Australian tourist’s warning after being deported from US in ‘traumatic’ ordeal

US Homeland Security has responded after an Aussie blogger went public with his “traumatic” experience of being detained for 12 hours.

An Australian blogger who was detained for 12 hours and deported in a “traumatic” ordeal when attempting to visit friends in the United States last week is warning other Aussies to reconsider their travel plans.

Alistair Kitchen, from Castlemaine in regional Victoria, lived in the US for six years and studied creative writing for the last two years as an international student at New York’s Columbia University until he moved home to Australia late last year.

The 33-year-old was travelling back to the States on Thursday using a ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) under the Visa Waiver Program when he was singled out over the loud speaker on his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport on route to New York.

Mr Kitchen is now grappling with the “really painful” reality that he may not see some much-loved friends again.

“I love the US. There are people living there that I love. I may now be banned, I don’t know. I just would tell Australians to consider seriously whether they want to risk visiting the US during the years of the Trump administration,” Mr Kitchen told news.com.au.

But after Mr Kitchen went public with his experience, the US Department of Homeland Security issued its own warning to travellers.

Boasting the “most secure border in American History” under President Donald Trump, it claimed “lawful travellers have nothing to fear” and warned the rest: “don’t even try.”

Australian writer Alistair Kitchen was deported from the US last week while trying to visit friends. Picture: Supplied

Problem with Alistair Kitchen’s deleted political posts

Travellers have been warned in recent months about “enhanced vetting” of arrivals into the US under the Trump administration, including inspections of emails, text messages or social media accounts at the airport.

Experts have warned Australians to consider what information might be on their devices before going, such as messages critical of the government.

Mr Kitchen thought he was doing the right thing by cleaning up his phone, social media and blog of political views he thought would not be viewed favourably by the Trump administration.

That included deleting about a dozen of the most political posts on his blog, including his reporting on the Columbia University pro-Palestine campus protests, photos of the protests from his phone, and other Trump-related and Gaza-related content, Mr Kitchen told news.com.au.

“I think what I wrote is clearly sympathetic to the protesters but I did not identify as a protester, I identified as a writer and journalist,” he said.

Mr Kitchen said he had done a “superficial clean” to remove any potential red flags a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer may “uncover with three minutes of glancing”. But he did not prepare for CBP to have already looked at his online presence before he even made it to the long customs queue at LAX.

Pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrating with a protest encampment on the campus of Columbia University on April 29, 2024 in New York City. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

Despite deleting the blog posts, Mr Kitchen says they were the reason he was pulled aside for questioning.

“They had read my blog days before I got on the plane,” he said. “That came as a terrifying shock to me.

“They took my phone from me and then they asked me some biographical questions, then they sat me down and almost immediately said ‘look, we both know why you’re here’, and I said ‘I do not know why’, and they said ‘it’s because of what you wrote online about the protests at Columbia University.’”

After arriving back in Australia, Mr Kitchen took to social media to warn others: “If you are deleting social media ~48hrs before your flight to the US, it is already too late”.

He said he was questioned about his views on Israel and Palestine, whether his views aligned with most Australians, and the names of other protesters.

Homeland Security has denied arresting Mr Kitchen over his political beliefs.

Mr Kitchen told news.com.au that even if Australians are not very political, they could still face the “extremely traumatic experience” of giving up their privacy.

Alistair Kitchen said he felt like he had been violated. Picture: Supplied

‘Most violating experience I’ve ever had’

During his 12-hour detainment, Mr Kitchen said he felt pressured to give an officer access to a hidden folder on his phone with personal photos and information — described as the

“most violating experience I’ve ever had”.

“I am proud of who I am and I am comfortable with who I am and nonetheless I was shocked by how violated I felt,” he said.

“I reflected on why I felt so violated and the reason is because after I had watched this man go through these pictures, I realised at that point I had no more privacy left to give.”

Mr Kitchen was also questioned about previous drug use as he had not disclosed illegal drug use on his ESTA application. During questioning he says he admitted to drug use in other countries and having bought marijuana during his time living in New York, where it is legal.

Mr Kitchen told news.com.au he was still not entirely sure on the final reason he was deported and if this ended up being it or whether it was related to the protests. Homeland Security said in a statement to news.com.au (that you can read further on) that Mr Kitchen was denied entry because he “gave false information on his ESTA application regarding drug use”.

Mr Kitchen recalled being held in a windowless room somewhere deep in LAX airport with other detainees — who were not allowed to interact with each other — until he could get on a flight home.

Mr Kitchen said he was “really scared” how long he would be left there and it was a relief to finally get on a Qantas flight back to Melbourne.

He described being flanked by two armed guards to the airport gate and was the last one to board after other passengers had all walked by him.

He said his phone and passport were given to Qantas crew in a sealed envelope, and he didn’t get them back until he arrived in Australia.

If anyone finds themselves in a similar situation, Mr Kitchen hopes Australians know they are allowed a call to the Australian consulate who can then contact loved ones on your behalf. However, he encourages travellers to learn some phone numbers by memory, as in his case, he had no access to his phone or contacts. He also suggests sharing your booking information as a friend found the details of his new return flight had been added to his original Qantas booking.

Mr Kitchen said two armed guards escorted him to his Qantas flight back to Melbourne.

Homeland Security responds

The US Department of Homeland Security denied that Mr Kitchen was deported over his political beliefs, and said it was his prior drug use that was an issue.

“Allegations that Alistair Kitchen was arrested for political beliefs are unequivocally false,” a statement said.

“The individual in question was denied entry because he gave false information on his ESTA application regarding drug use. If a traveller violates the terms of their ESTA application, they may be subject to detention and removal.

“Using the ESTA is a privilege, not a right, and only those who respect our laws and follow the proper procedures will be welcomed. It is standard practice that when a subject is removed from the country, their travel documents and phone are placed into a packet and given to the airline.”

Speaking more generally about border security, Homeland Security issued a warning to travellers.

“Under the leadership of the Trump Administration and Secretary Noem, we have the most secure border in American History,” it said.

“This has allowed CBP to focus to actually vet and interview the people attempting to come into our country. Lawful travellers have nothing to fear from these measures, which are designed to protect our nation’s security.

“However, those intending to enter the US with fraudulent purposes or malicious intent are offered the following advice: Don’t even try.”

Warnings of more intense checks at US airports

James Robertson, head of global security for the firm International SOS, said his company was encouraging travellers to plan ahead and understand their specific personal vulnerabilities.

“It’s obviously better to prepare for these sorts of things and consider what information might be on your devices before you go, then end up missing your connecting flight for example because you’ve shared memes or messages critical of the government,” he warned in April.

Dr Lee Morgenbesser, an associate professor in comparative politics at Griffith University, said in his opinion, Australians planning to go to the US now “need to ask themselves whether their travel is absolutely essential”.

He personally cancelled a business trip for research purposes in July.

“I am somewhat outspoken of the Trump administration,” he said of his reasoning. “It is important what you say about the Trump administration online. It does have a bearing, which is certainly something that’s different to the past.”

He advises rehearsing answers for CBP officers about why you are in the US, how long you’ll be there for, where you are staying and when you are leaving, so you can answer confidently.

Dr Morgenbesser said one idea to prepare for the worst case scenario of being detained is setting up an email with details about where you are that will automatically send if not manually cancelled.

Melissa Vincenty, a US immigration lawyer and Australian migration agent who is managing director of Worldwide Migration Partners, warns travellers from Australia to be alert when they arrive into the US and not be affected by sleeping pills or alcohol.

She advises travellers to print out their itinerary that shows their accommodation bookings, return flights and even evidence of funds in their bank account.

This is so you do not have to open up your phone in front of CBP officers unnecessarily.

If you are instructed to show your phone and choose to do so to avoid being denied entry, Ms Vincenty encourages people to enter their passcodes themselves instead of providing that information to the officer. She also recommended removing biometric access to your phone, such as a fingerprint or facial recognition to unlock.

If people are concerned about giving access to what is on their phones, Ms Vincenty said they should consider travelling with a burner phone and leave their device at home.