Embroiled Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber has been released after being held and questioned for close to four hours by authorities at a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol area Thursday on his way back from Asia, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Detainment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is standard procedure for non-citizens and foreign nationals upon entering the U.S. if they have allegedly committed a prior crime.
Bieber was returning from Japan, where he was on a publicity tour that seemed to do more harm than good to his already-tainted image. The young star snapped an Instagram photo of himself in front of a controversial WWII monument honoring designated Japanese war criminals. He apologized afterwards, but the damage was already done and the Japanese were offended.
The 20-year-old pop singer has had a string of legal troubles. However, he does not appear to be at risk for deportation despite a petition to the White House in January requesting that and the revoking of his green card.
Bieber is awaiting trial for driving under the influence in Miami and for a misdemeanor assault case in Toronto. Additionally, he is being investigated in Los Angeles County for vandalism following an incident in Calabasas, where he allegedly egged a neighbor’s home in January.