Aussie comedian cancels US trip amid border concerns

Alice Fraser, an Australian comedian who has gained popularity through her appearances on BBC and ABC programmes, had planned a trip to New York to promote her new book. However, after consulting with an immigration lawyer, she decided to cancel the trip.

Fraser, who has frequently made jokes about Donald Trump's administration, was planning to apply for an O-1B visa, intended for individuals with extraordinary abilities in the film and television industry. However, according to "The Guardian", the lawyer warned her about potential problems at the border, suggesting that her public statements could attract the attention of immigration officials.

There’s a sense of unreality, this country which has presented itself as very stable, in terms of freedom of speech, is now behaving very unpredictably, Fraser said, as quoted by "The Guardian."

In light of numerous reports of entry refusals to the USA and detentions of travellers, Fraser decided not to take the risk. "I thought I was being paranoid, but she said it might [pose a risk] and they’d almost certainly Google me. She said while the vast majority of people will be able to travel in and out… they’re definitely doing increased scrutiny," the comedian confessed.

Fraser, a mother of two, fears that she could be detained at the airport, which could affect her family. As she emphasised, as a mother of two, she could not take the risk.

"The Guardian" reminds us of other cases where individuals had trouble entering the USA. A French scientist was detained at the airport, where his computer and phone were checked, leading to denial of entry. Similar situations occurred to Germans Lucas Sielaff, Fabian Schmidt, and Jessica Brösche, British graphic designer Rebecca Burke, and Canadian businesswoman Jasmine Mooney. They were held for several weeks in immigration offices.