Tourists deported from U.S. for Twitter jokes

Not sure what the First Amendment has to do with anything.  You can say whatever you want, but that doesn't mean the US has any obligation to let you into the country.

so aliens aren't covered by the 1st amendment? I thought in the USA you can say whatever you want as long as its not threatening an individual.

They weren't in the US.  They were attempting to enter the US, and the US decided not to let them in.  That's their prerogative.

The 1st amendment doesn't protect you from consequences of your speech, even if those consequences are given by the government.  A person admitting to a crime on a TV program isn't protected under free speech (or even 5th amendment/self-incrimination).  If you own a website which talks about legalisation of narcotics, that doesn't protect you from the DEA from denying you a job as an agent because of your free speech rights.

He had no right to enter the US.  They could deny him for any reason, technically.  His right to free speech has nothing to do with it. However, that doesn't mean that they should have denied him for such an idiotic reason, or that they were acting reasonably.  Huge difference.

If immigration officers can't understand context, I am not sure how confident we could be that they'd understand any real threat expressed in any nuanced manner which was not an out and out statement of intent.

  If you own a website which talks about legalisation of narcotics, that doesn't protect you from the DEA from denying you a job as an agent because of your free speech rights.

That would be hilarious 

Whilst the guy was stupid to post up what he did, what really concerns me about this case is the ability of the authorities to connect a twitter comment to an actual person and their passport.

I can believe they did this. My partner was hed for over an hour the first tiem he came to the States to visit me. Why did they do this? He was being sarcastic to the IO when they asked WHERE I lived (they wanted to hear: 'Suffolk County'; he told them 'America')

It no different to what they did to the guy who threatened to blow up Robin Hood Airport over twitter two years ago. It was a stupid, stupid thing to say that happen to hold VERY serious repercussions

Whilst the guy was stupid to post up what he did, what really concerns me about this case is the ability of the authorities to connect a twitter comment to an actual person and their passport.

Yeah I haven't used twitter before so I'm not that knowledgeable on the subject , but maybe he had a really detailed profile

Or gave really detailed information like his flight info and stuff.

I can believe they did this. My partner was hed for over an hour the first tiem he came to the States to visit me. Why did they do this? He was being sarcastic to the IO when they asked WHERE I lived (they wanted to hear: 'Suffolk County'; he told them 'America')

wow really? maybe you lived in Mexico and your partner was just taking a scenic trip through the states

It happens to lots of people coming into the UK as well.

Sometimes they just get overly interested in one person for no good reason.

wow really? maybe you lived in Mexico and your partner was just taking a scenic trip through the states

Well, they wanted to know WHERE it was he was staying, which would have been with me. If he was just passing through, he would have said that... He'd never traveled outside the EU (and his trip to see me, was his first airplane ride as well) so wasn't used to those kinds of questions being asked..

Nothing really happened when he was detained. He was brought into a metal clad room room while three people watched him through a mirror. I guess they checked with the UK home office and they confirmed he wasnt a risk.