British Tourist Detained by ICE for 19 Days Warns Against All US Travel
April 5, 2025
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A U.K. woman has spoken of time in detention after being branded an illegal alien by American border officials, as she warned other would-be travelers not to get caught up in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Rebecca Burke, a 28-year-old graphic artist from Monmouthshire, South Wales, told British newspaper The Guardian how she had been refused entry to Canada from the state of Washington.
She told the paper after she was sent back to the U.S, American officials classed her as an illegal alien, shackled and transported her to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, where she was locked up for 19 days.
Newsweek has contacted ICE for comment by email outside business hours.
Trucks prepare to cross the US-Canada border at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, on March 8, 2025. Trucks prepare to cross the US-Canada border at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, on March 8, 2025. GEOFF ROBINS/Getty Images
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has pledged to clamp down on illegal immigration and during the first 50 days of his presidency, 32,809 people have been arrested by ICE.
Burke’s account is the latest description of what has been described as an increasingly draconian approach by U.S. border officials, even toward temporary visa holders and visitors.
What to Know
Burke had arrived in the U.S. during the Joe Biden administration for a backpacking tripping trip of North America. During it, she had stayed with a host family in Portland, Oregon, exchanging domestic work for accommodation.
She said she was refused entry into Canada to stay with another host family on a similar arrangement, and was informed that she should have applied for a working visa rather than a tourist visa.
She was told to reenter the U.S. and fill in new paperwork. On the U.S. side of the border, Burke said that after six hours of waiting, she was interviewed. When given the transcript to sign, she noticed the agent had summarized some parts of her testimony, writing that while in the U.S. she had done “work in exchange for accommodation.” Exhausted, she signed it anyway. After being told she had violated her tourist visa by working, she was put in a cell before being taken to Tacoma Northwest detention facility in Washington.
Burke shared a dormitory with dozens of other women, most of whom were asylum seekers. Her father contacted the U.K. Foreign Office and after media coverage, she was released after 19 days. She said she was lucky she was in a position of privilege to get her case publicized.
She warned would-be travelers if they were going to the U.S. for anything other than a standard holiday to contact the U.S. embassy, tell them what visas to apply for and get written confirmation.
She also warned people not to go to the U.S. at all, “because of the danger of what could happen to you,” telling the paper, “do you really want to give your money to this country?”
The U.K. has updated its travel advice for its citizens wanting to visit the United States which warned of potential arrest or detention if travelers fail to comply with entry requirements.
Previously, the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website had only briefly referenced U.S. entry rules being strictly enforced without an explicit warning about potential legal consequences.
What people are saying
British citizen Rebecca Burke, per The Guardian: “Do you really want to give your money to this country right now?”
The Canadian government travel advice reads: “U.S. authorities strictly enforce entry requirements. Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices. Comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities. If you are denied entry, you could be detained while awaiting deportation.”
What Happens Next
The number of countries that update their travel guidance for people wanting to visit the U.S. is likely to increase.
Other countries like Germany, Denmark and Finland have issued warnings, referring to increased scrutiny of visa restrictions and new federal guidelines that could reportedly impact transgender and nonbinary travelers.
On Friday, Canada updated its online travel advice to citizens that U.S. border patrol officers had “significant” discretion in deciding who enters the country and could carry out comprehensive searches of their electronic devices.
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