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The Trump administration’s oppression of immigrants has a whole other group of people who are afraid to come to the US: Tourists.
Federal statistics show that overseas visitors to the US fell by 2.4 percent in February 2025, the first full month of Trump’s presidency, compared to the same time last year.
And some experts fear a permanent cold effect that can relocate US decades -long status as a pivotal point for both business trips and holidays.
“It’s already happening,” has a Canadian resident visiting California for the Game Developers Conference (GDC), who draws nearly 30,000 professionals from around the world, said The independent.
‘[My friend] Did not come because they were afraid. There is not a single person I know who does not waffle. Random people in my building told me to be careful … No one who pays attention will trust the US for another ten years. ‘
They just feel safe traveling to San Francisco, they added because they have double US citizenship.
Since Trump held office, there have been many stories of temporary visitors with innocent routes that have been imprisoned for days or weeks. Some had minor visa issues they would have seen normally. Others insisted that they did everything right and the victim of misunderstanding.
Jasmine Mooney, a 35-year-old Canadian actor and entrepreneur, was kept in custody for 12 days after simply submitting herself to the US border and asking for a new visa.
Rebecca Burke, a 28-year-old cartoon from Wales on a backpack trip on North America, was detained for three weeks for doing tasks in exchange for accommodation. Her father said she was led on the plane in chains “like Hannibal Lectter”.
Lucas Soulaff, 25, of Germany was hijacked for 16 days and detained while in Mexico and the US with his American fiancé, allegedly Because he answered a question incorrectly because of a language barrier.
Another German tourist, 29-year-old Jessica Brösche, was arrested for six weeks for planning to tattoo her American friend in exchange for some clothes, while a British punk orchestra was arrested in Los Angeles and was turned away for unclear reasons.
Therefore, the governments of Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and Finland all updated their travel advice for citizens visiting the US.
“I am here today to tell Canadians to avoid traveling to the United States, and to call on our government to stand up for our Canadian citizens who are denied their rights by arbitrary detention,” the Canadian MP Charlie Angus said last week.
The tourism economy in the operational research firm predicted a 5.1 percent drop in overseas travelers after 2025 as a whole, where it previously predicted an 8.8 percent increase.
Conference travelers canceled travel
The chance of arresting as a visitor still looks in absolute terms, and the real number of deportations this year seems to be little different from Joe Biden.
In addition, advocates of the rights of immigrants have long been criticized that ICE relations have been mysterious and arbitrary. It is not difficult to find similar stories from Biden and Trump’s conditions.
Nevertheless, the number and severity of these incidents appear to be something new, with officers who reportedly used more ‘aggressive’ tactics and people who were previously sent with a request to correct their paperwork.
Legal permanent residents have also been targeted, often apparently because of their political opinions or their attendance at protests. Some cases involved a worrying lack of proper process, with several people deported, despite court orders blocking its removal.
All of this has made many global travelers haunted – especially business travelers, creativities and academics attending industry conferences.
“I heard about the visit of the US, formally and informally, from scholars whose papers were accepted to the conference,” said media professor Aram Sinnreich, which helps organize the international communication -based meeting in Denver, Colorado. The independent.
‘At this point, I’m not sure how many presenters will choose not to attend – or, even worse, unable to attend due to restriction or detention by the US government.
“I do not believe that in a good conscience I can recommend that international scientists visit the US, because of the Trump administration’s widespread supervision and target of people he considers as critics, and the hateful and unconstitutional disregard for the right process, judicial power and the rule of law,” Sinnreich said.
Many non-American game developers supported the same way as a result of the visit to GDC due to safety fear, while others who attended felt scared and took extra precautions. It was the concern that Dutch-Egyptian game creator Rami Ismail created a spreadsheet to find participants and safely mark them for five out of 44 people to cancel their travels.
“You can no longer expect to travel to the US and return safely,” said Canadian developer Raphael van Lierop on LinkedIn. “This is especially true if you have supported any causes or have expressed any values that are contrary to the taste of the current administration.” Not all commentators agreed, while some accused him of being the real danger and exaggerating.
The comic book world was also shaken by the case of Rebecca Burke. “I will advise someone who does an American conference until things change … even if you get a visa,” a British writer with a high profile told comicon.com. Another said they would think twice about the visit to the US.
As a result, many attorneys advise their non-civil clients in the US against international travel. ‘[It’s] An extremely difficult problem to find out what kind of travel to allow, ‘Boston’s attorney Kathleen Campbell Walker said The Wall Street Journal.
A spokesman for the Department of Home Security said: “The Trump administration is enforcing immigration laws – something the previous administration has not done. Those who violate these laws will be processed, detained and removed as necessary.”
The US is meant to jointly host the Soccer World Cup in 2026 with Canada and Mexico. Both are now in a trade war with Trump, and continued problems on the border can deter some visitors.
If foreigners are permanently afraid to travel, study or work here, it would have major consequences for the US economy – especially the tourism industry. It would also change American culture, which was long formed by people who planned to visit temporarily and eventually put roots down.
“You may not even recognize it, but life in this country will never be the same if people come from abroad because they are not protected under the law,” said Ryan D Enos, director of Harvard University’s Center for American Political Studies.
Send an email to io.dodds@the-deependent.com If you have a story you want to share about how you or someone you know was treated at the US border
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