Detentions of European tourists at US borders spark fears of travelling to America

Lennon Tyler and her German fiancé often took road trips to Mexico when he vacationed in the United States since it was only a day's drive from her home in Las Vegas, one of the perks of their long-distance relationship.

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But things went terribly wrong when they drove back from Tijuana last month. American border agents handcuffed Tyler, an American citizen, and chained her to a bench, while her fiancé, Lucas Sielaff, was accused of violating the rules of his 90-day US tourist permit, the couple said. Authorities later handcuffed and shackled Sielaff and sent him to a crowded American immigration detention centre. He spent 16 days locked up before being allowed to fly home to Germany.