I have a coworker travelling there in July. Unwillingly, I’ve been more or less been kept in the loop what preparing the trip implies and I’m pretty horrified.
Up until now, these are some of demands made (and accepted):
- full disclosure and acess to social networks
- criminal record
- recent photo, perfectly groomed and in the attire to be used to travel there. No deviations will be tolerated from the supplied photo.
- complete list of possible identifying marks on the body, with pictures (tattoos, moles, melanistic spots, scars, etc)
- name and social networks of parents, siblings and other close relatives, including children.
The person is separated with two children; this is causing a lot of friction.
- has already been warned an interview of up to two hours will be held upon arrival.
The person speaks broken english at best.
- disclosure of place of employment and other connections to public organizations
They are connected to a local soccer club and a youth sports association.
To add to all of this, this isn’t a standard caucasian human but someone who has looks that can be taken for someone from the middle east, slightly darker shade of skin included.
Flying from southern europe straight to Florida.
I’m concerned. I would not go, full stop. They have people waiting there for them but nonetheless. Considering the heated state of affairs, it is something I consider of not easily to overlook risk.
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If I was him, I would not go. Simple as that. The US is no safe place for travel.
Clearly I’m ignorant due to not traveling out of the country in decades, but those demands are shocking to me. We really have devolved into a fascist shithole, huh? They’ll probably be fine, but I certainly wouldn’t risk it.
I’m a white Texan and now try to avoid flying anywhere, even in the United States, due to ICE’s presence at airports. I’m glad your coworker is such an optimist and sees this as an opportunity, but that’s completely illogical. If someone were to tell me that they paid for me to have a one-on-one experience with a caged lion, I’d only see that as an opportunity to practice saying “no.” Even if the lion told me it has countless job opportunities for me.
Don’t go. At all, for any reason. If what has already transpired during Trump’s second term hasn’t been enough reason to avoid travel, its on him if anything bad happens.
Can’t say you weren’t warned.
I’ve tried easing the notion to my coworker but the opportunity to travel abroad, even more because the tickets have been paid for by others, is too big to miss. Their words, not mine.
Why doesn’t he just fly to El Salvador directly and save time. I’m a Caucasian male and I wouldn’t go to the US right now, he definitely shouldn’t risk it.
I’d be problematic anyway because I genuinely don’t have a social media presence, which I’m sure they would find suspicious. And I’m pretty sure my 70-year-old parents don’t have one either.
I was just mentioning that as well. What could be the reception of someone with no social presence and no electronics upon arriving? I’d refuse giving details of relatives as well.
Your friend needs to ask the people who paid for the tickets if they’ll pay for legal representation and to get him released from whatever incarceration awaits him if he falls foul of the regime there. Assume this could run to hundreds of thousands of US dollars.
Also, given your description of him, I think that’s incredibly likely to happen.
They’ll say he’s guilty of something, so those friends won’t be sure whether he acted illegally or not.
I actively fear that.
2/10 if you’re white. 5/10 if you’re not.
I am a meat popsicle
Multipass!
White or not you are going to be sent to Alligator Auschwitz pronto quick. How many instances of no matter who it it and there is a problem with paperwork somewhere you are toast. Simple stuff like tickets, traffic infractions. Just read the news.
There were cases, yes. Probably 0.0001% of all the white people that visited USA during that time. There are many reasons not to go to USA but being scared of ICE is not even in the top 3. If you have to go because of work or for personal reasons just make sure you’re papers are in order and you’ll be fine. If you’re thinking about traveling for pleasure - don’t. It’s a shithole country.
Statistics are great until you are one of them. There are many other reasons not to go as well. I know I will never return to the us as long as I live.
Edit: as I said before. Read the news, not us news but world news. A lot higher than you think.
Tourist are also robbed and murdered in Europe. Tiny fraction of all the visitors but it happens. Would you the same in this case? That statistics are great until you’re one of them?
Not the venue I was referring to, sorta a track jump.
We’re talking how dangerous some places are. You’re saying that people should be worried about the tiny probability of being detained by ICE. Should they also be worried about the tiny probability of being murdered in Europe?
I am talking the us right now not other countries. One can always find an exception to the rule. IMO it is unsafe to travel in the us right now compared to how it used to be. Again IMO why would I take the chance if I don’t need to. Also I do not travel anywhere anymore as I am old and do not feel safe pretty much anywhere these days compared to travel in the past due to either age or times.
In that interview, they will ONLY be looking for reasons to deny her entry, not to let her in, and they will find something. Then all her expense and trouble will be wasted. I wouldn’t bother.
Wow thats really fucked up considering I could jump in my car and drive across the border into the US right now and the border guards most likely wouldnt look at me twice
We went across last year twice and they just wanted to know why and where were staying, didnt even ask for proof
So its highly dependant on your origin country (im Canadian) and skin colour (im pasty white)
I usually have more trouble coming back into the US than crossing into Canada.
Even Americans, who aren’t Caucasian, are being put into ICE detention (or deported). The US is a dangerous place for anyone with darker skin. Even worse for visitors. Not even safe for Canadians.
They start with the dark skins and then they turn on the rest.
Considering how hard they are demonizing trans people, it’s only a matter of time before they go after the gays. I have a bug out bag ready to go if I need to hide in the wilderness.
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Heard the herd?
You heard what he said. And he’s probably one of those people who doesn’t consider proper spelling & noticing the difference between homonyms/homophones.
The Canadian travel advisories site claims that it is generally safe to travel to the US: https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-states
Frankly, I think they are bullshitting because of Canada’s diplomatic position with the US.
When was that last updated though? Cuz that a problem- a lot of countries are slow to updating that information especially when the country is still considered an ally legally through treaties
According to the site, it was last updated 2 days ago.
Well you can color us surprised lol, what’s it say now?
Still the same.
My observation is that the Canadian travel advisories site generally seems to be updated in a timely manner. Very soon after Trump’s invasion of Iran, for example, multiple Middle Eastern countries, including the UAE, were marked as “Avoid all travel” or “Avoid non-essential travel”.
The fact that they mark the US as lower-risk than multiple European countries that I would consider much safer definitely lowers my trust in them, though.
After reading all these comments, the impression I’m getting is: shithole country
At this current time, I wouldn’t recommend it. Generally speaking the people are welcoming and the things to see are plentiful.
But the issues visitors will run into aren’t with the people or landmarks. I don’t want to deal with law enforcement here and I’m a white male middle class citizen.
It is, don’t go there. I mean I love it here, but you wouldn’t.
Be aware of where these comments are coming from. There might be a slight bias here.
Yeah the exaggeration in here is wild
It’s a shithole country and it’s awful but coming here in a business trip is going to be without incident, it’s not fucking judge dredd
Yeah like what the fuck. Get a burner phone for travel? Extra clothes? Being followed?
I landed home from US yesterday. It was my first time travelling there, had no issues and it was safe as long as you are taking basic precautions in some areas. I stayed in good areas, people were very nice and friendly too. It is quite unlike the constant bombardment of negative news I read before going there, that got me worried as well, however being from first world English speaking country passport and ethnic immigrant appearance I did not have to provide social network of parents and siblings and process was easier. It is stricter for some countries than others at the immigration but that is at my home as well.
If he’s brown shut it down, if he’s white… idk, shut it down too probably - just to be safe.
I’m confused about where this list is coming from? Is he applying for a visa? This sounds like something to do with a visa application.
Tourist VISA. Everything I listed came through the travel agency.
Honestly I think this is a bit exaggerated. I think that this list describes pretty much the worst case scenario that still results in you entering the country in the end. There’s no way they interview every tourist flying in from Europe for two hours.
As far as I know it is also not a requirement to list all of your birthmarks or use the same attire in the visa application photo as the one you’re traveling in. These are just “good ideas” that the travel agency think will reduce your chances of being rejected at the border.
I haven’t personally traveled to the US after 2025, but I know people who travel regularly (for work though, not tourism). They’ve complained about a ton of other things, but they haven’t mentioned border checks or ICE being weird in any way.
Edit: As an aside, I traveled to the USA just before Trump was inaugurated. I’m from Iran, so naturally I was interviewed at the border. Dude asked me if I was an IRGC member. I said no. He was just so fucking happy and immediately told me to have a nice trip. As I was walking away, he had to call me back to the desk to answer a few more questions that protocol demanded (like, how much cash are you carrying and are you bringing in weird seeds).
According to what I’ve been told, an entire page of requirements was forwarded by the travel agency; not something they drafted but just passed on.
The application was also handled by the travel agency and it was the agency taking the photo to process the travel authorization, regardless of the passport info already been made available. As personal note: this entire demand on the looks and garments for the travellers make sense if we factor the heavy use of automated tools being used at border controls nowadays. And how poor they can be is also widely known.
It’s much more dangerous than it has been in the past for sure, but it’s also massively overblown. They’ll probably be perfectly fine. For every story you hear there’s thousands upon thousands of people coming and going with no incident that just doesn’t get talked about because it’s boring.
Be safe and cautious at the air ports and at customs, but past that it’s fine.
Money really helps. I just met a British-English speaking New Zealand-born Indian woman a few weeks ago who was here working for a large multinational. She’s traveled all over the U.S. and will be here for about two more years, she said she’s having a blast. Granted she spoke perfect English with a lovely British accent so YMMV but resources and calls you can make help a lot. Money is the great equalizer in the U.S.
I wouldn’t do it lol. I’m from the USA and I don’t even wanna leave because I don’t wanna deal with our fucking customs guys.
Pre-COVID (Trump’s first time) I took a trip to Europe. All of the European customs officials were polite and professional, did what they needed to do, and still made me feel welcome in their country. When I returned to America, the customs official checking me back into the country was mean-mugging the entire time, rude, and acted like I wasn’t welcome back to my own home.
I had the same experience in Latin America and Asia. Although I did get stopped in Singapore for a kitchen knife I bought in Bali. They let me go and let me keep the knife!
