Traveling to the United States now comes with more fine print.
Amid the Trump administration’s recent wave of deportations targeting criminal illegal immigrants and pro-Hamas protesters, a slew of updated travel advisories from U.S. allies now warn of new risks to visitors.
Germany’s foreign office cautions that “neither a valid [Electronic System for Travel] authorization nor a valid U.S. visa constitutes a right to entry into the USA” and that “even a slight overstay of their visa … can lead to arrest, detention and deportation.”
Three German nationals were recently detained, according to several reports, including a legal U.S. resident now held at Wyatt Detention Center in Rhode Island.
The United Kingdom, too, updated its guidance to say: “You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.” The shift followed the detention of 28-year-old Welsh tourist Becky Burke, who was detained after a visa mix-up at the Canadian border.
Canada also revised its guidance, warning: “Foreign nationals visiting the United States for periods longer than 30 days must be registered with the United States government” or face “penalties, fines and misdemeanor prosecution.”
And New Zealand’s travel site now urges citizens to “exercise increased caution” in the U.S. because of “the threat of terrorism” and it notes elevated levels of violent crime.
The Trump administration’s January executive order on biological sex also has spurred travel advisory changes. Under the new rule, anyone applying for a visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorization must mark the box for the sex they were assigned at birth — with no exceptions.
In response, Denmark, Finland, Ireland and Portugal are urging LGBT citizens to consult their local U.S. embassies for more information on how to approach travel in the U.S.
The Trump administration has defended the travel policy as a return to biological clarity in federal documentation. Officials argue the move ensures consistency across agencies and prevents ideologically driven confusion within immigration and identification systems.
“There are only two sexes — male and female,” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “President Trump promised the American people a revolution of common sense, and that includes making sure that the policy of the U.S. government agrees with simple biological reality.”
