I know I'm a bit paranoid by nature but given how many stories we've already had about random tourists getting detained in ICE facilities, I.....think I'd struggle to go back to the US while Trump is still president? which makes me feel insane but also they really have gone insane there, so - ThreadSky

youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com • 3 days ago

I know I'm a bit paranoid by nature but given how many stories we've already had about random tourists getting detained in ICE facilities, I.....think I'd struggle to go back to the US while Trump is still president? which makes me feel insane but also they really have gone insane there, so

Comments

mattbelanger.dev•3 days ago

I was just in the US for work, and was nervous the whole time I wouldn't be allowed to leave. It feels like a rational reaction at the moment

glennbryan.bsky.social•3 days ago

I'm not going despite having family and many good friends there

rossmc11.bsky.social•3 days ago

The World Cup there in about 16 months is going to go fine. 😬

guitarmoog.bsky.social•3 days ago

Entirely sensible. I wouldn’t either. And I’ve been to Belarus and Transnistria (albeit with diplo protection. Wouldn’t dream of it now).

bluesprints.bsky.social•3 days ago

😢. Cheer me up some more... I've got a big bday soon, big wedding anniversary too this year. So we booked a crossing on the QM2, S'oton > NYC, in the bit far away future. Fully paid for.... 😢😢

bluesprints.bsky.social•3 days ago

Should say 'not far away future'.... Autocorrect fail.

abigaildombey.bsky.social•3 days ago

Autoincorrect.

bluesprints.bsky.social•3 days ago

All booked and paid for in the sane days Before Trump. 😢😢

marquemaire.bsky.social•3 days ago

Do. Not. Come. Here.

badsocialism.bsky.social•3 days ago

If my PhD goes through I would have to do at least two research visits there and frankly, they sound quite terrifying now

badsocialism.bsky.social•3 days ago

It's New York and DC, but I am still...bloody frightened of it

bd-angry.bsky.social•3 days ago

Half of them voted for Trump and many have guns. They shouldn’t be allowed sharpened pencils FGS!

kennystewart.bsky.social•3 days ago

I genuinely don’t think they’re far away from denying/revoking ESTAs and tourist visas for social media activity they don’t like.

duncangill.bsky.social•3 days ago

Delighted I went to watch the Packers at Lambeau last season. Cos no way I’d risk going now.

(I also just like saying I went to watch the Packers at Lambeau last season.)

kennystewart.bsky.social•3 days ago

lilianedwards.bsky.social•3 days ago

Uuurgghhh. I have one a year old. Does anyone really have time to go over these, esp after all the sackings, and would anyone trust AI to get it right??

youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com•3 days ago

yeah - I mean I do have a foreign corr visa that still has like four years on it but would I trust them not to play dirty with that? given my visa is tied to the New European and we all know what their/our stance is on Trump? ..........

kennystewart.bsky.social•3 days ago

Honestly it feels like the only question is whether or not they’re organised/competent enough to have the New European on a list.

owejessen.de•3 days ago

Would you bet your freedom on it?

daveclarkreports.bsky.social•3 days ago

Amusingly, a drop down menu on my visa form asked for my "Twitter" handle.
Elon should have a another word with State

kennystewart.bsky.social•3 days ago

Even tiny acts of rebellion are good.

daveclarkreports.bsky.social•3 days ago

I think it just hasn't been updated in a while. I wrote in my Blue Sky under other

benstanley.eu•3 days ago

I had just assumed they were already doing that, given that they ask for social media handles

kennystewart.bsky.social•3 days ago

I’m sure we’d have heard if they were, but I’m also equally sure that is a preparatory step for doing exactly that.

benstanley.eu•3 days ago

I haven’t had an ESTA refused, so I don’t know if they give details of why, but it seems plausible to me that they’d happily refuse an application without giving any specific reason.

kennystewart.bsky.social•3 days ago

Fair. But in which case there would presumably be an uptick in people going “well this is weird”.

jameschalmers.bsky.social•3 days ago

Curiously, they still call X Twitter (and don’t mention Bluesky), so DOGE has not worked its magic yet. (Filled the form out recently as I am going for work next month [posts that precede unfortunate events])

kennystewart.bsky.social•3 days ago

Right everyone we’ve got a few weeks to get James to post the most outlandish things possible, for science.

jameschalmers.bsky.social•3 days ago

Tbf I don't know why I'm getting ahead of myself worrying about border control when Elon could sack all the air traffic controllers next week.

jameschalmers.bsky.social•3 days ago

More seriously, I’m always irrationally (but not seriously) worried in crossing any border that I’ll have screwed up some paperwork or forgotten to do something and I’ll be told to get the next flight home. But it turns out that’s actually not the worst that could happen, huh?

lilianedwards.bsky.social•3 days ago

I'm considering a similar outing at end May and swithering. It feels ridiculous to feel worried but there are worse things than feeling ridiculous...??

jameschalmers.bsky.social•3 days ago

Well, see if I’m still posting come May…

lilianedwards.bsky.social•3 days ago

Send up white smoke!

machinedad.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yeah I am genuinely relieved I went anonymous on social media before COVID since I have to travel to the US for work and I fully expect them to scan for easily identifiable accounts within the next 12 months

cwashington.bsky.social•3 days ago

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/06/state-department-ai-revoke-foreign-student-visas-hamas

oldhobbit.bsky.social•3 days ago

Can we do the same to the MAGAs? They are clearly undesirable and not conducive to the public good.

shropbboy.bsky.social•3 days ago

Not going to America. Not flying on a US airline, not going anywhere that flies through US airspace.

frenchie.bsky.social•3 days ago

Not going either.

mlungu.bsky.social•3 days ago

I won’t ever go to the US for any reason.

rettopnoj.bsky.social•3 days ago

I honestly wouldn't trust them not to check your social media and decide you're too woke to be let in or something.

robertfromotown.bsky.social•3 days ago

Meanwhile, I want to travel outside the US. My gut feel is I will not be welcome.

williamcarruthers.bsky.social•3 days ago

Like others with family there, I’m finding it increasingly scary that we’ll have to visit

colinelves.bsky.social•3 days ago

Not entirely unwarranted paranoia
https://bsky.app/profile/broadwaybabyto.bsky.social/post/3ljxwkte5sk2y

ianrobo.bsky.social•3 days ago

yep I would not want to go there now and some goats I think will put out travel advisories if this gets any worse especially for those who are not white

kevr.bsky.social•3 days ago

No, I'm with you on that. Doubt I'll ever go states side again in my lifetime.

groda.eu•3 days ago

It's totally sensible. I definitely wouldn't go. They always pick me for checks when they have 9 black/arab looking persons because they need a white guy to show they're not doing racial profiling. idk why

lewisbaston.bsky.social•3 days ago

I’m rethinking my proposal for the next book. Several reasons but among them is that I don’t want to go to or via the US on research. Also - thanks to the fall of America - the subject I was thinking of has suddenly got a lot darker and I’m not sure I want to deal with it.

youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com•3 days ago

pipkazan.bsky.social•3 days ago

I’m going to America the day after tomorrow and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I’m absolutely shitting it.

dalesmithonline.com•3 days ago

I don't have call to go to the Us during the normal course of things, but I'd already decided during the first Trump presidency that it was too unstable to consider. Nothing since has made me change my mind.

thisyank.bsky.social•3 days ago

I'm so sorry. And I am ashamed. And I don't think this is paranoid in the least.

jv8p.bsky.social•3 days ago

Our younger daughter had her heart set on Juilliard for a performing arts degree. That’s all gone quiet now, much to our relief (and no longer just for financial reasons)

jvdrieth.bsky.social•3 days ago

Are you paranoid enough, though?

There is no way we'd go there while the madness lasts.

cian2me.bsky.social•3 days ago

Nor me. Also don't fancy flying in US airspace while the FAA is a mess

paullarnach.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yep, it's Canada instead for me

lilianedwards.bsky.social•3 days ago

Well I hope it's fab for the wonderful Canadian tourist economy

simoncraven.bsky.social•3 days ago

I’m not going while things are as they are

iand999.bsky.social•3 days ago

That’s me needing a wee while watching a new episode of Severance

politicsphil.bsky.social•3 days ago

Been to the USA 4 times, (I have friends in both Pittsburgh and Florida) but won't be going again while Trumpy Baby is in the White House.

alexgathomas.bsky.social•3 days ago

We (I) try to tell ourselves not to catastrophise… but what else do you do in a catastrophe?

alexgathomas.bsky.social•3 days ago

Is part of being clear sighted about what’s happening. Can’t lose agency or fall into despair but it does seem reasonable to think through Reasonable Worst Case Scenarios

youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com•3 days ago

yep...

daveclarkreports.bsky.social•3 days ago

There's also https://bsky.app/profile/macfarlanenews.bsky.social/post/3ljxt42sris2t

alexgathomas.bsky.social•3 days ago

There’s so much. And then so much more

sperplexitas.bsky.social•3 days ago

You are not paranoid at all, as far as you dared to go there before. This has been a problem with USA border authorities for very long time. Now, it's just they are even more lawless.

hutchingsmusic.bsky.social•3 days ago

My wife's American - I can't see us going back to visit family before 2029.

rogerokeeffe.bsky.social•3 days ago

So you're assuming that there will be elections in 2028?

hutchingsmusic.bsky.social•3 days ago

I didn't say anything about elections. Or that we'd definitely be going back in 2029. Just that we wouldn't be going back *before* then. I'd guess my election confidence levels are similar to yours.

mysteryshopper.bsky.social•3 days ago

We're having a bit of a moment over here. Such that we decided to not fly back to England for Mum's 70th because, well, the reasons you gave, plus the amount of plane crashes under Elon Trump's stewardship.

tracyking.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yep, not going near the place. On principle if not out of fear (being one smidge Ukrainian).

emilyoram.bsky.social•3 days ago

We just cancelled our ten year anniversary trip and are out of pocket quite a bit but what started as “probably a bit shit but we went last time he was in and it was fine” quickly because untenable and felt morally wrong, now it feels downright unsafe.

youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com•3 days ago

Ah mate :(

emilyoram.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yeah it sucks but I feel better for it than if we’d gone I think.

paulhaine.bsky.social•3 days ago

I have a friend who's travelling there in April with his family and he's getting increasingly stressed out about it

mattfallaize.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yeah I think I'll give it a miss for a bit...

youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com•3 days ago

lol what a legendary move from your friend Marie, deciding to get super into New York and making lots of pals there, in the year 2024

markdowling.bsky.social•3 days ago

Come to Toronto and have your US friends come up to meet you. After all, Canada isn’t interning Americans as enemy agents yet so should be fine!

patrick.seurre.com•3 days ago

It’s not just random tourists being detained. Legal residents of the US are literally disappearing too https://bsky.app/profile/angus.bsky.social/post/3ljxuzqfhp22a

k8tshires.bsky.social•3 days ago

I have just read of 3 in the last minutes. I would definitely avoid. Do not recommend.

rhysey.bsky.social•3 days ago

It could be worse. In a moment of mania I started applying for jobs working for the Democratic Party THIS year

youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com•3 days ago

omg

rhysey.bsky.social•3 days ago

I was like ‘they need me over there!!’

dhanendran.co.uk•3 days ago

Sorry about NY pals. I made a similar decision 2016-2020 and will be doing the same this time. Too much hassle to travel while brown. Which makes it a shame we had to cancel our planned 2024 Texas eclipse trip but hey ho.

micky24.bsky.social•3 days ago

Made my mind up in this as soon as he was elected. I’ll be going nowhere near it.

sazal.bsky.social•3 days ago

I said no to travelling to the US the first time around, it was my own tiny moral stance against his presidency. This time around personal safety reasons are also a factor in my no travel decision.

ropenfold.bsky.social•3 days ago

I had a NFL/College football trip planned for the end of the year to Texas, where a friend lives but there's no chance of me going now. He's about to get US citizenship, I've told him to keep his British passport if he can. He might need it if it all goes south.

yellsonpolitics.bsky.social•3 days ago

I don't think it's insane at all. 100% would not go there.

guym.bsky.social•3 days ago

I didn’t go there 2016 -2020 and won’t go there again until 2028 and probably never again in my lifetime.

Which is a shame because in many ways it’s an ace country.

janehill.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yep. I used to go all the time for road trips and immigration was always nerve-racking. I once got deeply questioned over a Romanian stamp in my passport. Another time they struggled to believe I was travelling alone on holiday. But will not go now - absolutely terrifying scenes.

charleshowarth.bsky.social•3 days ago

There was already a voluntary request on the ESTA form for your social media IDs. I see that becoming mandatory.

dianepearson.bsky.social•3 days ago

We have family there so a dilemma all round.

helenstyle.bsky.social•3 days ago

Plus, I’m concerned about air traffic safely there.

helenstyle.bsky.social•3 days ago

Can’t afford the travel insurance anyway!

mattround.com•3 days ago

I'd been considering a work-related visit this year but then ruled it out months ago, even if you don't particularly fear for your own safety it's a dangerous & unstable time for others, not exactly a pleasant atmosphere to fly into

lilianedwards.bsky.social•3 days ago

I suppose I partly wanted to go one half solidarity to my people stuck there , one half sheet curiousity and another half " I should go before it gets worse" but umm. ( Also it may be the last yr I have ready funding.)

paulkillick.bsky.social•3 days ago

Not insane or paranoid and with what’s going on in the US I can only see things becoming more unsafe for tourists. On one side you have ICE and the other there’s an economy in freefall & a population who have easy access to firearms.

paulkillick.bsky.social•3 days ago

I’ve decided that a lot with have to change for me ever to consider going back to the US…. But then honestly it’s a far easier decision for me as New York gave me the opposite feeling and I think it’s the most over hyped city in the world

stefafra.bsky.social•3 days ago

Plus, flying anywhere in the US appears to be increasingly dangerous, so better to avoid the area

troyella.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yup. I am absolutely not going to the US for the foreseeable future.

The aviation issues are only one of the reasons but quite near the top.

timoconnorbl.bsky.social•3 days ago

I wouldn’t be rushing across the Atlantic any time in the immediate future, put it that way.

https://bsky.app/profile/macfarlanenews.bsky.social/post/3ljxt42sris2t

joegrassby.bsky.social•3 days ago

I'm trying to get my head around how a Canada / Mexico / United States World Cup goes next year.

webstarr.bsky.social•3 days ago

Was thinking exactly this

ropenfold.bsky.social•3 days ago

Like the 1936 Olympics at this rate.

johnb78.bsky.social•3 days ago

The 1936 Olympics if Poland and Czechoslovakia were co-hosts

ropenfold.bsky.social•3 days ago

Maybe that'll be Trumps closing ceremony, a full-scale invasion of both.

imshocked.bsky.social•3 days ago

They’ll be no mention of BLM, LGBTQ+, or Ukraine, etc., allowed in stadiums, by the teams or the players, that’s for sure.

larry680.bsky.social•3 days ago

Doesn’t bode well for the World Cup or the Olympics 😬

owejessen.de•3 days ago

A sailing club my sailing club is friends with is planning an atlantic trip with their boat from Germany to the USA to celebrate 250 years USA (they did so 50 years ago as well). I'd be ... very relcutant to put myself onto a crew list.

venetiasb.bsky.social•3 days ago

I wouldn’t dream of going there at this time

maxglobetrotter.bsky.social•3 days ago

I love 65 miles from the border and the substantial “weekender” travel across the border has all but stopped, and many friends and colleagues have cancelled trips there and are heading further south of to Europe instead.

oldhobbit.bsky.social•3 days ago

You should take an American hostage in Britain, like in medieval times. Let them go when you get back.

oldhobbit.bsky.social•3 days ago

I knew someone, British Army, on duty in USA in early 00s, all that War on Terror stuff, San Diego (USN or USMC). Went to Mexico on a day trip. Wore a "FCUK" T shirt. Border police wouldn't let him back across until he covered it up.

oldhobbit.bsky.social•3 days ago

I suppose it shows that the mindset was always there and doesn't need much of a nudge.

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•2 days ago

We discussed this on @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social a few weeks ago. I said that, as a woman of childbearing age, I'd be wary of going somewhere I might not be able to get hospital care for eg an ectopic pregnancy. Up until that point it was mostly a discussion of ethics rather an safety. Now... no way

charliematthews.bsky.social•2 days ago

TBH the plane crashes were already putting me off and this has definitely not helped! Am slightly worrying about what to do/ say if a work trip there was to come up anytime soon

martymcd.bsky.social•2 days ago

Also, second German woman detained apparently

pmzyox.bsky.social•3 days ago

None of the sane people that are in the US blame you

carolinep0.bsky.social•3 days ago

I won’t be going there for the foreseeable future. Even my journey to New Zealand is via Vancouver rather than a US airport.

amynmerchant.bsky.social•3 days ago

Crazy enough that you’re legitimately raising the question, but even crazier that the answer is that it might be too risky. https://bsky.app/profile/broadwaybabyto.bsky.social/post/3ljxwkte5sk2y