At the border
This very sad tale of Hughes and Beate has relevance only because it happens to a DHS and his fiancée. But, come, on, boys and girls, it happens all the time!
Back when it was INS< they would detain anybody, based on whatever criteria they apply, interrogate without recourse to lawyers or outside contact, and finally made the detainee sign a document waiving their right to a trial and accepting that they tried to enter the country illegally or with illegal purposes. Basically, they were forced (tortured?) to confess to something that was only in the immigration's official mind.
am not making this up. This happened to friends, acquaintances, family. This has been going on fro years, and nobody does anything nor does anybody care.
Unless, of course, she happens to be the fiancée of a former DHS agent.