Newsworthy people visit the USA more often than other countries due the concentration of a lot of companies and conferences. So, I believe denial of entry happens more often than in other countries.
But, there is also the running trend of focusing on bad/silly things happening in the USA.
I refuse to travel to the states these days whether for work or pleasure. The fact that it seems to be getting worse rather than better is very worrying.
I don't get it why they can't just do a passport check and be gone with it like the do in EU?
What's the point of the questions, last time they event wanted me to show them my return airline tickets (why? If I wanted to stay illegally I could have created those easily).
And the queues, after a long flight, the last thing you want it to stand in those long queues and waiting for hours to get to the hotel.
BTW. I'm white, but from Central Europe (Poland) - but why would I want to stay illegally in SF or Dallas when there are cheaper places with more Poles.
I won’t be returning.
But it's been friendly with bags searched nearly every damn time, and the clear implication that I am a threat.
I am a white middle class male with nothing against the US (and indeed a long time working for a US flagship company), but I am clearly unwelcome.
So I simply don't attempt to go any more.
I participated in a student exchange program that traveled to Russia the summer after the USSR became the CIS. At the end of that trip, we took a buss from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, which required a passing through customs on each side of the border back-to-back.
Exit customs on the Russian side were what you would expect. The group leaders carefully warned us to be quiet/polite/no-jokes, have your passport/visa in hand, etc. It was a polite but very strict situation that created a small but persistent nervousness.
After the very-brief drive to the Finnish side, the customs official that boarded our buss to take the group's passports noticed this nervousness, paused briefly with a laugh, and said to our buss full of students, "Don't worry! You're not in Russia anymore! You can laugh!"
This is a silly thing if you never travel, but if you travel abroad you realize that most borders are friendly except for a few countries (and the US is on top of the list for worst borders imo)