Is USA safe to visit?

[perellonuts]

I can’t even believe I’m asking this but is it safe to visit USA now? I’m concerned about the social media issue, I’m pretty sure I’ve liked one or two anti-trump posts each time I’ve doom scrolled since his first term. Could this be used against me? I definitely feel free speech is not tolerated there now. I’d be travelling with my neuro diverse son, age 7. He is perfectly capable with full autonomy and we travel a lot but being separated with no due process would be a disaster and scares the hell out of me. We’ve been invited to go to collect a prestigious award and they put you in a hotel for a few days etc. We have American friends and family and the first hand ICE stories are horrific.

I would go, The US is a fantastic place with lots of amazing things to see and do and lots of fantastic people. I don't see how it is an unsafe place for ordinary tourists. If I only visited countries where I supported the current political ideologies of it's leaders there wouldn't be many places left to visit! As for the handing over of your social media details, well those are out there for anyone to see anyway!

It’s such a personal choice, and all you can do is read up and then take a call. I follow Heather Cox Richardson, historian / Trump critic, and for work needed to be in Chicago last May. I deleted all past emails from her, unsubscribed, and took my personal as well as work phone (husband advised just to take the latter). As we were delivering training we also had a letter from work saying what we were there for, as you can’t do “productive” work on an ESTA so we also had to be careful what we said on that front (not the glib “business or pleasure” response of old). Both me and my boss were nervous approaching border control, there were a few questions about our intentions during our stay and we were in. We are seriously reconsidering whether to run the same global event for participants from our EMEA region this year due to the same concerns. I don’t think you’re overreacting to be worried, it’s so unpredictable.

Very helpful

Then you'll more likely t be profiled than Smith or Jones

We have postponed a trip to Vermont later in the year. We have no idea how in depth the Esta checks will be and are concerned about our young adult DD/DS Internet history ( which is obviously not our business). I am (and have been) a member of legal political groups here which might not be deemed appropriate (even though they are mainstream here) and it seems unclear how much of your future rights to privacy you are signing away for your children as well as yourself and lastly DH brother is a Communist and regularly posts his views on Facebook. As I understand it the US authorities are still in consultation and we have to wait to see how invasive these Esta declarations will be.

You’re as safe in the US as anywhere, BUT as other people have said I have 2 autistic children so I won’t be touching the US with a barge pole for obv reasons!!

My parents were regular travellers to the US pre-Covid. They said that even before Trump the arrivals process could be intimidating as the border personnel were often aggressive and unfriendly. This put me off taking my DC as they are both autistic and one also has selective mutism. They would not cope with being shouted at or having to answer lots of questions in that sort of environment. It seems now things are even worse so I wouldn't consider it if your DC is anything like mine.

I think there is a lot of scare mongering on this thread.

I went to the States 5 times last year. A mix of business and pleasure.
I will be going over there twice this year too.
TSA have always been abrupt and I think were friendlier pre 9/11.

I noticed no difference with TSA pre or post Trump administration. Security did take a long time in Chicago last year which I had not experienced before but they seemed short staffed.

I'm not worried about social media as I'm 41 and don't post anti anything memes like a 13 year old.

I think you're fine to go.

I’ve been twice were the family in the last 18 months and DD is going again in the Spring for work (she’s a musician). The social media question on the ESTA is still optional. I love the US but I was quite worried last time we went because I have no idea what the DC may have said on their socials. And I’m appalled I even have to think about this. My DD has played at events that have fund raised for Palestine and I did have to tell her to make sure she didn’t have any T-shirts with her that referenced these gigs (which got an eye roll). We had no bother at immigration but I’m slightly worried about her next trip as she will be with 10 other musicians.

They really won’t. Every state is like a different country.

Personally on boycotting destinations then I would rank the following higher than the US:
UAE for supporting the ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide in Sudan.
China for the persecution and concentration camps of the Uighur Muslim minority.
Turkey for the persecution of the Kurdish minority.

I wouldn't go there under any circumstances but then I can't stand the American culture, of which Trump is very much a typical product.

Why do Americans cherish such a disgustingly self-worshipping, corrupt, dishonest and abusive individual? Because people like Trump are everywhere in the US, representing as he does everything they traditionally admire.

The idea of "cleaning up my internet history" etc. in order to be acceptable to such critters is abhorrent.

This sounds pretty obsessive, and worrying, that you invest ‘daily’ in something that isn’t directly affecting you. Assuming of course that you don’t live in US. There’s so much more you could be focussing on here, to put all that energy to good use….

And I’ve been to America twice in the last few years. Never crossed my mind that I would be in danger. There’s many countries people visit which I would be far more apprehensive about - Dubai, Egypt, Turkey, to name a few.

Surely if your friends and family live there they can tell you how safe it is

Can you do preclearance through dublin say fly london dublin US. You will then be stopped in dublin and just not let in
Your fear is ICE not actually been in america by the sounds of it

You’ll be absolutely fine. Border control can be tough - they take it very seriously - but if you do as you’re told, it won’t be a problem.
I arrived a few months ago and after a long flight, walked through passport control with my phone in my hand. I wasn’t actually using it but apparently phones are meant to be tucked away in a bag and out of sight. The border guy really gave me a hard time and was unreasonably obnoxious but I just apologised and didn’t make a fuss. It’s their country and their rules and if you do as they say, there’s no problem.

No one is going to be forcibly separating disabled children from their parents. You’ll also find there’s a huge amount of the country really like and support Trump. Obviously that changes depending on what area you’re in but it’s wrong to assume everyone dislikes him. They don’t!

@perellonuts

If the screening of social media posts for visitor visa applicants is your main concern then it's worth noting that whilst the practice has been officially and openly formalised in the US, it has also been widely practiced unofficially in many countries including the UK (since 2015).

Australia for example has openly rejected visitor visas based on social media posts.

https://www.talenteverywhere.org/Mobility-News/Article/how-social-media-is-influencing-visa-decisions-around-the-world

So social media screening is practiced by many countries although the US clearly gets more publicity about it.

We spent 3 weeks in California, Arizona and Nevada this summer, on a road trip holiday with our 8 & 11 year olds. It was great, and we saw/experienced nothing concerning. The border guard was incredibly friendly when we landed in San Francisco, asking our boys about their favourite soccer team etc. we had a fab time

They are not travelling through border control with an autistic child.

Don't be naive. The president of this fine land is the biggest proponent of division and hatred. He wants to make sure the haters are excluded - his haters.

This. Given the massive drip feed from OP this this thread doesn’t really need to exist.

I think I’ll listen to the mums of autistic children who all say no way. American borders don’t sound like a fun or safe experience for us now, even if the risk is minimal it’s not worth it for us. The tiny worry would take any joy out of the trip and if the worst case scenario happened it could be catastrophic.

Thank you for all the opinions, I think for now we’ll not be going in person.

My take on it at the moment, as a white middle aged woman, is that it's probably fine - the risk of being pulled up because of some social media activity or being approached by ICE and denied access to a lawyer is low. The problem is that while the probability of it happening is low, the personal consequences if it does could be disastrous. We lived in the US (West coast) for a while, way back when, but I wouldn't be going back now, because there's no real need. I still have a few friends that I keep in touch with there, but for the last few years we've just met in Europe or the Caribbean and I don't see that changing for the next few years. Going to the US just to accept an award in the current climate - no, I don't think I would.

Or never had any intention of going to the US in the first place, but like a good chance to virtue signal on the internet.

I am going on my own to the US in a couple of months to one of the most conservative/Republican states, for a week, staying with a friend for part of it and in a hotel for the rest of it. Very much looking forward to it and not scared in the slightest.