Berlin is trying to determine whether three cases where its citizens were detained while trying to enter the US signal a change in policy.Germany is "monitoring" how its citizens are being treated when traveling to the United States, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Also Read | No 'Neja Mela' in Sambhal: UP Police Ban Event Organised in Memory of Saiyyad Salar Masud Ghazi (Watch Video).

The decision comes after the recent detention of three Germans in separate incidents. Two have been deported, but one person is still being detained.

Also Read | Kupwara Encounter: Pakistani Terrorist Killed in Operation by Joint Security Forces Team in Jammu and Kashmir.

Foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer said Germany is trying to assess "whether this represents a change in American immigration policy or whether these are isolated cases."

"Once we have a clear picture, we will then, if necessary, adjust our travel and security advice," he said.

Green Card holder held by ICE

Fabian Schmidt, the German still in detention, was arrested at Logan Airport in Boston last week after returning from Luxembourg.

He is being held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island.

Schmidt is an electrical engineer who has been living in the US since 2007.

It's unclear why Schmidt, a US Green Card holder, was detained. A Green Card allows non-citizens to live and work permanently in the US, but it can be revoked.

The German Foreign Office told the German press agency, dpa, that the consulate general in Boston is handling the case and is in contact with Schmidt, his relatives, and local authorities.

German Tourists Returned from US Detention

Tourists from most European countries, including Germany, typically have visa-free access to the United States for up to 90 days. Two German touristssaid they tried to enter the US legally but were detained and eventually sent back home.

Lucas Sielaff, a 25-year-old German, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on February 18 as he and his US fiancée were crossing the border from Mexico, according to Der Spiegel. He spent two weeks in detention after his entry permit was canceled at the Mexican border.

Jessica Brösche, a 29-year-old tattoo artist from Berlin, was also taken into custody at the Mexican border as she tried to cross with a US friend in late January, the magazine said. Brösche originally planned to stay in LA until mid-February, according to her Instagram profile. She was also returned to Germany last week.

oth were held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, a prison in San Diego, California, before being sent back to Germany.

Trump's crack down on immigration

Tourists from other Western countries have reportedly also been detained by US immigration authorities recently.

It appears to be a result of the strict immigration policies implemented by President Donald Trump.

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly suggested he would invoke extraordinary powers to address illegal immigration, further laying the groundwork with a series of executive orders on January 20.

Over the weekend he invoked the Alien Enemies Act for the first time since World War II, granting himself sweeping powers under a

centuries-old law to deport people associated with a Venezuelan gang.

Edited by Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 18, 2025 02:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).