German AfD-affiliated economist detained and interrogated for 10 hours, refused entry to U.S. while phone confiscated over “offensive” meme

 An economist affiliated with Germany's conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was detained and interrogated for over 10 hours at a Chicago airport. His phone was seized by authorities allegedly for an offensive meme.

Jurij Christopher Kofner arrived at the Chicago airport on Sunday, July 20, following a 12-hour flight from his hometown of Munich, Bavaria, after which he was immediately detainedby the United States Border Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  

Kofner, a self-described "ordoliberal" – a German variant of classical liberalism – was set to attend a weeklong seminar in Springfield, Illinois on "Classical Liberalism and Business" at the University of Illinois, Springfield, organized by the American Institute of Economic Research and the Academy on Capitalism.

Kofner's phone was confiscated for allegedly containing a banned meme

Following the conclusion of Kofner's 10-hour ordeal – during which he noted he was subjected to "random questioning" – he was ultimately refused entry into the United States. Furthermore, his phone was confiscated by authorities for allegedly containing an offending meme. His laptop was also confiscated and subjected to an electronic search, but was later sent back to his home in Munich. His phone remains in U.S. custody "for further analysis."

The meme in question featured President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as soldiers on D-Day with the caption, in German: "Warmongers in the front row, as it should be."

In a statement, Kofner blamed his being refused entry on his affiliation with the AfD. He noted how, during his interrogation, the government agents questioned him about the German government's and "serious news agencies'" accusations that the AfD is a right-wing extremist party allegedly influenced by Russia.

Authorities questioned Kofner regarding his opinions about AfD Member of the European Parliament Maximilian Krah, who has been accused of spying for China and has been scrutinized both by the German government and media outlets for being an alleged sympathizer of Nazi Germany.

But the authorities also questioned him about his positions on the conflict in Ukraine, about German foreign policy, his and his party's connections to the Republican Party and his opinions on former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH).

"I am disappointed that I was denied entry to the United States. Not only because I am a fan of Trump and American right-libertarian discourses and wanted to attend the American Institute of Economic Research's seminar on classical liberalism, but also because this would have been my first trip to the United States since I was a child, when our family owned a summer house in Tampa, Florida," said Kofner in his statement in German. "I had my original red MAGA cap with me and wanted to buy hardback copies of the Federalist Papers and other books that influenced vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance's worldview."

"Both the 10-hour interrogation with mostly stupid questions, the confiscation of my cellphone and my subsequent rejection at the U.S. border because of a meme only show me the weakness of the Biden administration and the forces behind it," he continued. "That is probably the price that some German patriots who fight for Germany's national sovereignty have to pay. On the other hand, I am glad to be back home and not in some prison cell in Guantanamo."