Former NSW police officer Nikki Saroukos says she was “terrified” after being detained, jailed overnight, and deported from the US while trying to visit her American military husband in Hawaii.
Saroukos, who legally entered the US on an ESTA visa waiver for a three-week trip, was stopped at Honolulu Airport and subjected to aggressive questioning, invasive searches, and denied basic rights. “To be mocked and detained like that – it’s appalling,” she told news.com.au.
Despite having visited Hawaii three times before, she was flagged at customs on her fourth entry. “He screamed at us, told us to shut up and get to the back of the line,” she recalled of the customs officer. Her marriage certificate was dismissed, her phone and documents seized, and she was forced to undergo a DNA swab and cavity search.
“I was handcuffed and marched through the airport. They took my jewellery and dignity,” she said.
Held overnight at a federal detention facility with convicted inmates, Saroukos said, “The inmates treated me better than the officials did.”
She was denied food, phone calls, and basic hygiene supplies. Her husband and mother waited outside the airport for hours with no updates.
Eventually deported, Saroukos was escorted back to Sydney by armed officers and handed her phone only after landing.
“I never want to return to the United States,” she said.
The couple is now seeking legal advice and her husband is considering leaving the US military to move to Australia permanently.
