An Australian woman says she was detained, searched, jailed, and deported from Hawaii last week while attempting to visit her U.S. Army husband — a case that raises questions about border enforcement practices, marriage-based visa scrutiny, and the limits of the visa waiver program.
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Nicolle “Nikki” Saroukos, a former police officer from southwest Sydney, claims she was treated like a criminal after arriving in Honolulu on an approved ESTA tourist visa for what she described as a three-week vacation with her mother. Her husband, 1st Lt. Matt Saroukos, a U.S. Army officer currently stationed with the 25th Infantry Division on Oahu, had been awaiting her arrival. Matt commissioned in 2022 and has been stationed in Hawaii since mid-2023.
Instead, Saroukos was denied entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), held overnight in a federal detention facility, and put on a return flight to Australia the following day. Her mother was permitted to enter the country.
The couple, who married in December 2024, met on a dating app and maintained a long-distance relationship before tying the knot. This visit would have been Saroukos’ third trip to Hawaii since their marriage. According to public reports, CBP officials questioned her travel history, her reasons for entering the U.S., and her personal background, including her prior law enforcement career and online activity.
At the time of publication, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and CBP have not issued a formal statement or provided details about the specific reasons for Saroukos’ removal. CBP policy allows officers broad discretion in denying entry to foreign nationals they suspect may violate the terms of a tourist visa, including those perceived as intending to immigrate without proper documentation.
Under immigration law, travelers entering through the ESTA visa waiver program are not guaranteed entry and may be refused admission if CBP believes they intend to live, work, or overstay their visit in the United States. Individuals married to U.S. citizens or service members can sometimes be flagged for further screening if they have not yet applied for or obtained a spousal visa.
“They kept telling me that I had too many clothes in my suitcase. So because of that, they assumed that I was going to overstay my visa,” Saroukos told news outlets.
Saroukos said she was questioned about her marriage, her income, her deleted social media accounts, and was subjected to DNA swabbing and a cavity search. She was reportedly held overnight with inmates facing serious charges. She also alleged that her husband was not informed of her location during her detention — a claim CBP has not confirmed or denied.
Lt. Saroukos, currently on leave in Australia, is reportedly considering resigning his commission in the U.S. Army to relocate permanently. The couple has since retained a U.S.-based immigration attorney.
“We don’t know yet what he’ll do here. We’re just too shaken up to even think about it,” Saroukos said.
“I never want to return to the United States.”
This incident comes amid a broader tightening of immigration and border enforcement measures in the United States. Federal authorities, particularly in Hawaii and on the West Coast, have ramped up scrutiny at ports of entry in recent years as part of an ongoing crackdown on transnational gang activity, drug smuggling, and visa fraud. Officers are trained to look for signs of so-called “immigrant intent” among travelers on temporary visas — including those visiting American spouses.
Experts in immigration law have noted that detainees held for extended periods should be offered access to consular services and a phone call, although policies can vary by facility. Legal advocates say the practice of detaining visa waiver travelers overnight has become more common since 2020, particularly when CBP opts not to parole individuals into the country pending return flights.
While Saroukos’ account has drawn public sympathy and media attention in Australia, many details remain unverified. Without an official statement from CBP, the legal basis for her denial of entry and detention remains unclear.
Her experience serves as a stark reminder of the discretionary power CBP holds at U.S. borders — even over travelers who have previously entered the country without issue.
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