Immigration officials in the United States are known for being aggressive, even combative, during routine passport checks at the country's borders. However, citizens of the European Union are ostensibly allowed to travel to the US visa-free for 90 days, provided they fill out an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form and pass the related background check.

So why have four German nationals been detained for weeks on end by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the beginning of 2025?

"I feel helpless," Astrid Senior told local media in Boston after her son, Fabian Schmidt, was detained at Logan Airport on March 7. Senior and Schmidt aren't even tourists, they are Green Card holders — lawful permanent residents of the US — having lived in the country since 2007.

Schmidt, 34, was interrogated "for hours" his mother said, after returning from a visit to Germany and being told simply that his Green Card had been flagged.

She said her son was deprived of sleep, food and water, and had his anxiety medication withheld. His condition worsened to the point that he had to be taken to a local hospital.

While ICE confirmed the hospital visit, they told US media they could not comment further on the case for legal reasons. Schmidt's lawyer, David Keller, has said in press statements that neither he nor his client have been told why he is being held.

John Gihon of the American Immigration Lawyers Association told DW that there is no legal limit........

© Deutsche Welle