Lucas S.: German man held over two weeks by ICE at San Diego border
Lucas Sielaff, 25, was detained after trying to cross from Tijuana to see his American fiancée, then chose to leave the country after weeks in custody.
Feb 18, 2025San Diego, CACountry of origin: Germany

Lucas Sielaff, a 25-year-old German man, was detained by CBP officers after he and his American fiancée, psychologist Lennon Tyler, tried to cross the San Diego border from Tijuana on February 18, 2025. CBP accused him of overstaying rather than visiting, canceled his ESTA visa, and ICE then held him at the Otay Mesa Detention Center for over two weeks. Tyler said officers denied her access to a lawyer, chained her ankle to a bench, and used fear and confusion tactics on her fiancé. Sielaff was given only minutes to confirm a flight on a tablet inside the facility before ICE escorted him to the airport and he flew back to Munich.
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