American Citizen Detained by Immigration Officials at the Airport for Over an Hour

We often hear about unlawful arrests and immigrant detainments in the United States that defy universal ethics and American law, but rarely do we think we’ll be the ones held against our will. This is especially true for American citizens born and raised in the country, with a Social Security number and a U.S. birth certificate.

We usually don’t give it a second thought when traveling in and out of the country for business or work, after all, this is our home.

But apparently, that no longer guarantees safety, especially as the Trump administration ramps up its immigrant reform efforts. Now, anyone is at risk of detainment, even U.S. citizens themselves.

TikTok user Blake (@blakenwake), a U.S. citizen, experienced this firsthand during a work trip to France in mid-2025. Upon returning to the U.S. and waiting to clear customs at the airport, they were held by authorities for over an hour. Here’s their story.

Blake’s trouble started the moment they returned to the U.S. from their work trip to France. As they waited at the airport to be cleared so they could grab their bags, hop into their girlfriend’s car, and finally head home, they noticed the officer was taking longer than usual to process them.

Blake naturally grew curious about the delay, especially since they were born and raised in the U.S. and had all the proper documentation on hand.

At first, Blake figured the delay might be because their passport photo showed them with longer hair, and at the time, it was much shorter.

Trying to lighten the mood, they joked and asked if the hair change was causing the holdup. But instead of a laugh, the officer told them they had called their partner and that Blake would be taken to the back for further processing.

Confused, Blake kept up some small talk, even saying they were glad the officers were there “for our safety,” but naturally asked why they needed to be taken to the back. Then came the gut-wrenching moment — the officer said Blake was being detained. Cue the bulging-eyes emoji.

Realizing this was turning into a serious situation, Blake decided they should call their girlfriend to give her a heads-up she’d need to wait, but before they could dial, a female officer rudely reminded them of the “no phones” policy.

About 30 to 45 minutes later, Blake decided they were going to use the bathroom, only to be told they had to hand over their phone and Apple Watch first. What is this, middle school? Of course, Blake decided to just hold it.

Finally, after more than an hour had gone by, the supervising officer approached Blake, apologized for the inconvenience, and explained that the confusion had stemmed from Blake’s last name (which Blake says is Armenian).

They also shared with viewers that they’re a first-generation citizen from a family of immigrants, but the fact remains, they’re a U.S. citizen with all the proper documentation. So why would they be “detained” instead of just questioned?

Needless to say, it was a wild and completely unnecessary end to what should have been a simple trip home from France.