they started the questioning," Mikkelsen said.
What did immigration officials find in Mads Mikkelsen’s phone?
Mikkelsen recalled that the officials asked for his phone’s password. "They threatened me with a minimum fine of $5,000 or five years in prison if I refused to provide the password to my phone,” he alleged.
Mikkelsen eventually provided his password, and learned that he would not be allowed to proceed with his vacation because of two images he had on his phone. One was a meme showing Vance sporting a bald, egg-like dome that went viral in March. Even the Vice President himself had shared it. The other was a photo of Mikkelsen featuring a wooden pipe he crafted ages ago.
"Both pictures had been automatically saved to my camera roll from a chat app, but I really didn't think that these innocent pictures would put a stop to my entry into the country," Mikkelsen said.
Mikkelsen said that he tried to explain that the photos were just for laughs, but was ignored. He was later subject to a strip search and made to undergo blood sampling, a facial scan, and fingerprinting.
"Later I was taken back in, and the situation got even worse. I was pushed up against a wall and strip-searched with a lot of force. They were incredibly harsh and used physical force the whole time," said Mikkelsen. "I felt completely devastated and broke down, and was close to crying several times."
"I was on the verge of panic. It felt like I was a terrorist suspect where I was sitting. I tried to pull myself together several times, but in the end, I just wanted to get home again," he added.
Mikkelsen said he was locked up in a cell for an additional five hours, and was even denied food or water. He was forced to return to Oslo on the very day he arrived.
"I don't feel there is any point in contacting the State Department, nor do I think they have any power against such a powerful and strict country as the United States," Mikkelsen said.
Here's what authorities said
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has denied claims that Mikkelson was denied entry because of the meme. In an X post, they asserted, “Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry for any memes or political reasons, it was for his admitted drug use.”
