Summary
German tattoo artist Jessica Brösche, 26, is indefinitely detained by ICE after being denied entry at the San Diego border from Tijuana.
Despite possessing a valid German passport, visa waiver, and return ticket to Berlin, she underwent secondary inspection and spent days in detention, including eight in solitary confinement.
Accused of planning to violate the terms of the visa waiver by working in Los Angeles as a tattoo artist, her ordeal is described as "like a horror movie.”
Brösche‘s friend Amelia Lofving was finally able to track her down and visited after 25 days.
Hm, we were planning to go to LA this year, but with a German passport in light of this article, Uhm, I’m having second thoughts. I wasn’t that worried about problems when we went to China last year.
As an American, please do not come to America right now
There are still many nice places to visit in America, I would just avoid the US.
I would avoid America completely. To send a good message you can’t give money.
Agreed. 2/10, would not recommend to a friend
Oh, I’m in LA and you should definitely come; just wait until after our civil war or coup or whatever it is that happens to get things to settle down. It’s a lovely city if you know where to go.
Also if it’s any consolation, we’ve practically got ICE protests almost every day. People here are fucking livid over this shit, particularly the Latino parts of town. (Although in typical LA fashion, part of the protesting is because of a TikTok trend).
Please don’t come here. Wait and see whether we are able to rediscover our humanity.
People gotta stop acting as if things are business as usual
The 20 days detention for westerners aren’t usual (while they are for others) but being stopped at immigration because they think you may work is unfortunately standard. If your lucky, they’ll search your laptop as good old corporate espionage if you’re not, you’ll fly home with a denied stamp on your passport
Go to Vancouver instead. Much better than LA.
The Winchester brothers agree!
I’m from the US and still have family there. There’s zero chance I go unless someone is dying and, even then, I dare not bring my wife who speaks very little English. I’m glad we went before this shitstorm happened so she could at least meet my surviving grandparents once.
LA is mostly a dump, anyway.