“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
- Desmond Tutu
Sarah Kopit on How Travelers are Staying Away from the U.S.
✈️ 25 Reasons to Rethink That Trip to the U.S. — Especially If You’re Marginalized, Outspoken, or Value Your Rights
The palm trees are still swaying. The resorts are still open. The ads are slick and desperate. And Gavin Newsom is smiling into the camera, begging Canadians to come spend their loonies in California. But here’s the truth:
The United States is no longer safe for everyone — and for some of us, it never was.
Below are 25 reasons why stepping foot in the U.S. is now an inherently hazardous, morally compromised, and potentially dangerous choice — especially for anyone who doesn’t fit neatly into MAGA’s narrow vision of America.
1. Authoritarianism is no longer a threat — it's reality.
The U.S. Supreme Court and Republican governors are openly dismantling democratic norms. Trump’s second-term plans (Project 2025) read like a fascist blueprint.
2. Abortion is illegal in over a dozen states.
Canadians used to mock the U.S. “culture wars.” Now we mourn them. A miscarriage in Texas can land you in jail. That’s not hyperbole. That’s real.
3. Trans people are under legislative attack.
Over 500 anti-trans bills have been introduced across the U.S. in the last 2 years. Healthcare is being criminalized. Identity itself is being erased.
4. Gun violence is out of control.
There were over 650 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2023. In what other “developed” country is the risk of being shot at a mall, school, or parade a daily reality?
5. Black, Indigenous, and Brown travelers face higher scrutiny at borders and airports.
Flying while Black is still a thing in 2025. Racism at U.S. Customs and TSA is well-documented and systemic.
6. Political activists are being surveilled, tracked, and harassed.
If you’ve ever tweeted support for BLM, Gaza, or climate action — congratulations. You might be on a watchlist.
7. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates with impunity.
They can detain you indefinitely. Even if you’re Canadian. Even if you have done nothing wrong.
8. Digital privacy at the border is a myth.
Phones, laptops, social media accounts — all fair game. Deleting your apps or bringing a burner isn’t paranoia. It’s protocol now.
9. You can be detained without cause.
Denied entry? Expect to be held in secondary detention — no explanation, no recourse, and no phone call.
10. Social media is now a liability.
That cheeky Instagram post mocking Trump? It could be used against you at the border.
11. Hate crimes are rising.
Anti-Asian, anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-Muslim attacks have skyrocketed. The perpetrators often walk free.
12. The health care system is predatory.
Break a bone? Get COVID? Step on a sea urchin? You could be looking at a five-figure medical bill.
13. Police brutality continues unchecked.
Even tourists aren’t immune. Foreign nationals have been brutalized, wrongfully arrested, and in some cases, killed.
14. White Christian nationalism is rising.
It’s no longer fringe. It’s mainstream GOP policy. Theocracy is not just a risk — it’s the goal.
15. Climate disasters are accelerating — and poorly managed.
Wildfires, floods, heatwaves — and collapsing infrastructure to boot. FEMA is underfunded. The safety net is gone.
16. Protests are being criminalized.
March in solidarity? You could face felony charges, even as a foreign national.
17. Voter suppression and rigged districts are the norm.
This is not a functioning democracy. It’s a rigged game designed to uphold minority rule.
18. Media freedom is under attack.
Journalists — even international ones — are being harassed, sued, and arrested.
19. Florida and Texas are modern testing labs for authoritarianism.
Book bans, thought police, anti-LGBTQ+ laws — and these are tourist destinations?
20. Border agents are emboldened and abusive.
There is little oversight. Complaints rarely result in discipline. Some cases end in death.
21. Surveillance is widespread and state-sanctioned.
Facial recognition, license plate tracking, predictive policing — welcome to the surveillance state.
22. Homicide rates are climbing in several key cities.
Visitors are not immune from the consequences of an underfunded, over-armed, paranoid society.
23. Trumpism is not a glitch. It’s the operating system.
Even if Biden were in office, the MAGA machine runs deep — through judges, police, bureaucracies, and militias.
24. You are no longer welcome.
The love affair is over. Many Americans — emboldened by Trump’s rhetoric — see outsiders as threats, not guests.
25. Going sends the wrong message.
Every dollar spent in the U.S. right now helps fund a system unraveling civil rights and global stability. Is that what you want your money to support?
❌ Final Thought: A Beach Vacation Shouldn’t Require a Burner Phone
If you have to erase your social media, hide your identity, or mentally prepare for interrogation just to sip a cocktail on a beach — that is not a safe or free country.
This isn’t anti-Americanism. It’s pro-accountability. Pro-safety. Pro-human rights. The U.S. is at a crossroads. Until it chooses a path that protects the marginalized, respects international guests, and upholds actual democracy — we should choose not to go.
Stay loud.
Stay home.
And let them know why.
Sincerely,
ADAPT OR DIE!
LESS IS MORE!
WE ARE READY! ARE YOU?
