Bizarre questions Aussie traveller was asked during ‘totally inappropriate’ interrogation in US

An Australian traveller has offered a detailed account of her ordeal after she was detained, interrogated and deported, six hours after arriving in the US.

Madolline Gourley, from Brisbane, was on her way to Canada via the US to look after strangers’ homes and feed their pets while they were away on holiday - in exchange for free accommodation.

But when she arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on June 30, immigration officials bombarded her with a string of bizarre questions - including whether she was pregnant or if she had recently had an abortion.

She was refused entry to the US without any explanation and detained, with no access to her phone, until she could be put back on a return flight to Brisbane via Sydney.

“I wanted to save an extra few hundred dollars so I ended up booking a flight that went via the USA instead of going directly to Vancouver.

“All I had to do was pass through immigration at LAX before getting on another flight.”

Madolline had arranged back-to-back housesits across Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa from the start of July.

She planned to return to the US to continue looking after pets, in Orleans and Baltimore, before heading home to Australia.

>snip<

During the interrogation, she was asked to provide bank statements, monthly income and the names of her parents.

“What annoys me the most about all of this is I had all the relevant documentations needed to travel, like a valid passport, a completed passenger attestation, an approved ESTA and my international COVID vaccination certificate,” she says.

“I also had a very detailed itinerary, with the addresses of where I was staying and for how long. No one asked to see any of this. Not once.”

Eventually, she was asked to remove her shoelaces from her sneakers, keep cash on her at all times and wait for a female immigration officer to show up so she could pat her down in private.

Full story at the link ... https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/bizarre-questions-aussie-traveller-was-asked-during-totally-inappropriate-interrogation-in-us-c-7836097

All a bit dramatic and heavy handed imo. What difference would it make if she were pregnant or had ever had an abortion for that matter? Why not just put her on her flight to Vancouver. She just had to board a connecting flight and wasn't even staying.

Meanwhile on the southern border it's open slather.

What a horror story, and I can't say how sorry am that this happened. Actually, I'm MORTIFIED that it happened. Dickheads on a power trip; no doubt about it.

And yes DFAT gave Madeline, and 7NEWS, the bum's rush. I hope Madeline is able to find some satisfaction eventually.

Complete bullshit.
This lady was harassed and wronged.