Why was Nikki Saroukos, Australian traveler married to U.S military man who had made the back and forth trip to the U.S many times denied entry to the United States and deported? What follows is a harrowing ordeal of visitor rights, opaque immigration laws and U.S Immigration changing attitudes and as some would argue a lack of legal due process follow through.
What went wrong? A former NSW, Australian police officer has told of being subjected to a terrifying ordeal which included her being detained, jailed overnight and deported from the United States – despite travelling there legally on a tourist visa to visit her US military husband.
Nikki Saroukos from south-west Sydney says she was ‘treated like a criminal,’ denied her rights and subjected to invasive searches, (including full body cavity searches) along with what she decried as humiliating treatment along with a night in federal prison after having traveled to the United States so she could spend time with her American partner stationed in Hawaii. A trip she had taken many times before in the last year since marrying and which had never led to any issues. Until now.
The episode has since led to Nikki and her mother (who she had traveled to the U.S with and was allowed to enter without issues) demanding answers, along with now warning other Aussies of the possible risks that now comes with traveling to the United States following the Trump administration’s goals of tightening borders. But at what expense? And has America got it right? Or is there more to this story that the former cop and her mom are letting on?
Australian traveler seeking to visit U.S military husband
According to Nikki, the 25 year old Greek-Australian has visited Hawaii three times in recent months under the ESTA visa waiver program to see her husband, a US Army lieutenant she married in December 2024 after a whirlwind long-distance romance. The couple met through a dating app and soon after married, newscom.au reported.
In a bid to make their marriage work, Saroukos has being making frequent back and forth trips to the Pacific island where her husband is stationed.
Explained Nikki, ‘We sacrificed so much to make this work. To be mocked and detained like that – it’s appalling.’
Nikki Saroukos and her mother arrived to Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu last Sunday for what was supposed to be a routine three-week holiday when things soon turned awry at the customs and border desk.
‘The officer began to look troubled at his computer to which my mum offered to provide more information,’ Nikki explained.
‘From there he screamed – ‘Shut up and get to the back of the line, go now’ – at the top of his lungs.’
Added Nikki, ‘My fight or flight immediately kicked in. I’d seen horror stories about this stuff. I just bawled on the spot.
‘We were in such a vulnerable position. We didn’t know their rules well and he was obviously carrying a gun.’
Nikki and her mom were then taken to a holding area for questioning where she claims having offered contact with her husband along with showing immigration officials her marriage certificate – to which Nikki claims they laughed in her face.
She said the pair were told, ‘Don’t say anything, don’t talk and don’t touch your phones.’
Officers proceeded to then inspect their bags along with their documents.
‘I didn’t hide anything,’ Nikki pleaded.
But something had caught the attention and concern of customs officials. But what? Or were they simply over reacting or on a power rush?
Before you ask if I have checked this, YES I HAVE, because I couldn’t believe it either.
If you are considering visiting the U.S. my advice is simply don’t do it. I know if they checked my socials I would be detained and deported.https://t.co/Mn4bJdUpco
🎥 TikTok -… pic.twitter.com/ENC1cgGL88
— 𝔗𝔯𝔲𝔱𝔥 𝔐𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔰 (@politicsusa46) May 23, 2025
Were Nikki Saroukos legal rights and due process observed?
Nikki’s mom was free to go after the search but Nikki was taken to a second location where she was subjected to further interrogation.
There, she was forced to surrender her phone and passwords, and questioned about her work as a former police officer.
‘They questioned me about the demographic of my suburb and what crimes I was exposed to as a police officer,’ she told news.com.au.
‘They were asking me about ice and meth and whether I knew how much was being imported from New Zealand.’
She said she had ‘no idea how to answer the questions.’
‘I was just dumbfounded,’ she said.
‘They took a 45-minute sworn statement where they grilled me on my stream of income, my marriage, my phone history.
‘They were clutching at straws. They even asked why I had deleted Instagram three days prior, I was completely honest.’
After the statement concluded Nikki said she was told to wait outside where she was then subjected to a DNA swab – which she was given no explanation for.
She was further forced to sign a document declaring she was not a part of a cartel and had no affiliation with gang members.
She also signed a document stating her husband was her next of kin and that he would be contacted and informed of her whereabouts – something she later learnt never happened.
After hours of questioning and a sworn statement, a supervisor informed Nikki that her statement was deemed inadmissible and that she would not be entering the United States.
Nikki said she was handcuffed, subjected to an in-depth cavity search and marched through the airport in full view of the public before being taken to a federal detention facility.
Upon arriving at the prison around 3.30pm, she was fingerprinted again, ordered to strip naked, squat and cough, and handed prison issued briefs and green outerwear.
When she asked if she would be fed, officers told her she had missed the cut off for dinner time and would not be provided any food today.
Nikki claims then being made to sign a waiver where she agreed she would not be making or receiving any phone calls – something her lawyer later informed her was against basic human rights.
Saroukos says she was taken to a shared cell where her roommate was a Fijian woman who was being held over similar circumstances.
‘There were prisoners everywhere. I learned that I was being housed with convicted murderers,’ she told news.com.au.
Nikki Saroukos’ husband and mother had been waiting outside the airport for five hours with no information on her whereabouts.
Nikki with short notice early the following morning was transported back to the airport, again in handcuffs.
There, she was marched through crowds of people by officers before being taken to another holding room where she was finally given a small bottle of water, a muesli bar and a packet of chips.
She was then informed she had a call from the Australian Embassy who had been closed over the weekend during the ordeal.
‘They told me they couldn’t do anything and that no one had the power to help,’ she said.
She asked the embassy to call her mother and let her know that she was being put on a flight back to Sydney early noon.
Nikki was finally allowed a three-minute phone call with her husband, who was inconsolable.
Mrs Saroukos was then escorted to the gate by two officers – one in front and one behind – who then handed her phone and passport to flight attendants.
Once in the air, she requested her phone to which a flight attendant said ‘You will get it given back when touch down and it will be handed over to Australian authorities.’
Nikki was let out of the plane last with an Australia Customers Officer waiting for her where he handed her an envelope with her belongings and told that ‘she was free to leave.’
Nikki Saroukos’ husband is planning to apply for an honourable discharge from the US Army as a result so that he can live and work in Australia.
Mrs Saroukos and her family have now hired an immigration lawyer in the US to probe what can be done about her ordeal.
The episode comes as many nations, including Australia have since issued advisories to citizens and residents planning on travel to the United States of the potential of being detained visiting the U.S and that some degree of risk may now exist. A state of affairs which has led to travel to America plunging.
And then there were these comments from social media below that made this author wonder. See what you think?
‘Did she show them her US Army/Military Family Member ID Card? She should have received one after marrying the LT.’
‘The other issue is she’s married to someone from the US… and trying to travel on a visa waiver (ESTA)… that alone is a red flag. She’d be considered a risk and possibly denied entry for that alone as she has a connection and could actually be trying to move there without getting the proper vetting.’
‘This isn’t about cruelty, it’s about immigration law. She used ESTA multiple times to visit her U.S. husband, which looks like an attempt to live in the U.S. without the proper visa. That alone is enough to trigger denial. CBP officers are trained to catch this.
‘I can almost guarantee her answers to key questions about returning to Australia or long-term plans with her spouse raised red flags. The officer made a call, and she was sent home.’
‘Sounds to me like she arrived without a visa, thinking she still had an exemption due to her partner being in the military. They may have cracked down on the exemptions, and she didn’t check before travelling. That’s why mum was released immediately, because she would have held a visa, not exemption paperwork.’
‘The US is experiencing social and political transformational change and those Australians that get caught up in the turbulence can only blame themselves.’
‘The obvious answer is AVOID AMERICA.’
