Two German teenagers were deported after being detained and strip-searched at Honolulu Airport for arriving without hotel reservations during a five-week U.S. trip.
According to The Independent on April 21, Charlotte Pohl (19) and Maria Lepere (18), both from Rostock, Germany, were denied entry to the U.S. by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers despite having valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approvals. The two had been on a post-graduation world tour, visiting New Zealand and Thailand, before arriving in Honolulu on March 18.
Strip-Searched and Detained Despite ESTA Approval
Upon arrival at Honolulu International Airport, the teens were interrogated for several hours, subjected to a full body scan and strip search, then informed they would be deported.
Lepere told Ostsee-Zeitung, “It felt like a dream. We knew these things could happen in the U.S., but we never imagined it would happen to German citizens. We felt naïve and powerless.”
According to Beat of Hawaii, CBP officers became suspicious when they learned the teens had no hotel reservations despite planning to stay in Hawaii for five weeks. Authorities reportedly suspected the girls might attempt to work illegally.
Pohl responded, “They probably found it suspicious that we didn’t have a place to stay, but we just wanted to travel freely, like we did in Thailand and New Zealand.”
Held in Jail Cell with Criminal Suspects
The teenagers claimed they were detained overnight in a jail cell, wearing green prison uniforms and handcuffs, sleeping on mold-covered mattresses beside people charged with serious crimes.
On March 19, they were returned to Honolulu Airport in handcuffs and requested to be flown to Tokyo. They eventually traveled back to Rostock via Tokyo, Qatar, and Frankfurt, arriving home three days after their detention.
German Government Confirms Consular Support
The German Foreign Ministry stated that consular assistance was provided and clarified that an approved ESTA does not guarantee entry. Final decisions are made by U.S. border officers upon arrival.
BY SINAE JUNG [jung.sinae@joongang.co.kr]
