‘The United States of–‘: Southern white Christian is detained by DHS after trip to Lebanon. 3 hours later, most questions weren’t about America

Independent journalist Ethan Levins recently took to Instagram and TikTok to share that he has been detained at immigration upon returning to the United States from a trip to Lebanon. The incident, which Levins says lasted for three hours, centered almost entirely on his views regarding Israel and a specific social media post he made about an Israeli minister. The ensuing post got over 3.5 views.

Levins documented the ordeal in his post, claiming, “I was detained and questioned by the Department of Homeland Security yesterday for three hours about Israel.” He described the process as immediate upon his arrival, noting, “I returned yesterday from my trip to Lebanon, and through the passport line, they immediately took my passport, put it in a red folder, and said, ‘The DHS has to speak with you.’”

Levins alleged he was separated from his luggage and questioned about his personal life, friends, and family. Things then turned up as the agents looked through his social media accounts and allegedly pressed him about his political expression. According to Levins, the agents asked, “Have you ever doxed anyone? I said, no. Have you ever doxed a politician? I said, no. Have you ever said anything negative about an Israeli politician? I said, yes.”

From the pan into the fire

“Now there’s two guys, agents with the badges around their necks, asking me questions,” Levins claimed. “And they say, why would you do that? They were talking about a tweet about Ben Gvir, an Israeli minister, I made in April of 2026. They told me, ‘Do not do that again. Do not make a negative tweet about him.” After further questioning about his motivations, the agents collected his personal contact information and address before eventually letting him go.

Levins’s story was then amplified by former police officer Eruc Moutsos, who shared the clip with his audience on Instagram. Moutsos framed the situation with a pointed question: “So… The United States of ____. Can you help me fill in the blanks?” His community had a sharp response. 

One user wrote, “Definitely the United States of Israel. We are an occupied nation. We have bent the knee to a country of about 10 million people. I guess that’s what blackmail against leaders can do to a nation.” Another user commented, “Our government is occupied,” while a third added, “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”

Now, it should be noted that Levin’s claim can’t be verified, but his anger is real. As was his community. One user asked, “Was fascism really defeated after WW2?” Another asked, “How long before most Americans figure out they are part of the occupied territories.” Even in his community, many people noted some variation of “United States of Israel,” in the comments

This detention occurs against a broader backdrop of tightening border security. Per Reuters, the DHS indicated that statements espousing views labeled as extremist by immigrants applying for green cards would warrant closer scrutiny. 

USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler reportedly stated, “Certain behaviors and statements may raise serious concerns for USCIS personnel reviewing an applicant’s file, including espousing terrorist ideologies, expressing hatred for American values, advocating for the violent overthrow of the United States government, or providing material support to terrorist organizations.”

The Reuters report also highlighted that DHS training materials have previously cited social media posts critical of Israel as potentially disqualifying factors for immigration applicants. While these policies are often discussed in the context of non-citizens, there is a growing trend of U.S. citizens facing similar hurdles. 

A report by The Guardian last year detailed how streamer Hasan Piker, a U.S. citizen, was also detained and questioned by border control agents upon re-entering the country. Piker was reportedly interrogated about his views on Donald Trump and his stance on conflicts in the Middle East. Recently, another American was stopped and searched in detail, to the extent that the DHS marshal read her diary.

For Levins, the experience was deeply personal and jarring. As he put it, “I’m an American. I was born In the United States. I live in the Deep South. I’m a Christian. I hunt, I fish, I watch baseball. I watch football. I am an American citizen, and I was denied entry into my country and questioned and detained for three hours. And ultimately, I was questioned about an Israeli politician. That’s. That’s where we’re at now. I’m disgusted.”