German teens traveling to US jailed and deported over loosely planned vacation being found suspicious

Two German teenagers planning to explore the US on vacation were thrown in jail and then booted from the country after Customs and Border Protection found their loosely planned trip “suspicious.”Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, on March 18, with plans to travel around the Islands for five weeks before heading to California and then Costa Rica after their high school graduation, according to the German outlet Ostsee Zeitung.However, the teens made the mistake of not booking their accommodations for the entire duration of their stay in Hawaii, which raised a red flag for US Customs and Border Protection, despite both of them having obtained an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).“They found it suspicious that we hadn’t fully booked our accommodations for the entire five weeks in Hawaii,” Pohl told the outlet.What was supposed to be a fun, lengthy expedition quickly turned into a nightmare.The teens said that they were questioned at Honolulu Airport for hours before they were allegedly subjected to full-body scans and strip searches, according to the outlet.They were then given green prison uniforms and placed in a holding cell with long-term detainees, some of whom were reportedly accused of serious crimes.The young travelers said they allegedly had to sleep on thin, moldy mattresses and were warned by guards to avoid expired food.The next morning, the teens were told they were being deported and taken back to Honolulu airport, where they requested to be sent to Japan. The German Foreign Office informed the outlet that it was involved in Pohl and Lepere’s case and provided consular support following their experience.The office also stated that what happened to the girls should serve as a reminder to travelers that having an ESTA — which allows citizens of certain countries to travel to the US without a visa for short stays — does not guarantee entry into the United States.The decision to allow tra...