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Czech Performer Denied Entry to the U.S.

July 10, 2025 | By Sarah Shay, Musical America

Clarinetist Jaroslav Skuta from the Czech Republic, planning to perform a number of Stateside concerts, was refused entry and sent back to Prague. One of his presenters, Frank Wiley, director of music at the United Methodist Church of Kent and emeritus faculty member of the School of Music at Kent State University, shared Skuta's e-mailed account.

"On July 1, as I arrived in the United States, I was detained by immigration officers at the Detroit airport," said Skuta, 35, who attended Kent State as a graduate student in 2019. "What followed was one of the most humiliating and traumatizing experiences of my life. I was held in custody for hours, with my phone and all personal devices taken away.

"I was subjected to aggressive, demeaning interrogation and threats of jail time," Skuta wrote. "Despite having all the necessary documentation and clear evidence of the cultural and non-commercial nature of our project, I was treated with suspicion and hostility from the very beginning. After 5 hours of interrogation, I was denied entry and forcibly sent back home to Prague."

Skuta was intending to start his tour in Nebraska, before performing in concerts as part of Trio Mente in Cincinnati, Toledo, Cleveland, Dayton, and Youngstown as well as Kent. Their performances were going to highlight Czech and Slavic composers.

Skuta claimed to have all the proper documents, but officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection decided otherwise. "During inspection, it was determined he had misrepresented the purpose of his travel and was actually scheduled to perform at multiple events as a professional musician," said a CBP spokesperson. "Performing in the United States constitutes work and requires the appropriate employment-based visa. Skuta did not have the required visa, was refused entry, and returned on the next available flight."

Steve Steager, the president of the Czech Culture and Education Foundation of Nebraska that was sponsoring Skuta’s performances, reported that he was on his way back from a trip to the Czech Republic when he learned that the musician had been detained. He notified both the Czech consulate in Chicago and the Czech ambassador of the situation, but said he and his foundation want to avoid any of the “political ramifications” of the incident. “We do want to make sure that anyone who comes to perform has the correct documentation so that this doesn’t happen again.”

 

Akron Beacon Journal

Nebraska Public Media

 

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