this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2025
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DHS does not deny strong-arming tourist into letting them into his phone, only that agents sent him home because of a meme

The story circulating online — first in Norwegian newspaper Nordlys and then picked up by British tabloids — claims that during Mikkelsen's encounter with the Department of Homeland Security, agents took his phone and found a meme depicting Vance as a bloated, smooth, bald man staring off into the distance.

Mikkelsen claims that the officials threatened to fine him $5,000 or send him to prison for five years if he refused to provide them with his phone password. The tourist ultimately agreed to hand over his information, allowing agents to look through his phone.

The reports picked up enough steam in headlines and on social media to justify CBP putting out a statement denying parts of the story.

top 46 comments
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[–] cyborganism@piefed.ca 137 points 10 hours ago (5 children)

Wait... Lemme (ha!) get this straight...

If they want to search your phone or any electronic device when entering the US and you refuse, you get fined 5000$ and get a 5 years prison sentence?????

They don't just deny you entry and send you back?

[–] LandedGentry@lemmy.zip 134 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

They lied and no one cares apparently

[–] drdalek@lemmy.dbzer0.com 30 points 6 hours ago

The CBP is basically an unchained lunatic with a credit card and access to unthinkable networks of treachery. We are no longer living in a time when these rules matter. Judges order are explicitly being ignored, and the Supreme Court is batting away any attempt to even disarm the lunatic.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 44 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

After the agents looked through his phone, he said he was denied entry to the United States and was sent back to Norway.

People keep acting like this is new, it's been like this since 9/11...

If they "suspect" someone, they don't want to just let them walk away if they're right.

So if you don't comply, they assume the worse and detain you and throw some trumped up charges about obstructing. But they don't even have to do that, they literally can (and likely have) ship you straight to Gitmo for life. Hell, cops even make these kinds of threats to US citizens during traffic stops. Law enforcement has been able to just make wild threats to get people to comply for like, forever

Silver lining at least, people are finally realizing this is an insane process and hopefully it's one of the things we get to fix.

Because we sure as shit can't just spend four years discussing if we need to limit all these govermental powers that have been racking up again. If we get the chance to fix shit we have to actually fix it.

[–] vivalapivo@lemmy.today 39 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

People keep acting like this is new, it's been like this since 9/11...

Haha, man. People have already forgotten that these were temporary measures after 9/11

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Shifting baselines. It makes me wonder if people in the bad old times of monarchy might have actually been more free than we are now.

[–] vivalapivo@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago

I wouldn't say so, it was just different: previously we had sovereign monarchy where people were subjected to violence, now we have disciplinary society with much less violence

[–] nao@sh.itjust.works 30 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Don't bring your regular phone when traveling to countries like China or the US

[–] Hubi@feddit.org 1 points 26 minutes ago
  • Create an encrypted backup
  • upload it to a cloud storage of your choice
  • reset your phone
  • once you're past the immigration checkpoint, download the backup and restore it

This is how I've always done it. If anyone asks, say you just bought the device.

[–] BlindFrog@lemmy.world 18 points 5 hours ago

When prisons are for-profit --

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 9 points 7 hours ago

You're lucky if you don't get disappeared to a Central American gulag.

[–] BeBopaLula@piefed.ca 86 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Moral of the story: Do not go anywhere near the states. It is a fascist country and they will deport you to el salvador lickety-split.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 24 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

This is the sad part. My favorite uncle had a special connection to hanauma bay near Waikiki, but my mom can't go there and remember him smiling and laughing and teaching my cousin to swim. We are all afraid that even us whiteboy Canucks will get separated in customs and never be seen again. And we're wipepo from the most polite country on earth!

It's almost assured that, after this term, if Hawaii hasn't separated yet, that she'll be too old to travel $afely. She's getting a little fuddy now, in that she brings it up often, and tells me again for the first time about Uncle's love of Hawaii and h bay ... every time.

Trump's people are dicks

[–] BeBopaLula@piefed.ca 8 points 7 hours ago

Yes. If there are friends or family there maybe they could do a video call and walk around her favourite areas?

At this point it does not matter if you are white, pink, orange, brown, aquamarine or Oakville 70’s fuchsia. These vile asshats are drunk with power and are deporting people faster than the up and down of a hookers knickers at a convention.

Not worth anyone’s safety at this point. Being wiped from existence is a fact now in the states. Be safe.

[–] Headofthebored@lemmy.world 51 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

The fact that meme bothers them is hilarious though. Imagine a protest at the Capitol with a huge crowd all carrying big signs with nothing but that meme on it. 😂

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 23 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

People keep writing words on posters like fascist can't help but read something they see...

Their brains aren't even recognizing it's text.

But pictures of their leaders edited to exacerbate their worst physical features?

That hits them where it hurts.

[–] evenglow@lemmy.world 19 points 9 hours ago

This is why weird worked

Time to find some caricaturists to help prepare the next round of protests signs.

[–] nulluser@lemmy.world 12 points 9 hours ago

I don't suppose anyone here has a link to a high(ish) resolution version of it? Asking for a friend.

[–] AngrySquirrel@lemm.ee 1 points 1 hour ago

People could print out a bunch and wheat paste them around downtown, especially near the vice presidential compound/naval observatory.

[–] SoupBrick@pawb.social 49 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

Time skip 10 years in the future

History Channel: Memes in American History

[–] OldManBOMBIN@lemmy.world 12 points 9 hours ago (1 children)
[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 6 points 7 hours ago
[–] Salvo@aussie.zone 34 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Just a reminder for anyone travelling to the US (or any other totalitarian regime that doesn’t respect right to privacy).

https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/how-to-safeguard-your-phone-when-entering-the-us-5-essential-security-tips

I can’t remember the combination of buttons you need to hold down on your iPhone to disable biometric unlocking and to force erase your phone.

Anyone else remember these, and know the equivalent combination for Android devices, please comment.

Keeping multiple devices is the easiest way to get by. Have a burner phone for everyday use when travelling and keep your main phone either at home, or locked and unpowered in your luggage.

[–] SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works 10 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

To disable biometrics on your iPhone, simply press the power button five times, rapidly.

This also gives you a power off option and an SOS button.

If you want to fully encrypt the phone before confiscation, turn it off.

[–] Salvo@aussie.zone 5 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

This can be paired with the “Erase all Data” option in “FaceID and Passcode” settings to add another level of security.

Just remember to play dumb when you “accidentally” incorrectly enter your passcode 10 times in a row and to make sure you have a recent backup that you are able to access.

[–] Dynamo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

I agree with activating those options but due to timers preventing you to make another try starting after the 5th incorrect entry it will take at least 1h 21m to enter your PIN incorrectly 10 times. The last timer alone is 60min. So this unfortunately is not a quick way to wipe your iPhone in this scenario.

I suspect they will not wait 60min to let you enter the a wrong PIN for the 10th time if you even get that far. Much more likely they will confiscate the device to clone it in order to have unlimited tries for brute forcing if they really want to access your phone.

[–] nkat2112@sh.itjust.works 21 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

Is there a correlation of what's going on here with a concept referred to as the Streisand Effect? Or does that not apply?

Edit: I guess not since they were likely not trying to spread this meme, but rather, make an example of someone who laughs at Couch Guyliner memes. Still, all the same, it would be hilarious if this incident causes people to follow this visitor's example.

[–] evenglow@lemmy.world 9 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Guess what my phone's wallpaper is now when I travel?

Ooh nice choice! I’m using a protest wallpaper too. Though mine’s that “accidental Renaissance” shot where someone graffitied “EAT THE RICH” on the Utah capitol building, with three cops standing around while a crowd protests behind them. It’s just too beautiful.

[–] Quacksalber@sh.itjust.works 20 points 9 hours ago

Come next election cycle, there needs to be a reckoning. Not only does Trump and many of his appointees go to prison, it also needs to be investigated how so many bureaucrats and officers are so willing to do Trump's bidding. Unless those people are removed too, Trump 2.0 is going to happen.

[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 10 points 9 hours ago

Preload some Joe Biden memes for express processing.

[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 6 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Anyone have the meme in question?

[–] nokturne213@sopuli.xyz 9 points 9 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I was wondering if it had text to it? How funny it was? Or if it was just the picture, like you shared...?...

[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago (2 children)
[–] nokturne213@sopuli.xyz 2 points 6 hours ago

Eric Cartman as an adult

[–] Salvo@aussie.zone 2 points 3 hours ago

Substitute “Pie” “Couches”

[–] CatDogL0ver@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (3 children)

That's why I pretend to be Canadian when I travel overseas. I put tiny Canadian flags on my luggage and phone. I tell people I am from Vancouver.

Lisa gets it. From “The Italian Bob,” an episode where the family visited Italy:

collapsed inline media

[–] OceanSoap@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

Lol. I promise you everyone can tell.

[–] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world -2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

That’s about as cool as pretending to be any other culture.

But it’s ok for Americans somehow to fake being from a different culture to not be looked down on.

[–] CatDogL0ver@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago

Yeah, I definitely understand if my fellow Americans pretending to be our Northern neighbours when travelling overseas.

We aren't not that popular. Only Russians like us.

[–] DirkMcCallahan@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

I can't wait for people to start using this photo Rickroll-style.

[–] Wispy2891@lemmy.world 0 points 8 minutes ago

Even when you enter China the officials won't check your phone. They just tell you to install their "com.gov.mfa" apk downloaded from a server with invalid SSL certificate and totally not suspicious permissions like:

android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE
android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
android.permission.INTERNET
android.permission.READ_PRIVILEGED_PHONE_STATE
android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
android.permission.CAMERA
android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE
android.permission.READ_SETTINGS
android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
android.permission.BLUETOOTH_ADMIN
android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION
android.permission.GET_TASKS
android.permission.RECEIVE_USER_PRESENT
android.permission.WAKE_LOCK
android.permission.VIBRATE
android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW
android.permission.CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE
android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE
android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO
android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS
android.permission.ACCESS_LOCATION_EXTRA_COMMANDS
android.permission.REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES
android.permission.BLUETOOTH
android.permission.CALL_PHONE
android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE
android.permission.PROCESS_OUTGOING_CALLS
com.asus.msa.SupplementaryDID.ACCESS
com.gov.mfa.permission.SP_NOTIFY_CHANGE
com.coloros.mcs.permission.RECIEVE_MCS_MESSAGE
android.permission.REORDER_TASKS
android.permission.USE_FULL_SCREEN_INTENT
android.permission.DOWNLOAD_WITHOUT_NOTIFICATION
android.permission.ACCESS_DOWNLOAD_MANAGER
android.permission.LOCAL_MAC_ADDRESS
android.permission.READ_APN_SETTINGS
android.permission.BROADCAST_STICKY
android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS
com.gov.mfa.permission.TMF_SHARK
com.gov.mfa.permission.MIPUSH_RECEIVE
android.permission.QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES
android.permission.FLASHLIGHT
android.permission.MOUNT_UNMOUNT_FILESYSTEMS
android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED
com.gov.mfa.permission.PROCESS_PUSH_MSG
com.gov.mfa.permission.PUSH_PROVIDER
android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PROJECTION
com.huawei.appmarket.service.commondata.permission.GET_COMMON_DATA