21 April 2025 : Two young German travelers expecting to have the time of their lives on their Hawaii trip instead had to face handcuffs, jail time, and deportation. The incident highlighted the risks international visitors may face at US borders.
The story of the ordeal Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, faced was first reported in Germany’s Ostsee-Zeitung newspaper. The German Foreign Office confirmed that it was involved in the case, and provided consular support after the two women were detained in Honolulu.
Charlotte Pohl and Maria Lepere’s ordeal
Pohl and Lepere arrived in Honolulu from Auckland, planning to explore Hawaii before heading to California and Costa Rica. However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) became suspicious of their flexible travel style, including the fact that they had not pre-booked lodging for their planned five-week stay in Hawaii.
The women were accused of potential illegal work intentions even though they had ESTA travel authorisation. For border officials screening travellers without fixed plans, this is not an uncommon concern. The German Foreign Office says that ESTA approval does not guarantee entry to the United States, as the final say is always left to border officials when travellers arrive.
Pohl and Lepere said they were questioned for hours at Honolulu Airport, and then placed in handcuffs and loaded into a transport vehicle. They were then taken to a deportation detention facility.
The women said that at the detention facility, they were subjected to full-body scans, strip searches, and issued green prison uniforms. They had to spend the night in a holding cell with long-term detainees, including people accused of serious criminal offences.
Summary:
An Australian teenager’s dream trip to Hawaii ended in distress as he was detained, strip-searched, and deported due to a little-known U.S. entry requirement.