Overview

• Mads Mikkelsen, a 21-year-old Norwegian, was held for five hours at Newark Airport on June 11 and subjected to a strip search, luggage and phone inspection after disclosing past cannabis use.
• Mikkelsen alleges CBP agents flagged a doctored JD Vance meme as “dangerous extremist propaganda” and interrogated him about terrorism and extremism.
• On June 24, US Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security posted on X that the refusal of entry was based solely on his admitted drug use and not on any political imagery.
• CBP reports that fewer than 0.01% of the roughly one million daily travellers have their devices searched, but this case has intensified scrutiny of electronic inspections at U.S. ports of entry.
• The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between strengthened border security protocols, freedom of expression, and transparency in enforcement decisions.