Was denkst du über den norwegischen Touristen, der den Eintritt in die USA verweigert hat, weil er dieses Foto von Vance in seinen sozialen Medien geteilt hat?

https://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/ble-nektet-etter-rusinnrommelse/83268354

Here is the English translation of the article:

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Denied Entry After Admitting Drug Use

Mads Mikkelsen (21) believed that satirical images of the U.S. Vice President were the reason he was denied entry into the U.S. Then the story went viral.

BRUTAL: Mads Mikkelsen describes a brutal encounter with U.S. border agents. Later, the story took a new turn. Photo: Max Wernerson
By Agnes Torsvik Lorentz & Vilde Surlien Hoen
Published: June 25, 2025 – 19:03

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Summary
• Mads Mikkelsen (21) from Tromsø was denied entry to the U.S., and the case has attracted significant attention in both Norwegian and international media.
• He claimed that border officials stopped him because of a caricature of Vice President JD Vance found on his phone.
• U.S. authorities deny this and state the denial was due to Mikkelsen admitting prior drug use.
• Mikkelsen feels humiliated and believes the authorities misrepresented information about him.

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The case of Norwegian Mads Mikkelsen (21) has caused a storm across Norwegian, international, and social media over the past 24 hours.

The Tromsø native went viral after claiming he was denied entry to the U.S. because border agents found a caricature of Vice President JD Vance on his phone.

Several American outlets—including the Daily Mail, Time Magazine, The Daily Beast, and The Mirror—have covered the shocking story. Norwegian media has also reported on it.

But according to U.S. authorities, the real reason the 21-year-old was deported was something else entirely.

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Felt Humiliated

Just under two weeks ago, Mikkelsen was headed to the U.S. for a two-month vacation. He planned to visit friends in both New York and Texas, and explore several national parks.

However, his dream trip took a turn just hours after it began.

At Newark Airport in New Jersey, he was stopped by border agents and taken to a room with armed guards. There, he was forced to hand over his phone and carry-on luggage, he told the newspaper Nordlys, which first reported the story.

“They threatened me with a fine of at least $5,000—around 50,000 NOK—or five years in prison if I refused to give them the password to my phone,” he told the paper.

Mikkelsen said authorities also questioned him about drug trafficking, terrorism, and far-right extremism. They demanded full details about everyone he was meeting in the U.S.—including names, addresses, phone numbers, and occupations.

“I felt judged, suspected, and completely humiliated—right there in front of lots of people at the airport,” said Mikkelsen.

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Stopped Over Satirical Images

When inspecting his belongings, U.S. border agents found what Mikkelsen believes led to his denied entry:
A caricature of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and a photo of a wooden pipe Mikkelsen had made years earlier.

“Both images had been automatically saved to my camera roll from a chat app, but I honestly didn’t think these innocent pictures would prevent me from entering the country,” he said.

The 21-year-old tried to explain that the images were humorous and not politically motivated, but said officials showed no understanding.

He was then allegedly subjected to a body search, forced to give blood samples, facial scans, and fingerprints.

U.S. border officials are legally permitted to search electronic devices without a warrant or suspicion upon entry.

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Authorities Respond

A few hours later, the border agents decided to deny Mikkelsen entry. That same day, he was put on a flight back to Norway.

“I felt awful and broken. In the end, I just wanted to get home,” he said.

U.S. border authorities have apparently taken note of the attention the case has received—but strongly disagree with Mikkelsen’s version.

“Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry due to ‘memes’ or political reasons; it was due to his admitted drug use,” they wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

Later that same day, Mikkelsen told Nordlys in a follow-up article that he had admitted to trying marijuana once in Germany and once in New Mexico.

“Both places it’s legal, so I didn’t think it was relevant,” he said.

Germany legalized cannabis for personal use in April 2024, and New Mexico did so in 2021.

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“They Falsified My Information”

When he was deported, the 21-year-old received a written transcript from the border interview.

According to Mikkelsen, the document contains multiple errors, including a claim that he holds a Spanish passport.

Dagbladet has reviewed images of the document and confirmed this.

He also told Nordlys that he has never even set foot on Spanish soil.

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DRAMATIC: The events unfolded at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Photo: David ‘Dee’ Delgado / Reuters / NTB

Mikkelsen is aware that Dagbladet is covering the case. He says all the attention has been overwhelming and has declined to give further comments.

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It was due to his admitted drug use. Nothing to do with the meme.