🌍✈️ A German Tourist's Unforeseen Stay in San Diego
💔 The Broken Reunion
Amelia Lofving, a designer, and her friend, Jessica Brösche, a tattoo artist from Germany had a perfect reunion planned. Their art-filled reunion was disrupted when on their way to Los Angeles, Jessica was held back at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on January 25th and was taken into custody by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).🔒 The Unexpected Detention
Despite having her German passport, visa waiver confirmation, and a copy of her return ticket to Berlin, Jessica was pulled aside for secondary inspection. However, what was expected to be a brief separation turned into a long wait of 25 days before Amelia could see her friend again.- Brösche was accused of planning to violate the terms of the Visa Waiver Program by intending to work in LA as a tattoo artist.
- Brösche, since her detention, has been housed in the Otay Mesa Detention Center, an ICE facility run by the private contractor Core Civic.
- During her time in federal custody, Jessica endured a troubling nine-day period in solitary confinement.
🌐 Community Support
Upon sharing the incident online, local Ashley Paschen and other members responded to Amelia's plea for help. Visits to the Detention Center and notifying the German embassy were actions taken by them.👩⚖️ Blurred Lines of Justice
It's worth noting that holding someone in CBP's short-term detention facilities for more than 72 hours seems to violate the agency's own internal detention standards. In Jessica's case, the prolonged confinement impacted her mental health drastically. The outcome of her case is still uncertain, with questions to ICE left unanswered.💵 The Costly Affair
Lofving questions this absurdity, considering that Brösche was perfectly willing to leave and had her return flight booked for February 15, almost two weeks past. The event has ended up costing the American taxpayers and shown the inefficiency of the immigration system.What does this event tell us about the efficiency of the immigration system? Is it time for a new approach?