A Norwegian tourist says his U.S. vacation turned into a nightmare after border agents allegedly denied him entry over a meme mocking Vice President JD Vance.<\/p>\n
Mads Mikkelsen, 21, was flying to visit friends in New York and Texas when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) searched his phone and found a viral image of Vance with a bald, egg-shaped head. He claims that led to 12 hours of interrogation, a strip search, and deportation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey treated me like a criminal,\u201d Mads told Norwegian outlet Nordlys<\/em>. He says agents threatened jail and a fine unless he gave up his phone password, then flagged the meme and a photo of him holding a homemade pipe as \u201cproblematic.\u201d<\/p>\n CBP strongly denied the meme was the issue. \u201cFalse,\u201d the agency posted on X. \u201cHe was denied entry for admitted drug use.\u201d The Department of Homeland Security echoed that statement.<\/p>\n Despite that, Mads insists his treatment was excessive and politically motivated. He describes being held without food or water, blood-tested, and scanned. \u201cI felt like I was being treated as a terrorist.\u201d<\/p>\n The meme\u2014originally a joke from X user @DaveMcNamee3000\u2014remains widely shared online. Meanwhile, the case is fueling debate about border searches and digital privacy.<\/p>\n Mads says he no longer feels safe returning to the U.S. Norway\u2019s Foreign Ministry is urging travelers to review U.S. digital policies carefully.<\/p>\n His dream trip, he says, ended in humiliation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Norwegian tourist says his U.S. vacation turned into a nightmare after border agents allegedly denied him entry over a meme mocking Vice President JD Vance. Mads Mikkelsen, 21, was flying to visit friends in New York and Texas when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) searched his phone and found a viral image of…<\/p>\n