The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is clarifying that the reason its agents denied entry to the U.S. for a Norwegian man wasn\u2019t over a meme of a bald Vice President J.D. Vance that they found on his phone, despite reports to the contrary. Rather, it was because he admitted to previously using illegal drugs\u2014which the tourist says was merely marijuana in legal jurisdictions.<\/p>\n
Mads Mikkelsen was denied entry at a port of entry in New Jersey earlier this month. And it made global headlines because, after he was confronted with a meme of Vance on his phone by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents, it was reported that he was turned away from the country for political reasons.<\/p>\n
DHS and CBP have refuted that claim, however, sharing posts on Tuesday that push back against the reporting.<\/p>\n
\u201cFACT CHECK. Claims that Mads Mikkelsen was denied entry because of a meme are unequivocally FALSE,\u201d DHS said. \u201cTRUTH: 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMikkelsen said that, upon questioning, he admitted to using cannabis in Mexico and Germany, he told the Norwegian newspaper Nordlys.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s legal in both places, so in my mind it was irrelevant,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a legal substance where it was taken\u2014just like alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n He also claimed that a document explaining his denied entry contained at least two falsehoods: One, that he had a passport from Spain, when he is a Norwegian citizen who has never visited Spain. And second, that he physically possessed a pipe at the time of his entry, when CBP simply found a photo of a pipe on his phone.<\/p>\n While marijuana remains federally prohibited, the department\u2019s reasoning for denying the tourist are nonetheless notable.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not clear when Mikkelsen\u2019s prior marijuana use took place, but even by CBP\u2019s own policy<\/a>, applicants to work at the agency itself are only ineligible for employment if they\u2019ve used controlled substances, including cannabis, within three years of their application.<\/p>\n