Ask HN: Engineers and Academics: are you worried about entering the US?
3 comments
Everyone I know from Europe has put off travel for now, private or business. A very few people still travel for business, usually only when required.
This is my perspective as a U.S. citizen. I think several things are happening:
* Border news and ICE detentions are a hot topic right now, so some of the stories you see were (unfortunately) business as usual. Border agents can be assholes.
* The number of people in ICE detention hasn't actually increased under Trump from the data I have. It was increased substantially under Biden.
* I would love data on the rate of detentions at the border, but I suspect it is in the upper hundreds per day. I heard that we turn away about 800 people per day at the border. It's a risk, but not a very big one unless there is some factor that makes you high risk.
* I suspect that Trump is either pressuring ICE to increase border apprehensions or at least allowing dubious ones to go forward, unfortunately. That said, an airport only has so many cells. They still need a reason, even if it is quite flimsy.
* If I were a green card or visa holder and had no criminal past, no controversial social media presence, I'd still take the risk of traveling, but I'd be very cautious about following the rules on imports (no food, no cash, strictly in financial limits). Consider having the number of an immigration attorney.
* If I had even a minor criminal past, have travelled to countries considered problematic, are a journalist/activist, plan to stay out of the country for many months, or anything else that might make me high risk, I'd just cancel any optional travel.
https://immigrantjustice.org/research-items/policy-brief-sna...
* Border news and ICE detentions are a hot topic right now, so some of the stories you see were (unfortunately) business as usual. Border agents can be assholes.
* The number of people in ICE detention hasn't actually increased under Trump from the data I have. It was increased substantially under Biden.
* I would love data on the rate of detentions at the border, but I suspect it is in the upper hundreds per day. I heard that we turn away about 800 people per day at the border. It's a risk, but not a very big one unless there is some factor that makes you high risk.
* I suspect that Trump is either pressuring ICE to increase border apprehensions or at least allowing dubious ones to go forward, unfortunately. That said, an airport only has so many cells. They still need a reason, even if it is quite flimsy.
* If I were a green card or visa holder and had no criminal past, no controversial social media presence, I'd still take the risk of traveling, but I'd be very cautious about following the rules on imports (no food, no cash, strictly in financial limits). Consider having the number of an immigration attorney.
* If I had even a minor criminal past, have travelled to countries considered problematic, are a journalist/activist, plan to stay out of the country for many months, or anything else that might make me high risk, I'd just cancel any optional travel.
https://immigrantjustice.org/research-items/policy-brief-sna...
> * The number of people in ICE detention hasn't actually increased under Trump from the data I have. It was increased substantially under Biden.
For many people it's much more about predictability than anything else.
> no controversial social media presence
Well, what is controversial or not seems to change by the day. Is posting in support of LGBQT or DEI in general controversial? Nowadays it seems so. Some posts might be well in the past.
If you really need to travel I guess there are precautions you can and should take.
For many people it's much more about predictability than anything else.
> no controversial social media presence
Well, what is controversial or not seems to change by the day. Is posting in support of LGBQT or DEI in general controversial? Nowadays it seems so. Some posts might be well in the past.
If you really need to travel I guess there are precautions you can and should take.
I'm asking as I've put off work travel for the time being and know others that have done so, but I don't know if we're being alarmist.