Did a bald JD Vance Meme actually ban this tourist from America? What exactly happened here. world News

A 21 -year -old Norwegian tourist, Mads Mikelsen, claimed that the immigration officials were denied entry into the United States at the Newark Liberty International Airport after the immigration officials found a meme of US vice -president JD Vance. The meme was widely operated online, depicting the veins with an exaggerated bald head. Mikelsen said he was detained, questioned about drug trafficking and extremism, and pressured to unlock his phone under a fine or imprisonment threat. After hours of detention and discoveries, he was sent back to Norway. However, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) later clarified that the refusal was due to the use of Mikelsen’s previous drug, not the meme.
Event at Newark Airport
Mikelsen arrived in New York and Texas on 11 June 2025 intending to visit friends. On arrival, the Ice officials allegedly detained him, raising a massive question about drug smuggling, terrorism and extremism without a clear reason. He was taken to a protected room, asked to surrender his shoes, phones and backpacks, and pressured his phone to unlock his phone under a fine of $ 5,000 or a five -year jail threat.
What was found on Mikelsen’s phone?
According to reports, the authorities discovered a picture of a handmade wooden pipe saved from JD Vance Meme and a chat app. Mikelsen reported that these were harmless images, but the authorities allegedly treated him suspicious. Mem attracted attention by Vance’s controversial remarks during a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Zelanski.
Official reaction of CBP
The US Customs and Border Protection released a “Fact Check: Wrong” statement on social media, denied that memes or political reasons refused to enter Mikelsen’s entry. Instead, the CBP stated that the real reason was their use of previous drugs, which rejects the widespread media speculation connecting the memes.
Allegations of harassment and record issues
Mikelsen described the experience as derogatory and painful, alleging strip-search, luggage ransom, fingerprinting, blood sampling and fed travel records. He still spoke of confusion when his Norwegian passport was accidentally labeled “Spanish”, despite that Spain was not visited.While the viral story of a bald JD Vance memes attracted public attention due to a tourist ban, confirm the official sources that the refusal was due to unrelated immigration issues. The phenomenon underlines stress amidst the freedom of expression in the era of border security, digital privacy, and enlarged investigation on American ports of entry.