Visiting the United States as a German tourist may not be as smooth sailing as it used to be, especially since President Trump took office. Jessica Lia Brösche, a Berlin tattoo artist, experienced a nightmare when she tried to enter the U.S. near San Diego on Jan. 26, six days after Trump’s inauguration. Held at the Otay Mesa detention center for six weeks, Brösche was eventually allowed to fly back home to Berlin. The German consulate remained tight-lipped about the case, while ICE vaguely mentioned that travelers could face detention and removal for violating statutes or visa terms.
The incident made waves in Europe, with headlines questioning whether the U.S. was cracking down on German tourists. As a result, there has been a noticeable drop in European visitors to the U.S., with German numbers taking a significant hit. In March, there was a 28% decrease in German visitors compared to the previous year, prompting concerns about the impact on the U.S. economy, particularly in California. The state, known for its allure to German tourists, saw a 26% decline in visitors from Germany in March alone.
The fear of being detained or facing mistreatment at the U.S. border has led many German travelers to reconsider their plans. Karolina Pieper, a German citizen, expressed her apprehension, stating, “I don’t want to take a chance of ending up stopped at the airport and then taken to a prison in El Salvador, with my hair shaved off and forced to kneel in line with prisoners.” The uncertainty surrounding U.S. travel has also affected business dealings, with individuals like Martin Moszkowicz, an executive at Constantin Film, noting the hesitance of German actors and writers to visit the U.S. due to fears of being detained.
Reports of strip searches, handcuffing, and arbitrary detention have further fueled the anxiety among German travelers. Fabian Schmidt, a German electrical engineer with a green card, was detained at Boston’s Logan Airport for two months, prompting outrage from his family over his treatment in detention. The German government issued a travel advisory cautioning travelers about the discretionary power of U.S. border control agents and the potential risks of even minor infractions leading to detention.
Despite the challenges and negative experiences, some German travelers like Brösche have not completely ruled out the possibility of returning to the U.S. in the future. Brösche mentioned that while she can’t forget what happened, she is open to forgiving and potentially revisiting Los Angeles without the border hassles. The uncertainty and fear surrounding U.S. travel have undoubtedly cast a shadow over the once-popular destination for German tourists, raising concerns about the long-term impact on tourism and the economy.
So, yeah, traveling to the U.S. as a German tourist these days doesn’t sound like the most fun idea. The whole detention and mistreatment thing? Not really the best way to kick off a vacation. The German government is not happy about it either, lodging protests with U.S. authorities over the treatment of German tourists. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like the U.S. might need to work on its hospitality game if it wants to welcome back those hearty German travelers who love spending their vacation dollars in California. But hey, who knows, maybe things will improve, and we’ll see those Lederhosen-clad tourists back in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
