A 21-year-old Norwegian tourist, Mads Mikkelsen, claimed he was denied entry into the United States at Newark Liberty International Airport after immigration officers found a meme of US Vice President JD Vance on his phone. The meme, depicting Vance with an exaggerated bald head, had circulated widely online. Mikkelsen said he was detained, questioned about drug trafficking and extremism, and pressured to unlock his phone under threat of a fine or imprisonment. After hours of detention and searches, he was sent back to Norway. However, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) later clarified that the denial was due to Mikkelsen’s admitted past drug use, not the meme.
The incident at Newark Airport
Mikkelsen arrived on June 11, 2025, intending to visit friends in New York and Texas. Upon arrival, ICE officers reportedly detained him, questioning him extensively about drug smuggling, terrorism, and extremism without clear cause. He was taken to a guarded room, asked to surrender his shoes, phone, and backpack, and pressured to unlock his phone under threat of a $5,000 fine or five years in prison.
What was found on Mikkelsen’s phone?
According to reports, Officers discovered the JD Vance meme and a photo of a handmade wooden pipe saved from a chat app. Mikkelsen explained these were harmless images, but officials reportedly treated them suspiciously. The meme had gained attention after Vance’s controversial remarks during a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky.
CBP’s official response
US Customs and Border Protection issued a “Fact Check: FALSE” statement on social media, denying that the meme or political reasons led to Mikkelsen’s denial of entry. Instead, CBP stated the real cause was his admitted previous drug use, dismissing widespread media speculation linking the ban to the meme.
Allegations of harassment and record issues
Mikkelsen described the experience as humiliating and traumatic, alleging strip-searches, luggage ransacking, fingerprinting, blood sampling, and falsified travel records. He also noted confusion when his Norwegian passport was mistakenly labeled “Spanish,” despite never having visited Spain.While the viral story of a bald JD Vance meme causing a tourist’s ban captured public attention, official sources confirm the denial was due to unrelated immigration issues. The incident underscores tensions between border security, digital privacy, and freedom of expression in an era of heightened scrutiny at US ports of entry.
