Comment by asoneth

> Yes, if you're a well-meaning tourist, nothing will happen to you.

Perhaps this is what you meant, but I'd rephrase that as: if you are a well-meaning tourist with all the proper paperwork then it is very unlikely that anything will happen to you.

I've had a few "well-meaning" friends and colleagues who experienced significant life impacts due to paperwork problems with US Customs and Border Patrol. One example was a student who didn't realize they needed additional authorization to work part-time, another overstayed their visa on a prior trip and is barred from re-entry. Being "well-meaning" is entirely insufficient bordering on irrelevant compared to having the proper paperwork and following the proper processes, especially if you are young and/or from a non-European country.

For decades this has been a topic of discussion amongst international attendees at US conferences and events, and for every person who is denied entry there are several who are reluctant to visit the US due to experiences at the border. Given the particular zeal with which the current administration enforces entry rules it has become the dominant conversation amongst international participants.