Irish lawmaker Ivana Bacik held up a meme depicting Vice President JD Vance, in her country’s parliament on Tuesday following reports a 21-year-old Norwegian tourist was refused access to the U.S. because he had the image on his phone.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has denied this allegation ,saying the tourist was refused entry “for his admitted drug use.”
Newsweek contacted Vance for comment on Thursday via email outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Since the Trump administration assumed office in January it has sought to clamp down on illegal immigration whilst also revoking the visas of some international students who have taken part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
There have since been a number of reports of tourists from other developed economies being detained or refused entry into the U.S. and several European countries have updated their travel advice raising fears for the U.S. tourism industry.
What To Know
Bacik, the leader of Ireland’s Labour Party, which is the fourth largest party in the legislature, held up a printout of a meme which Norwegian tourist Mads Mikkelsen said was found on his phone by U.S. border guards, who then denied him entry to the country.
The image was a modified image of Vance portraying the vice president as bald, with smooth skin, and a rounder face. Some of his facial features are also exaggerated. It is part of a series of memes Internet users have dubbed the “JD Vance Babyface Edits.”
Addressing Jim O’Callaghan, Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Bacik said: “This week a young Norwegian tourist detained by ICE at Newark Airport and sent back to Oslo. Why? He had this meme on his phone minister, a meme depicting Vice President JD Vance as a baby. I mean extraordinary, extraordinary.
“That a young person with this amusing meme on their phone depicting a public person, that this would be used as an excuse to detain him for five hours and then deport him back to Oslo.”
Bacik then asked “what can you do to reassure young people here who hope to travel to the U.S. on a J1 visa?”
J1 visas allow entry to the U.S. for education or cultural exchanges.
O’Callaghan said “I can’t control the U.S. immigration system” but added the Irish government would raise the issue with American authorities.
Changes to J1 student visa application rules implemented by the Trump administration mean applicants must disclose all social media accounts they have used over the past five years so they can be viewed by U.S. authorities before any visa is granted.
Speaking to Norwegian publication Nordlys, Mikkelsen said he was detained after arriving at Newark Airport in New Jersey on June 11 for a vacation, held in a cell for several hours and “asked questions about drug trafficking, terrorist plots and right-wing extremism totally without reason.”
Mikkelsen added he gave his phone password to officers after being threatened with five years in prison or a $5,000 fine if he refused to comply, where the meme of Vance was found. He was then instructed to return to Oslo.
What People Are Saying
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, described claims Mikkelsen was denied access to the U.S. as “BS” and “FALSE” adding on X: “Mikkelsen was refused entry into the U.S. for his admitted drug use.”
In the Irish Parliament Bacik said new social media rules for J1 applications were a “major incursion on freedom of expression” adding: “Generally [a J1 sponsored trip is] a very positive experience, but things have changed drastically under U.S. President Trump, with the recent authoritarian announcement that students would have to hand over social media accounts.”
O’Callaghan replied: “I think it is regrettable that these new measures are being introduced by the United States. I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach [ Irish prime minister] and Tánaiste [Irish deputy prime minister] have indicated they think it’s inappropriate, we’ll mention it with the U.S. authorities.”
Speaking to Nordlys about his experience Mikkelsen said: “I was pushed up against a wall and was strip-searched with a lot of force. They were incredibly harsh and used physical force the whole time.
“I felt completely devastated and broke down, and was close to crying several times. I was on the verge of panic. It felt like I was a terrorist suspect where I was sitting. I tried to pull myself together several times, but in the end, I just wanted to get home again.”
What Happens Next
The requirement that U.S. authorities can view prospective J1 visa applicant’s social media accounts is likely to cause further controversy, with critics arguing it’s a form on censorship whilst supporters say it protects America from foreign political agitators.
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