5 Nights Away To New York Help

eskbanker

zagfles said:
What are the actual facts and figures? Lets have some numbers. How many British citizens have travelled to the US in the last few months and how many have been refused entry? Of those who have been refused entry, or detained, how many have complied with all the rules?

And there'd need to be comparable figures for the equivalent period a year ago or whatever as a control, if there's any serious suggestion that there's been a significant policy change....

jimi_man

lr1277 said:

This article in the Washington Post notes the British government has issued a travel advisory for the USA:

Edited link to article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/25/us-travel-warnings-trump-europe-canada/

Quote from the article:

the United Kingdom has cautioned that U.S. authorities “set and enforce entry rules strictly” and that “you may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.”

2nd edit: there are stories of German, Canadian and British citizens being detained without access to a lawyer. If memory serves the German lady was held for 2 weeks.

There is also the possibility prices are going down because tourists are not visiting or planning to visit the USA. Speculation on my part.

The only advice I have seen is:

Take a burner mobile phone - it is perfectly legal for them to want your phone and for you to unlock it so that they can look at all the messages/emails on your phone.

Have the number of the British embassy or consulate on the phone so that they can get you a lawyer. Unless you know a lawyer in the USA who will help you.

3rd edit: I have read in the Washington Post by those who post comments:

Don't show support for Hamas - supporting Palestinians is the same as supporting Hamas in the eyes of the American government

Don't defame Israel

Don't make comments on anything that is a priority for the American government unless it is full throated support. Oh and don't poke any sore spots like democracy, authoritarianism and anything else being clamped down on by the American goverment.

If you think I am being hysterical, fine. Feel free to make said comments to the CBP officers on arrival at an American airport.

If you read the comments to the article, even some American citizens don't want to leave the country because they are not sure they will be re-admitted.

Whether or not you are being hysterical or not is irrelevant. However saying those things to CBP officers on arrival in the US is rather daft - now or before the current administration took over. I just wouldn't, and neither I suspect, would many people !! If you do start saying stuff like that then frankly you deserve a more stringent approach. If foreign people come to the UK and start mouthing off to Border Force at the immigration desk then the same would apply. 

If you try and enter the US and work on a tourist visa, like the Welsh female who was detained for a while, then you have to expect the worst.

lr1277

It is not saying stuff to CBP that might get most people into trouble. It will be what is said in your messages and emails, even if somebody said something to you which you disagreed with, perhaps.

If a CBP officer has any suspicions about your entry they can ask to see your electronic devices (phone, tablet, laptop and anything else that might qualify). You are entitled to refuse but then the CBP officer might not let you into the country.

That is why there was the suggestion of taking burner versions of your electronic devices. But that might raise suspicions with the CBP officer. I don't know what standards they apply and whether this varies from officer to officer.

YMMV.

zagfles

jimi_man said:

lr1277 said:

This article in the Washington Post notes the British government has issued a travel advisory for the USA:

Edited link to article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/25/us-travel-warnings-trump-europe-canada/

Quote from the article:

the United Kingdom has cautioned that U.S. authorities “set and enforce entry rules strictly” and that “you may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.”

2nd edit: there are stories of German, Canadian and British citizens being detained without access to a lawyer. If memory serves the German lady was held for 2 weeks.

There is also the possibility prices are going down because tourists are not visiting or planning to visit the USA. Speculation on my part.

The only advice I have seen is:

Take a burner mobile phone - it is perfectly legal for them to want your phone and for you to unlock it so that they can look at all the messages/emails on your phone.

Have the number of the British embassy or consulate on the phone so that they can get you a lawyer. Unless you know a lawyer in the USA who will help you.

3rd edit: I have read in the Washington Post by those who post comments:

Don't show support for Hamas - supporting Palestinians is the same as supporting Hamas in the eyes of the American government

Don't defame Israel

Don't make comments on anything that is a priority for the American government unless it is full throated support. Oh and don't poke any sore spots like democracy, authoritarianism and anything else being clamped down on by the American goverment.

If you think I am being hysterical, fine. Feel free to make said comments to the CBP officers on arrival at an American airport.

If you read the comments to the article, even some American citizens don't want to leave the country because they are not sure they will be re-admitted.

Whether or not you are being hysterical or not is irrelevant. However saying those things to CBP officers on arrival in the US is rather daft - now or before the current administration took over. I just wouldn't, and neither I suspect, would many people !! If you do start saying stuff like that then frankly you deserve a more stringent approach. If foreign people come to the UK and start mouthing off to Border Force at the immigration desk then the same would apply. 

If you try and enter the US and work on a tourist visa, like the Welsh female who was detained for a while, then you have to expect the worst.

Or indeed any country. Unless you really want to cause trouble or be a martyr. I remember on one of these TV programmes about UK border control where an American joked that his violin case contained a machine gun, it clearly didn't but he was detained for questioning. Doing anything to provoke border staff is just brain dead. 

zagfles

lr1277 said:

It is not saying stuff to CBP that might get most people into trouble. It will be what is said in your messages and emails, even if somebody said something to you which you disagreed with, perhaps.

If a CBP officer has any suspicions about your entry they can ask to see your electronic devices (phone, tablet, laptop and anything else that might qualify). You are entitled to refuse but then the CBP officer might not let you into the country.

That is why there was the suggestion of taking burner versions of your electronic devices. But that might raise suspicions with the CBP officer. I don't know what standards they apply and whether this varies from officer to officer.

YMMV.

If it reduces paranoia, do that. Having said that, although I doubt it'll be an issue, it's probably never a good idea to visit any foreign country if you have evidence on you of you slagging off their regime. I certainly would be wary of visiting eg Turkey if my phone contained conversations highly critical of Erdogan. 

But I never have anything remotely political on my phone, no social media other than WhatsApp groups with family/friends and we don't discuss politics, certainly not foreign politics. 

It was more of an issue the first time I went to the US in the mid 80's when the cold war was still on, and it was expected that you'd need to declare you're not and never have been a communist. Mind you some friends who were members of the SWP got into the US without an issue even then. Perhaps that was paranoia too, I was certainly never quizzed. 

zagfles

OP - sorry about the thread hijack - but hopefully to reassure you see this thread from someone who's just got back from NY and had a great time with no issues:

Planning a trip to NYC. First long haul flight questions - Page 3 — MoneySavingExpert Forum

XxDarkMarioxX

zagfles said:

OP - sorry about the thread hijack - but hopefully to reassure you see this thread from someone who's just got back from NY and had a great time with no issues:

Planning a trip to NYC. First long haul flight questions - Page 3 — MoneySavingExpert Forum

Thank you just happy now that loveholidays has matched price of another website and gave me some money back from my holiday. First time going abroad so never booked holiday!