The U.S. denies the accusation.
A Norwegian traveler alleged he was denied entry to the United States on June 11. The reason? A meme of Vice President J.D. Vance that border protection officers found on his phone. The incident has sparked international debate about U.S. border policies, but Homeland Security has denied the allegations and said the reason was illegal drug use.
Mads Mikkelsen, not to be confused with the famous Danish actor, arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport in New York. The 21-year-old told Nordlys, a Norwegian publication, that officials warned he would be fined $5,000 or imprisoned for five years if he didn’t share the PIN to his phone. After he relented, officials reportedly found two photos objectionable—one a meme of Vice President Vance depicted as bald, and the other of a pipe. He admitted to using cannabis twice: once in Germany and once in New Mexico.
The Department of Homeland Security posted on Facebook that Mikkelsen’s claim he was denied entry due to a meme was false. “Mikkelsen was refused entry into the U.S. for his admitted drug use. Only those who respect our laws and follow the rules will be welcomed into our country.”
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the DHS, shared the same statement on X.
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Since cannabis is legal in both locations, Mikkelsen said he did not think it was relevant. “It’s a legal substance where it was taken–just like alcohol,” he said.
Fact Check: FALSE
Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry for any memes or political reasons, it was for his admitted drug use. pic.twitter.com/is9eGqILUq
— CBP (@CBP) June 24, 2025
Border officials also questioned Mikkelsen about drug smuggling, right-wing extremism, and terror plots. He had to provide a blood sample before being sent back home.
Mikkelsen said he received a document after being denied entry and read it recently. According to the letter, he is listed as an immigrant with a Spanish passport. He is a resident of Norway and has never been to Spain. The document also stated that he has family in the United States, which he does not. He added that he did not feel the U.S. handled the situation professionally.
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The United States has heightened border security, and recently, a French researcher and an Australian writer were denied entry to the country. The French citizen had messages critical of the U.S. government on his phone, and the Australian was questioned about his opinions regarding Palestine.
In April, Canada warned its citizens that border officials have the power to search travelers’ electronics, including phones and laptops, at U.S. borders. Travelers can refuse to comply, but this can result in delays, confiscation of devices, or denial of entry. Officials do not need to give a reason to check devices. The advisory recommended, “Before crossing the border, put your device in airplane mode to ensure remote files don’t get downloaded accidentally.”
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, one million people arrive in the United States every day, and only 0.01% face scrutiny of their devices. The department states: “These searches have been used to identify and combat terrorist activity, child pornography, drug smuggling, human smuggling, bulk cash smuggling, human trafficking, export control violations, intellectual property rights violations, and visa fraud, among other violations. Furthermore, border searches of electronic devices are often integral to determining an individual’s intentions upon entry to the United States and thus provide additional information relevant to admissibility of foreign nationals under U.S. immigration laws.”
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