African American woman Kristen Gray was summoned by immigration officials in Bali for misusing her visa to live on the resort island for more than a year.

In a viral Twitter thread, Gray bragged about living an "elevated lifestyle at a much lower cost of living," while promoting her $30 e-book, Our Bali Life is Yours. The book allegedly guided people on how to successfully move to Bali during the pandemic, circumventing Bali's visa and health laws.

"It's a guide breaking down how we did it and how you can do it too," Gray wrote in a since-deleted tweet. "We include direct links to our visa agents and how to go about getting Indonesia during COVID."

In the Twitter thread, revealed that she and her girlfriend booked a one-way trip to the island in December 2019 and planned to say for six months in order to "stack some bread and elevate our lifestyle."

"I was broke, struggling to find work the entire year of 2019 and I wanted to take a stab at entrepreneurship," she wrote. "I was paying $1,300 for my LA studio. Now I have a treehouse for $400."

Gray, who runs a graphic design business, admitted the initial six-month plan was abandoned once the pandemic hit but 2020 was still "the best year" for her. In her tweets, she promoted Bali as safe, cost-friendly, welcoming to Blacks, and queer-friendly.

Some Twitter users responded to the thread by accusing her of being culturally tone-deaf, pointing out that the country's local LGBTQ+ community continues to battle discrimination and her American status shielded her from homophobic attacks. She was also criticized for encouraging others to get around travel restrictions amid the pandemic.

After her thread went viral, Bali's immigration office summoned Gray for questioning. During their investigation, they found that Gray may have violated a number of immigration laws, including "spreading information that could unsettle the public."

"The concerned foreign national is suspected to have done business by selling her e-book and putting up consultation fees on traveling to Bali, which means she can be subject to sanctions according to the 2011 Immigration Law," said Jamaruli Manihuruk, Head of the Bali office for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

The Indonesian government has imposed restrictions on international arrivals from certain countries since April 2020 and completely shut down the country last month. Manihuruk added that the ban on international visitors is still valid until January 25.

After Gray was deported, she told a group of reporters that she was innocent and deported because of her sexual orientation.

"First off, I am not guilty," Gray said. "I have not overstayed my visa, I have not made money in Indonesia. I put out a statement about LGBT and I'm being deported because of LGBT."

Gray's visitor stay permit is still valid until January 24, but she's still being deported for violating multiple regulations. She is currently detained at the Immigration Detention Center in Denpasar as her deportation is postponed until a flight to the United States becomes available.

Gray's partner was not targeted by authorities but is expected to join Gray on her return to the U.S.

Source: Jakarta Globe