A couple of British newlyweds were allegedly barred from their $9,100 honeymoon in the United States without any explanation.
The newlyweds suspect it has something to do with the groom being Muslim with Turkish roots.
They told The Sun they were detained, handcuffed, and "treated like criminals" upon arrival at the Los Angeles International Airport, before being flown all the way back to the United Kingdom.
Natasha Politakis, 29, and Ali Gul, 32, both hold British passports, which allows them to visit the U.S. with only an entry permit through the internet, rather than a visa.
The couple, from West London, was set for a prepaid $9,100 two-week trip around Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Las Vegas.
The newlyweds claim they were detained upon arrival in the U.S. and held at Los Angeles International Airport for 26 hours, before being handcuffed and flown back to London.
All without being given proper explanation, according to the couple.
The bride believes officials noted Gul's first name and suspected that he is Muslim, and consequently treated them aggressively.
Politakis and Gul were allegedly locked up inside an immigration detention, had their possessions confiscated, and not allowed to change their clothes, eat, or drink for over one day.
After long hours of interrogation, they were flown back to the U.K..
They claim they were not given their phones back nor allowed to contact their families until they reached the United Kingdom.
Their inquiries about the detention were not answered.
"I am in utter shock that this has happened," the bride told The Sun. "We were treated like criminals and we had all the relevant documentation and answered all their questions."
She went on to say, “As far as we knew before we left everything was fine, but as soon as we got there they wouldn’t let us in."
The couple has managed to book a last minute holiday to Mexico and is now trying to get a refund on the U.S. trip.
What is the United States' defense?
According to The Independent, a U.S. embassy spokesman said in a statement, “The religion, faith, or spiritual beliefs of an international traveler are not determining factors about his/her admissibility into the U.S.."
The statement noted that applicants applying for entry to the U.S. "bear the burden of proof to establish that they are clearly eligible to enter the United States."
The applicant must thus overcome all grounds of inadmissibility, which include categories such as health-related factors, prior criminal convictions, and immigration violations.
It remains unclear whether or not the couple has committed any immigration violations which led to the incident.