Foreign visits into the U.S. fell off a cliff in March

Shift in Perception of US Travel

• Many non‑Americans say the US went from “dream trip” to “too risky and hostile,” despite still wanting to see national parks or cities.
• The “interesting, crazy” side of the US (architecture, landscapes, culture) is increasingly outweighed by “negative crazy” (guns, politics, border behavior).
• People mention canceling conferences, work trips, and family visits; others have stopped even considering the US while current policies last.

Detention Fears and Border Practices

• Central concern: stories of tourists with valid documents being detained for days or weeks over alleged visa violations, work exchange schemes, or assumed future rule‑breaking.
• Specific patterns discussed: solitary confinement, denial of consular access, body searches, confiscated phones, inability to contact family or lawyers, and long stays in ICE or contracted private facilities.
• Some argue even when paperwork is wrong, punishment should be paperwork (refusal and return flight), not carceral treatment and 10‑year bans.
• Others counter that many cases involve some legal issue (overstays, work on tourist visas, entering via Mexico), and that every country has broad powers at the border. Pushback: the US response is uniquely harsh, opaque, and now visibly politicized.

Comparisons to Other Regions and Historical Parallels

• Multiple commenters contrast US behavior with Europe: profiling and short detentions happen there too, but long, rights‑free confinement is seen as far rarer.
• Several explicitly liken current US trends (targeting minorities, ideological enforcement, travel advisories) to 1930s Germany; others caution against overreach but agree the direction is alarming.
• Some Americans highlight that certain US states are now “no‑go” even for domestic travelers with LGBT or nonconforming family members.

Economic, Political, and Climate Angles

• Drop in foreign arrivals is tied to: ICE/CBP stories, tariffs, annexation rhetoric toward allies, wider sense the US is “actively trying to hurt” partners.
• Canadians and Europeans mention boycotting US products, tourism, and conferences as both self‑protection and political pressure.
• A few note side effects: reduced US‑bound flights, potential brain drain to Europe, and modest climate benefits that may be offset by re‑routing travel elsewhere.

Data, Risk Perception, and Media

• Some discuss better government datasets and averaging methods, but note they lag; others ask for longer baselines and separation of tourists vs migrants.
• A recurring theme: statistically small risk but qualitatively unacceptable outcomes (weeks in a US or Salvadoran prison). Analogies are made to school shootings or faulty self‑driving cars: rare but enough to change behavior.
• There’s debate over how much is real trend vs media amplification, but most agree the perceived risk has already become a powerful deterrent.