'A hostile state': Why some travellers are avoiding the US

Airport security, border checks, and arbitrary detention

• Several commenters avoid the US entirely, even for transit, citing unique “security theater” (shoe removal, intrusive TSA) and US-controlled preclearance abroad.
• Strong fear of arbitrary detention, deportation, or being “disappeared” by immigration authorities, even for tourists with valid plans.
• Examples discussed include: a German tattoo artist detained over work tools, a French visitor allegedly turned back for anti‑Trump messages, and people being “shipped” to El Salvador “by mistake” with dubious prospects of return.
• Some explicitly compare current practices to authoritarian precedents (“Night and Fog”, “1938/1939 Germany”, “1984”).

Domestic conditions vs personal safety

• One side stresses high US crime, poverty, and incarceration as reasons they would not visit, likening the US to Brazil or Turkmenistan.
• Others argue that comparing the US to Brazil or South Africa on violence is misleading; major US cities (e.g., NYC, Boston) are described as feeling safer than some Global South cities, though homelessness and visible inequality in places like San Francisco are seen as shocking given US wealth.
• There is debate over whether macro factors (education, poverty, guns) matter to a short‑term visitor versus specific local conditions.

Political climate and quasi‑authoritarian fears

• Many comments frame the US as sliding into “quasi‑fascism” or Christian nationalism and say they will not risk visiting while this administration is in power.
• Discussion of family separation at the border and “lost” children reinforces perceptions of cruelty and impunity.
• Speculation about Trump seeking a third term via legal maneuvers (e.g., VP route) is met with both alarm and legal counter‑arguments that this is mostly political theater.

Canada, tariffs, and changing travel patterns

• Canadians report boycotting Burning Man and US trips, citing the tariff war and hostile rhetoric (“annexation”, questioning Canada’s legitimacy).
• Linked data about a steep drop in Canada–US flight bookings is used to support claims of a broader travel collapse.
• Some suggest other factors (Burning Man’s scale, past logistical chaos) also matter, but tariffs and politics are seen as primary motivators now.

Digital privacy and corporate precautions

• Multiple commenters worry about device searches: border agents can compel unlocks, copy data, and review social media, with refusal leading to denial of entry and bans.
• Advice includes traveling with “burner” devices, using password managers’ travel modes, and generally stripping devices of sensitive or client data.
• Even employees of large US companies report corporate guidance to minimize data carried across US borders, seen as a liability issue.

Economic and soft-power implications

• Some argue fewer tourists and skilled migrants will hurt the US economy and diminish funding for public services; others think direct impact on “farmers and blue‑collar workers” is marginal or not perceived.
• There is concern about the US losing its long‑standing soft power as people deliberately choose alternative destinations (China, New Zealand, other Disney parks) and disengage from US culture and travel.