The 65-year-old tourist alleges she was detained for 42 days, despite having a valid visa.
A 65-year-old British tourist was detained by ICE along with her husband, Bill, last year. Karen Newton traveled to the U.S. in July 2025 with a U.K. passport and a valid visa. They had planned an itinerary that would take them to California, Nevada, and Montana before heading to Canada. However, their trip ended in a long ordeal when they were detained for 42 days. Now, she has a warning for tourists: Don’t go to the U.S. while Trump is in charge.
Karen recounted the nightmarish experience to The Guardian. After several weeks traveling across the U.S., the couple was crossing the border to Canada on Sept. 26 when they were informed they did not have the proper paperwork to bring the car. They were sent back to Montana, where U.S. border officials detained them. Bill’s U.S. visa had expired, but Karen’s was still valid. Yet both were shackled and taken to Montana’s Sweetgrass border patrol station after waiting all day at an office. The couple spent three days there, sleeping on the floor, despite offering to pay for their own flights home.
Bill had worked in the U.S. with a work permit, but he decided to retire in the U.K. after a lengthy appeals process for a green card. What’s perplexing about her detention is that Karen had a valid visa. She does not have any criminal conviction—not even a parking ticket—and she did not break any laws while traveling through the country. “There was no reason to hold me,” she said.
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Karen was told she was guilty by association because she helped her husband pack for the trip. “It just went from crazy to ridiculous. It felt like they just wanted an excuse to detain me.”
An agent informed the couple they could self-deport and the process would be over quickly due to the relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. They would have to sign a document waiving their rights to a judge, and they would be banned from the U.S. for 10 years. They agreed.
However, instead of a flight home, they were shackled again and transported to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, where they were separated. Karen slept on the floor for a month because she couldn’t climb to a bunk bed, and suffered from constipation. Eventually, she called her son from the detention center in October, but the U.K. Foreign Office had informed him they couldn’t be released while the federal government was in a shutdown.
Meanwhile, Karen spoke with staff at the detention facility who were also bewildered by her presence. From them, she learned that ICE agents receive bonuses for detaining people. “There is all the incentive in the world to find a reason—any reason—not to let someone go,” a claim that ICE has denied to The Guardian.
Then, on Nov. 6, the couple was suddenly released and reunited. The agents handcuffed them and took them to the airport. When they arrived home, their houseplants were dead, and their credit score suffered due to two months of missed payments. Their luggage has not been returned, and she’s still catching up on emails.
After spending six weeks in detention centers, the retired primary school worker has a warning for travelers: “Don’t go—not with Trump in charge. It’s totally out of control over there. There’s no accountability. They don’t seem to need a reason for detaining you.” She is especially worried for young travelers who may be visiting for FIFA World Cup events in the U.S. and might get into trouble. “If it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody.”
Related: Medical Emergency Lands Irish Tourist in ICE Detention for 100 Days
Reports of arbitrary detention and eviction of tourists have become more common since President Donald Trump took office. Despite claims that federal agents are arresting criminals, innocent people—including citizens and tourists—are increasingly caught up in the process without just cause or due process.
A British graphic artist spent 19 days in detention before her story was published internationally. Two German tourists were detained for weeks without explanation when they tried to enter the U.S. last year, while a French tourist was denied entry for criticism of Trump’s policies, and a Norwegian tourist was banned due to an unflattering meme of U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Along with heightened scrutiny at the border, the Trump administration has introduced tourist-unfriendly policies that are impacting arrival numbers. The administration has increased visa fees for tourists and now requires visa-exempt travelers to share their social media history. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is using force to crack down on immigration protests, drawing backlash globally. Many organizations are advising against travel to certain states in the U.S. where ICE agents have expanded their activities.
Related: United States Tourism Numbers Slump While These Destinations Surge, Says New Report