Military spouse visits husband in US, detained, jailed, and deported because CBP thought she had too many clothes for the length of her stay

A Dream Vacation Turns Nightmarish

Nicolle Saroukos, a 25-year-old from Sydney, Australia, was eager for a three-week vacation in Honolulu.

She planned to visit her husband, Matt, a U.S. Army lieutenant stationed on Oahu. The trip held special meaning.

It was to the same place where her parents honeymooned decades ago.

“That’s where my mother and father had their honeymoon, so it held a very sentimental place in her heart,” Saroukos said Hawaii News Now.

This was her third visit to see her husband. The couple married in December 2024. Saroukos had never faced issues entering the U.S. before.

But on May 18, 2025, her arrival at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport took a shocking turn.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials flagged her for additional screening. What followed was a harrowing ordeal of detention, humiliation, and deportation.

Who is Nicolle Saroukos?

Saroukos is a former police officer from New South Wales, Australia. Her husband, Matt, serves as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, stationed in Hawaii.

The newlyweds had been navigating a long-distance marriage since their wedding.

Saroukos traveled to the U.S. on an ESTA visa waiver, which allows Australians to visit for up to 90 days without a visa.

She had visited Hawaii twice before without incident. This trip was meant to be a joyful reunion with her husband and a special vacation with her mother.

Instead, it became a traumatic experience that Saroukos says has changed her life.

A Shocking Encounter at the Border

The trouble began at passport control. Saroukos and her mother were initially greeted by a calm CBP officer.

But the mood shifted abruptly. The officer began yelling, ordering Saroukos’ mother to the back of the line and telling her to “shut up.”

“He went from being super calm, very nice, even giving my mum a compliment, to just instantly turning,” Saroukos recalled.

Saroukos was shaken. “I automatically started crying because that was my first response,” she said.

The mother and daughter were taken to a holding room. Their bags and phones were searched.

Officers bombarded Saroukos with questions. They asked about her past as a police officer.

They questioned whether her tattoos were gang-related. They even probed her marriage to an American.

When Saroukos mentioned her husband’s military service, the officers laughed.

“They thought it was quite comical. I don’t know whether they thought I was telling the truth or not,” she said.

The officers then focused on her luggage. They claimed she had “too many clothes” for a three-week trip. They assumed this meant she planned to overstay her visa.

A Night in Federal Detention

The situation escalated further. Saroukos underwent additional screening. Officers took her fingerprints and a DNA swab from her mouth.

Her mother was released, but Saroukos was told she would be denied entry. She would be deported the next day. Worse, she would spend the night in a “prison.”

“[The officer] said ‘so basically what is going to happen is we’re going to send you to a prison overnight where you will stay,’” Saroukos recounted.

“Not detention center, he said prison, and I automatically just, I started crying again.” The word “prison” terrified her.

“When you think prison, you think big-time criminals. I don’t know who I’m being housed with,” she said.

Officers conducted a body cavity search. They walked her through the airport in handcuffs. She was driven to the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu.

There, she was strip-searched again. She was placed in a cell with women convicted of serious crimes, including murder and drug offenses.

She shared a cell with a woman from Fiji, also denied entry and awaiting deportation.

Saroukos missed the dinner cutoff. She received no food. She was not allowed to call her husband or mother.

“I found that so absurd because if I’m going to be there overnight, my right, just as a human being, should be to contact at least one person,” she said.

The Emotional Toll on Family

The next morning, Saroukos was taken back to the airport. She received a call from the Australian Consulate General in Honolulu.

Her mother had contacted them, desperate to know her daughter’s whereabouts. Saroukos asked them to tell her mother to fly back with her on the same flight.

She was finally allowed to speak with her husband. He had waited for hours at the airport, repeatedly asking officials for information.

No one told him where she was. He later learned she was at the detention center but was not allowed to see or speak with her.

“I think we were both just very emotional. We hadn’t spoken to each other in 24 hours. He didn’t know where I was or whether I was safe,” Saroukos said.

Her husband is now on leave in Sydney with her. But the incident has left deep scars.

“It’s not only myself, it’s my mother and my husband that also had to endure that pain, my husband being a current serving member, to serve his country and to be treated in that way I find very disgusting,” Saroukos said.

She fears she may never be able to return to the U.S. “It’s made it physically impossible for me to even ever enter the United States ever again,” she added.

The experience has also raised questions about their marriage. “I felt like my world came crashing down.”

“I felt like my marriage was over when they told me that,” Saroukos said. The couple is still figuring out how to move forward.

Understanding U.S. Immigration Rules

CBP told Hawaii News Now that decisions on U.S. entry are complex. Many factors are considered.

A spokesperson emphasized that such decisions are taken seriously. The specific legal reason for Saroukos’ detention remains unclear.

Possible factors include visa issues, stricter enforcement policies, or procedural errors.

Immigration attorney Esther Yoo explained that CBP has broad authority to decide who enters the U.S. For tourists on an ESTA visa, officers look for signs of “immigrant intent.”

This includes plans to work or marry a U.S. citizen, which would violate visa conditions.

In Saroukos’ case, the amount of clothing in her suitcase was seen as evidence she might overstay.

“CBP has the last say as to whether someone is admitted or not,” Yoo said.

Immigration attorneys also noted that detainees held for several hours are entitled to a phone call.

Saroukos was not given this opportunity. The Hawaii American Immigration Lawyers Association offers a Deportation Defense Hotline at (808) 204-5951.

Loved ones can also contact the detainee’s consulate to check on their condition.

A Warning for Travelers

Saroukos is sharing her story to warn others. “To be mocked and detained like that – it’s appalling,” she told.

Her experience highlights the unpredictable nature of U.S. immigration enforcement.

Even those with valid documentation and legitimate reasons for travel can face scrutiny.

Military families, in particular, may face unique challenges. Saroukos’ husband called the Deportation Defense Hotline after seeing a news story.

He spoke with an attorney but could not secure her release. The incident underscores the need for travelers to be prepared.

Proper documentation is critical. Understanding CBP’s authority is equally important.

For now, she and her husband are left to navigate the emotional and logistical fallout.

Their future remains uncertain, but Saroukos hopes her story will prompt change.

“That’s something that they’ve taken away from me as well,” she said of her ability to visit her husband in the U.S.

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