First! There’s just one spot left in each of my February Arizona beginner guided backpacking trips! Learn to backpack with modern gear in the style of long-distance hiking with a wonderful group of women, trans and non-binary people. Deets and the application are here.
My April Utah trips are so nice- learn to make a route in caltopo and then practice hiking cross-country in a world of warm sand and otherworldly slickrock, in a supportive environment, with lots of fun side quests! Also for women, trans and non-binary people. Deets and the application are here.
Where would you go if you left the US?
On having a plan just in case
For the past few weeks I’ve been hyperfixated on one thing: when is it time to leave the place where you live, in hopes that somewhere else will be safer? To say human history is full of turmoil and upheaval is an understatement- in the US alone, unless you’re Native American, your ancestors likely immigrated here because they were fleeing somewhere else, and if you are Native American your ancestors were forced from their land, or lost their land rights, or both. Humans do be moving around this earth when they’d honestly rather stay where they are, and the question I can’t stop asking is when? When is it time to go?
We all know that the Trump admin is trying to do an authoritarianism, and so far succeeding in some ways but failing in others. You can’t be an authoritarian without the military supporting your dictatorship ways- does he have this? Not yet. Can he get it? Unknown. You can’t be an authoritarian if there are fair elections. Will the midterms happen? Will they be fair? Unsure. As an authoritarian, it’s important to have boogeymen that you can punish (trans people, immigrants). Has he been successful in turning the masses against these groups? Somewhat. You can’t be an authoritarian with free speech or an intact justice system. He’s doing his best to erode these things. Will he be successful in doing away with them completely? That remains to be seen!
Before us the future splits into a dizzying number of timelines. In one timeline I want out of this country right now, before it’s too late. In another timeline I stay and fight, because we still have a chance. Maybe a lot of chances! I’ve lost a good deal of sleep these last few weeks trying to figure out what the defining moment will be- the moment when I know, when we all know, which track this train has turned onto, which timeline has solidified around us. Months ago I told myself “if such and such happens I’ll leave,” but then such and such happened and I still wasn’t sure. This limbo place is stressful for me and even more so for trans people, immigrants and anyone else worried about becoming an even bigger target as things go more downhill- and I couldn’t help but think back on all our human ancestors and wonder, when did they decide to go? How does anyone make that choice?
I will say, you should never feel ashamed about wanting to leave. It is noble to stay and fight and also, sometimes the thing we’re fighting is much larger than us, and we don’t stand a chance, and the best thing to do is get to safety. When to go is a personal decision that only you can make- if you feel unsafe, if you’re part of a targeted group or you have children, of if you just want to get the fuck out, you should absolutely do it. And leaving comes with its own challenges- the heartbreak of leaving your life behind, the difficulties of making a living and building community as an immigrant- so many things. There is no easy road forward, whether you stay or go.
In my ponderings and research these last few weeks, I finally landed on two things:
1. The defining moment for me, in when to go, will be when it seems like we’ll soon loose our ability to leave.
2. Even if I don’t end up going, I should know where I would go, and how, just in case.
To the first point, I did some research into what the signs have been, historically, that a government is beginning to restrict its citizens’ ability to leave. I’ll put what I found below. If these things start to happen, I’ll get out as fast as I can. (Unless I change my mind, I guess, ha ha.)
-Broad new categories for passport denial/revocation
Adding things like “national interest” or “political extremism” as grounds for losing a passport. Bills in congress expanding 22 C.F.R § 51.60 (passport denial rules).
-Limits on moving money abroad
If you can’t legally transfer money out, it becomes much hard to emigrate even if you can physically leave.
-Exit visa requirements
Some authoritarian states require a government issued “exit permit” each time you travel.
-Criminalization of emigration for certain groups
If it becomes a crime for doctors, engineers, or others to leave without permission.
-Unusual delays in passport renewals (beyond normal backlogs) that disproportionately affect certain groups.
-Mandatory interviews for routine passport applications
-Travel bans for dissidents/activists
-Politicians framing emigration as “unpatriotic”
If public rhetoric shifts towards saying leaving the US is “betrayal” or “helping enemies,” restrictions may follow.
-Emphasis on “brain drain” or “protecting national talent”
Historically, this language has been used to justify exit restrictions.
Even if you have no idea when you would leave, it’s good to know where you would go if you did leave, and how. This is because, depending on where you want to go, it can take years to sort out the process of immigration. If you start getting your ducks in a row now, you’ll be ready if things take a turn for the worse and you need to get out fast. Also, as you do your research and start to learn things, you can help educate the people around you about what the options are and how to go about them, and this helps ensure everyone’s safety.
I don’t claim to be an expert on immigrating from the US- I’ve learned just enough, at this point, to realize how much I don’t know. But I’ll share what I’ve learned so far.
The very first thing to do- do it this week if you haven’t done it yet! Is make sure you have a valid passport. You can even renew your passport online now, as long as it’s recently expired.
The second thing to do is start asking yourself fun questions! Like
-If you could go anywhere, where would you go? (Tiktok has many accounts dedicated to helping people with US passports figure out where to immigrate to, and I think youtube does as well? I recommend doing some research, because there are good options you may not have considered!)
-Of your top choices, which ones are only accessible on a tourist visa, and which ones could you stay longer, as a resident and eventually, gaining citizenship?
-Is your demographic safe there? (You should be able to find people of your demographic on tiktok, youtube and reddit talking about about their experiences living in or visiting that country)
-What documents do you need? What is the process of immigration, and how long does it take?
-Would you work remotely, making USD, or would you need to find a job in the local economy? (This is a huge factor- some places most accepting of US immigrants have local wages too low to support living expenses, so you’d need to work remotely making USD, and some places with higher local wages are much harder to immigrate to.)
-If you are considering moving to a place where you’d work remotely making USD, how are remote workers affecting the local economy? Are they driving up housing prices and other costs for locals? If so, how can you avoid contributing to the problem?
-Conversely, is there already a housing crisis? (Ireland, for example, has been trying to lure remote workers recently, but has one of the worst housing crises in the world- if you can’t find housing then you can’t live in a place, even if they’ll accept you as an immigrant.)
-If you’re considering a country with narrow restrictions on immigration, what are they? Do you need to be below a certain age, or have a certain job? Can you switch careers? (Many countries need nurses, engineers and tradespeople.)
-Would it be possible for you to build community in the place you’re considering? Have other members of your demographic been able to build community there? It’s much more difficult to make a life in a place where you feel isolated.
-Are you down to learn the local language? Do you like, and respect, the local culture? No place is perfect- even though you’re escaping encroaching fascism, the country you choose will not be without its own problems- are you ready for the disappointment and compromise that comes along with that?
-If you’re considering a country with a difficult immigration process, what’s a backup country you could relocate to quickly in the meantime, if you needed to get out of the US fast?
-How will you get your pets to your new home?
-Can you take your loved ones with you? Are their passports current? What are their answers to these questions?
Currently, if I had to immigrate, my first choice would the be the Canadian subarctic- bopping across the border from this boreal forest to that one would feel like such a lateral move. But because of my age, job, and some other factors, Canada likely isn’t an option for me. I’m doing research into some other places, but a lot of factors go into these decisions, and it’s a long process to know where is best- which is why you should get started right now. I don’t want to leave my life. It would break my heart to go. But it’s good to be prepared, just in case.
That’s all for now,
Carrot
We’ve asked the same questions, and you are more thorough than us. Thanks for a good summary. We see tRump’s administration’s plan to transition the US into the fascist state you describe, with all the fascist rules. Most important is to NOT announce where you might go. Try going to places you are considering and opening a bank account for your “planned seasonal visit”. Once you have funds there, your quick departure is easier. It’s much easier to quickly move funds between institutions using things like Wise, Xe, etc. For pets, there is a pet passport. Wish you the best on setting up your plans.
Carrot you have, as usual, outlined the situation with clarity and honestly. Thank you. You have summed up what so very many of us are thinking and wondering about. If I was fifty years younger I’d be looking hard at Canada… and quietly working to meet all the requirements for emigration… but I’m way too old now. So I’m digging in here, with my small (read: vulnerable) retirement income, in a rent subsidized senior residence, to resist in the small ways I can.