Harvard scientist Kseniia Petrova has been in ICE custody for about two months. Her colleague and friend Leon Peshkin says her case is causing some scientists to reconsider working in the U.S.
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ICE:
Following orders is not a viable excuse. What you are doing is wrong. You know it. And eventually, there will be a price to pay. Remember, you could make different decisions.
Any scientist that’s been paying attention knows to steer clear of the US. Not just for the next 4 years but forever. Many scientist are self described apolitical and are just finding out the dangers. Soon there will be none coming from out of the country at all
Anyone who goes to the US to work or on holiday needs their head tested, as they could easily end up in custody for months, or in the El Salvador gulags, despite not committing any crime.
The World has many non-fascist Countries for people to work or holiday in.
May Day, May Day General Strike-5/1/25!
Shut it all down, unions wobble, airlines, manufacturing, retail, trucking, transportation, shipping! tRump, vAnts, johnson must resign.
Glad to hear that someone is doing something at last. This is the only language that Trump will listen to, but it will take more than one strike, they will have to be continuous until Trump is ousted.
The U.S. is fast becoming a 'no-travel zone.' Travel warnings are being issued by various countries, who are also are quietly kicking out Americans. What goes around, comes around.
How to destroy your country in several easy steps. America has historically won more Nobel Prizes than any other country but I guess we’re just going to throw all that away in the interest of becoming a whites-only fortress.
Unfortunately this is not the best test case because she tried to smuggle frog embryos into the US, WHICH has got to be either illegal or she should have declared them. So opps I forgot I had those frog embryos in my suitcase, not the best look.
Some them some brave ma fuckas if i wasn't from here i'd hard pass....
I leave you with this humorous and not humorous clip from Johnny Dangerously ...
Because our Education system is going to be abysmal now. It has sucked for years to point we need educated immigrants to help us in all areas of Research, IT,Space, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Health Care,etc
But great Spanky you will continue to destroy yourself this time.
We used to go around the table on Thanksgiving and say what we were grateful for. I used to say I was glad to be fortunate enough not to have been born in a 3rd world country. That's how much I did not want to live in a corrupt deprived place.
This scientist who made contributions to a university in this country must not be deported back to a country that is currently engaged in war with one of our allies
Every major "cultural revolution" has targeted scientists and academic leaders. Suppress education, and you have full control of the population. I mean, everyone is miserable, but at least they are under control. When people are struggling to survive, they can't rise up and fight back.
Please come visit once we get rid of this wannabe Dictator! We love all people from everywhere! Just wait and do whatever you can to help us get rid of this regime.
I used to go to the US every year. I have been to Florida, New York, Chicago, Hawaii, Philly, Buffalo, and California. But I won’t return. The idea of being held at the border will always be a fear of travelling there. Orange shitstain might be gone, but MAGA will be there for generations.
Not if they are hurting under Trump, as most of them will. Just wait and give us a chance. MAGATS are stupid but they will be hurting like the rest of us. But you'd be smart to stay away until the Trumpeter Fire is gone.
It would be more prudent to use this debating/convincing energy for doing something now that can change the near future here, not trying to convince someone to do something in a hypothetical future scenario
If you havent noticed we have had two nationwide protests against Trump and his policies. You dont have to look towards the future but we do. We have to get rid of thus regime or Democracy dies.
I wouldn’t do it. And some countries in Europe are starting to suck up the fleeing scientists. The US is having a brain drain like a toilet paper hoarding rampage. And they aren’t coming back.
This is worrying not only because I have seen how hard it is it fill positions in labs with only US students. Economically it is crushing. International students bring nearly $44 billion into the US every year.
I can't imagine why any non-US citizen scientists would consider working in the US right now. The brain drain is going to be significant in many aspects.
It's not "some".
It's almost all. Some AMERICAN researchers and academics are trying to stay OUT of America to the point of considering claiming asylum for being previously critical of Trump.
Oh well. If she’s legal she has nothing to fear. If she’s don’t anything remiss, including white lies in her application, get her the hell out of America, yesterday. Why are foreigners being hired over Americans anyway.
Of course Trumpy's racist goonery and thug followers make this country a very undesirable location for anyone, especially for folks that have the choices that come with brains. Research universities and labs around the planet are glad to welcome them.
That's their objective. Hitler, Stalin & Mussolini did the same thing: Keep them too scared to publicly oppose you.
Americans don't need to be scared - they need to get mad. Both Germany & Italy had less than 40,000,000 people when they were subjugated - We have 340,000,000. History's calling
It should make ALL scientists AVOID the US… hear they are trying to advance the world… and here comes Trump and the Republicans pushing it back to 1896… run don’t, walk is my advice!
I wouldn’t try to work here. What’s the point. Funding ‘issues’ and American Gestapo…
If this shit doesn’t get ended, we’ll be a near backwater.
Terrible all the way around.
Gee I WONDER
As always since 11/05/24
wonder everyday
where THE Doge boys were and Starlink and WTF were they doing, these boys didn't just come out of the BLUE to be on the scene to destroy American Values, he had to train them.
And they should be! I don’t even want my daughter, a US citizen who lives in England, to come home to visit. I’m sure her social media is anti Trump and that can get you in big trouble these days. Our freedom of speech is precarious.
The worst part is that even if he's gone in four years, we could return to this idiocy in another four. As someone else said, the world can't keep betting on low-information voters in Wisconsin making the right decision every four years.
Ppl who are straight-up certifiable right fucking now:
1. Women (globally) choosing to have children on this planet,
2. Any foreigner coming to or through the US during President Toasted's reign
GOOD , FOR NOW UNTIL REALITY IS RESTORED ...FRANKLY FUCK THE UNITED STATES, IT'S AN EMBARRASSMENT TO ALL CITIZENS IT HAS BECOME A LAUGHING STOCK OF THE ENTIRE WORLD AND A SHAMEFUL TIME TO BE AN AMERICAN & WE SHOULD NEVER EVER FORGET IT OR BE ALLOWED TO FORGET IT.
For decades we've been told we need the Einstein visa and H1b visa programs to attract and keep talent in the US so they can make things better here, rather than making businesses thrive in their home countries to compete against US businesses.
Running off US citizen talent suggests that was a lie
Would Canada accept Americans as political refugees? We aren’t quite there, but will be soon, I fear. Please know that many, if not most of America, love our friend Canada with the same intensity that we hate Trump.
Current laws actually do not allow Americans to claim asylum, since it's assumed that we're in a stable, 1st world country.
I wonder how long that's going to last.
Well, we signed a bilateral agreement not allowing this from US citizens specifically. But obviously things have changed, a lot! We are talking potentially millions of people here, it would be more than we could handle on our own. I agree it is getting more possible every day now. Need a plan
Everyone i know who had plans to visit or move to America have now cancelled it including myself, we had a disaney trip planned along with seeing New York and Vegas.
We have decided to go to Disany Paris, Finland, and Germany now.
Of course...Talent that is not Scandinavian-white doesn't want to step foot in an American University or college just to get stuck in prison and/or deported...This mind-numbing "othering" has to stop...
In any sane country, the ICE equivalent would have to formally charge someone with a crime--in a court--or let them go after a *short* period. Due process is intended for EVERYONE and holding people indefinitely, without a trial, is just plain wrong.
You'd be crazy to come here right now. Hate to say it, if you're already here, I'd get out while the getting is good. Go somewhere where they would appreciate your talents and brilliance. We'll let you know when the smoke is clear.
Harvard will thump their chest challenge Trump, take the government to court if funds are blocked. While, not a peep when students and scholars are arrested, harassed, disappeared.
The national brain drain could be catastrophic not only to specific R&D but to our society as a whole. Who wants to work in a country with bands of Orcs roaming the streets and grabbing people to steal away innocents with the unknown of any return.
Only "some" scientists? You're entering a new Dark Age of ignorance. Can't imagine anyone who wants to do serious scientific study free of political pressure staying in the USA. They're literally making it impossible to do anything that isn't regime approved. Welcome to the end of American science.
Almost like something someone who is actively trying to cripple the US would try to accomplish.
But that would imply that everyone supporting the clown-in-chief is anti-American.
Oh.
Wait.
They are.
I’ve yet to talk with a single scientist that would not leave if they could. Born in the USA, but I’d go in a heartbeat. I’d literally take a 50% pay cut. Need a roof over my head and enough money for food. I’d figure the rest out
I'm a scientist, I would consider leaving. My husband doesn't particularly want to (yet, anyway, though if push came to shove, I'm sure he would), and kids in school, plus pets.. make that all hard. 🫠 Plus the possibility of having to learn a new language.
Our family served in the military all the way back to the Revolutionary war. My daughter just turned down a research job because she is afraid of this horrible regime.
British here.
I was reading this today, where Americans, including scientists, were talking about seeking refuge because of their fears for the future.
Thanks for the article. It's amazing to me how Trump is able to turn his rabid cult against innocent people. It won't be long until American citizens are forced to seek asylum in another, actual democratic country. We are being prosecuted for being who we are, who we love, skin color & politics.
I told my husband I'm afraid at some point they may target me for all of my outspoken criticism of him & his terrorist regime. I know I'm really not that important, but neither were the every day people in Germany who went missing. I won't however, allow fear to keep me from doing the correct thing.
You’re probably already looking north (though you may wish to wait until Tuesday to make sure Canada doesn’t go full Maple MAGA for the next 4 years). Certain research tracks are wide open re. immigration.
Leave the US and go to Canada or Europe. It makes no sense to stay any longer in this corrupt country without working justice run by a gangster. Science has a better home outside of the US. Leave as long as you can leave on a legal way.
MAGA are too dumb to understand that the scientists are incredible people doing incredible things. ICE holding them in custody is a world I never thought my children would see. I am heartbroken.
Ironically the very devices used to listen to Dump's messages were invented by the people who he's trying to get rid of.
China is *this* close to boycotting exports to America
When that happens, no more phones, PCs, laptops, cars, planes, plastics, medicines...or resources to make them in the US.
And some white suburban moms are so excited RFK jr (asked) companies to stop putting dyes in food. And they are so happy. He didn’t even make it a lot.
While he is gutting fda dairy inspectors. Killing kids not helping with measles. He’s was a heroin addict for 14 years.
He has a Brain worm from eating pork.
He help with killing many in Samoa with his conspiracy crap about the measles vaccine.
And if he fires all the food safety people no one will really know what they are putting in our food. Screw the dyes. I don’t want formaldehyde in my milk.
Those mom’s are embarrassing. Believing anything that anti science nut job (getting people killed) says- you have a problem. I will trust the scientists.
If she is not getting due process she is not in legal custody. She had been kidnapped. Unless she or anyone gets due process it’s kidnapping and we as humans can fight off kidnappers at all costs and should because this is not legal under our constitution! Not even close to a grey area!
TO THE Republicans “All them Foreigners are bad people”. “ They are stealing all our jobs”. Nope. They are all being paid Social Security”. Nope! “They are all criminals”. Nope.
As it should. The US is a shithole country that doesn't value education or scientific advancement. Republicans seek to drag us back to the stone ages and make plagues great again.
During the 2nd coming of the MAGA Messiah, the USA is well on the way toward having the greatest brain & expertise drain in its history. From a place where the best & brightest wanted to come, to place the best & brightest will avoid at all costs.
What kind of intelligent scientist from another country would ever consider moving here for a job at this point? We became one of the scariest places to live or to visit on January 20, 2025.
Trump policy of anti immigrant and isolationism is destroying all the soft power the U.S. took decades to build. He is alienating the U.S. from its neighbors and closest allies
"A subsequent K9 inspection uncovered undeclared petri dishes, containers of unknown substances, and loose vials of embryonic frog cells, all without proper permits."
"Petrova (...) had previously been detained in Russia for anti-war protests."
Jfc.Tell me, how many rules and laws is your orange saviour breaking? These people ARE NOT VIOLENT CRIMINALS! THEY DESERVE DUE PROCESS! THEY SHOULD HAVE RIGHTS
Remember this repugnant Republican administration just reauthorized the federal death penalty.
We celebrated the losing side last time(civil war), can the Dems grow a spine for numerous lethal injections, nitrogen suffocation, firing squad or my personal favs.
Hanging or guillotine. French nod there
Wait until Monday April 28th for the Canadian election. If we elect Carney for PM come work for the great universities up here. If they Elect the conservative Jeff (Pierre)maybe head back to Europe because we might be turning into Trump North.
Please let her know that MANY of us are scared. I was born here to parents who were born here. But I am scared. If someone can take you off the street, no questions asked, no due process, and traffic you to another country, LEGALLY, that is fucking scary. He's already ruined the economy, what next?
Some? Only “some” scientists in US are reconsidering? I just spoke with a distinguished professor who just returned from a trip to China and he said “it was amazing, we all need to learn Mandarin.” That’s where science in the US is at.
Comments
Following orders is not a viable excuse. What you are doing is wrong. You know it. And eventually, there will be a price to pay. Remember, you could make different decisions.
The World has many non-fascist Countries for people to work or holiday in.
Shut it all down, unions wobble, airlines, manufacturing, retail, trucking, transportation, shipping! tRump, vAnts, johnson must resign.
#FiretRump
#FirevAnts
#FirejOhnson
#BuildtheResistance
Please like and repost, share with family friends and coworkers!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/25/europe-universities-us-researchers-trump-administration-science
MAGA 👍
This could lead to a brain drain.
I leave you with this humorous and not humorous clip from Johnny Dangerously ...
But great Spanky you will continue to destroy yourself this time.
The US might need a civil war and a clamp down on all those that support the fascist regime before anyone will trust the US again.
That or a split up.
Trump is just a symptom. The US has shown its face (not the only one but still) and large parts of the World don’t like
The US has been moving in this direction for a long time.
The US has been a bully before. The new thing is that they now also tries to bully their former allies.
We have become a hostile nation state doing KGB kind of shit.
I work for a university academic publisher.
It's not "some".
It's almost all. Some AMERICAN researchers and academics are trying to stay OUT of America to the point of considering claiming asylum for being previously critical of Trump.
Of course Trumpy's racist goonery and thug followers make this country a very undesirable location for anyone, especially for folks that have the choices that come with brains. Research universities and labs around the planet are glad to welcome them.
They're not white-washing or pearl clutching. They're fighting under the radar.
"...she has publicly opposed her country's invasion of Ukraine. "
Putin must have commanded trump to do it on one of their "perfect " phone calls
Americans don't need to be scared - they need to get mad. Both Germany & Italy had less than 40,000,000 people when they were subjugated - We have 340,000,000. History's calling
Doing a heckava Job Donnie
If this shit doesn’t get ended, we’ll be a near backwater.
Terrible all the way around.
As always since 11/05/24
wonder everyday
where THE Doge boys were and Starlink and WTF were they doing, these boys didn't just come out of the BLUE to be on the scene to destroy American Values, he had to train them.
1. Women (globally) choosing to have children on this planet,
2. Any foreigner coming to or through the US during President Toasted's reign
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!!✊🏼🇺🇸✊🏼
#RESISTANCEISBEAITIFUL!!!🌹
Running off US citizen talent suggests that was a lie
I wonder how long that's going to last.
Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121.
Email them through their websites.
Tell them this:
1. Call for impeachment. Loudly. Daily.
2. Visit the concentration camps in El Salvador and demand to see your constituents.
Or don’t ask for money…
(Please repost)
We have decided to go to Disany Paris, Finland, and Germany now.
the world cannot make up for the immediate loss of research funds
over the centuries. Yet here we sit.
The policy is either stupid, wicked, or both.
Useless vs. valuable. It's not rocket science.
Doing a lot of high-energy and nuclear research here, not to mention building space launch capacity in Scotland.
UK is next on list to abandon evidence based scientific progress.
👀 the brain 🧠 drain is doing generational damage. 🧐
ask his wives
But that would imply that everyone supporting the clown-in-chief is anti-American.
Oh.
Wait.
They are.
It looks, smells and taste like fascism,
What might it be?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/apr/24/american-refugees-escape
I was reading this today, where Americans, including scientists, were talking about seeking refuge because of their fears for the future.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/apr/24/american-refugees-escape
The most telling part about this article is the part where the woman is too scared to give her name, or even the state where she lives.
That is something you will only see in countries like Russia, Iran, Belarus or Venezuela
It’s really hard watching us go down the drain
Your daughter would have been an asset it’s infuriating
China is *this* close to boycotting exports to America
When that happens, no more phones, PCs, laptops, cars, planes, plastics, medicines...or resources to make them in the US.
While he is gutting fda dairy inspectors. Killing kids not helping with measles. He’s was a heroin addict for 14 years.
He help with killing many in Samoa with his conspiracy crap about the measles vaccine.
And if he fires all the food safety people no one will really know what they are putting in our food. Screw the dyes. I don’t want formaldehyde in my milk.
This is Nazi America and you might end up in the El Salvadorian concentration camp.
TO THE Republicans “All them Foreigners are bad people”. “ They are stealing all our jobs”. Nope. They are all being paid Social Security”. Nope! “They are all criminals”. Nope.
Get ready for idiocracy
The rest of the world will unify and build a wall to keep the brain rot contained
https://www.ngrippel.com/ngr-politics.html
We’re a pariah nation full of violent idiots and should be treated as such.
😞
Interesting
This country has a huge "WARNING" Label with red flashing lights and ALL the red flags waving.
The brightest and best talent will be leaving for elsewhere, where they can practice their professions in safety.
The #drumpfEffect
so many people. I say we start rounding up ice agents and send them to El salvadore.
"Petrova (...) had previously been detained in Russia for anti-war protests."
🤔
We celebrated the losing side last time(civil war), can the Dems grow a spine for numerous lethal injections, nitrogen suffocation, firing squad or my personal favs.
Hanging or guillotine. French nod there
Collaboration needs trust,
and trust needs stability.
If minds begin to drift elsewhere, it won’t be out of protest, but self-preservation.
#immigration