4 ms·

I am a US citizen living in Portugal. I have the right to go to the US, live there, etc. I recently went back for a funeral, and I had to spend a moment remind

I am a US citizen living in Portugal. I have the right to go to the US, live there, etc. I recently went back for a funeral, and I had to spend a moment reminding myself that it would be fine for me. For people who don't have my passport, I wouldn't feel comfortable telling them "it will be fine", though I would still tell a European "the odds of a problem are relatively low." But I couldn't in all honesty say "there's nothing to worry about."

Joeri 7mo ago
I’ve read some horror stories already that are enough for me to decide that I will not go to the U.S. until sanity returns. Here is one: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/21/karen-newton-valid-visa-detained-ice https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/21/karen-newton...
mothballed 7mo ago
Being a USC is no assurance, I've sat in immigration jail cuffed and legs bound where every other person but me was brown and spoke another language. It is rather bizarre when it happens because none of them empathize with you because at the end of the day you know you have the right to enter and they are just fucking with you out of sadism, while for the others they are wondering if they'll be deported. Although generally after a shift or two they forget why they were fucking with you and you get released.
s_dev 7mo ago
I have a US passport. I'm avoiding the US. ICE has already openly killed US passport holders. My Irish accent could get me in trouble or create a misunderstanding. Why risk anything like that?
pjmlp 7mo ago
Just this week we had yet again someone in German TV telling their pleasure to be put into jail and sent back to Germany, due to her tatoos. Unfortunely my home country has too many fanboys of older times, aka Chega, so I hope you still manage a good time there.
butILoveLife 7mo ago
Probabilistically speaking, the entire thing is fine. But seeing my engineer freak out about flying in a plane, despite passing Diff Eq and knowing the probability of a crash... Feelings/emotions do matter. This is why populist demagogues win elections... ugh...
throw0101d 7mo ago
> I recently went back for a funeral, and I had to spend a moment reminding myself that it would be fine for me. Your passport does not matter, the colour of your skin does: "US citizens jailed in LA Ice raids speak out: ‘They came ready to attack’": * https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/us-citizens-jailed-ice-los-angeles https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/us-citizens-... "A U.S. citizen says ICE forced open the door to his Minnesota home and removed him in his underwear after a warrantless search" * https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-u-s-citizen-says-ice-forced-open-the-door-to-his-minnesota-home-and-removed-him-in-his-underwear-after-a-warrantless-search https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-u-s-citizen-says-ice-f... * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kavanaugh_stop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kavanaugh_stop
- forinti 7mo ago
  This reminds me of an incident with a friend of mine. He flew to the US and entered through Texas. He is white with blond hair and he was wearing a t-shirt very reminiscent of the Confederate flag. A security guard picked up his bag from the carousel, handed it to him, and very emphatically said "Welcome home, sir!".
  - mixmastamyk 7mo ago
    How would a guard know who a bag belongs to?
    - forinti 7mo ago
      It must have been the x-ray conveyer belt, not the carousel.
      - staticman2 7mo ago
        Pretty sure you don't go through an x-ray conveyor belt when you exit a plane. I think something was lost in the telling. I could see a kiosk worker saying this or similar.
ncr100 7mo ago
Our president is abusive, he hired other abusers ("stephen miller", etc), and they are spreading abuse. I WISH governments would be for the people and not for the powerful who can buy "justice" .. for themselves.

Joeri 7mo ago

I’ve read some horror stories already that are enough for me to decide that I will not go to the U.S. until sanity returns. Here is one: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/21/karen-newton-valid-visa-detained-ice https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/21/karen-newton...

mothballed 7mo ago

Being a USC is no assurance, I've sat in immigration jail cuffed and legs bound where every other person but me was brown and spoke another language. It is rather bizarre when it happens because none of them empathize with you because at the end of the day you know you have the right to enter and they are just fucking with you out of sadism, while for the others they are wondering if they'll be deported. Although generally after a shift or two they forget why they were fucking with you and you get released.

s_dev 7mo ago

I have a US passport. I'm avoiding the US. ICE has already openly killed US passport holders. My Irish accent could get me in trouble or create a misunderstanding. Why risk anything like that?

pjmlp 7mo ago

Just this week we had yet again someone in German TV telling their pleasure to be put into jail and sent back to Germany, due to her tatoos. Unfortunely my home country has too many fanboys of older times, aka Chega, so I hope you still manage a good time there.

butILoveLife 7mo ago

Probabilistically speaking, the entire thing is fine. But seeing my engineer freak out about flying in a plane, despite passing Diff Eq and knowing the probability of a crash... Feelings/emotions do matter. This is why populist demagogues win elections... ugh...

throw0101d 7mo ago

> I recently went back for a funeral, and I had to spend a moment reminding myself that it would be fine for me. Your passport does not matter, the colour of your skin does: "US citizens jailed in LA Ice raids speak out: ‘They came ready to attack’": * https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/us-citizens-jailed-ice-los-angeles https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/us-citizens-... "A U.S. citizen says ICE forced open the door to his Minnesota home and removed him in his underwear after a warrantless search" * https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-u-s-citizen-says-ice-forced-open-the-door-to-his-minnesota-home-and-removed-him-in-his-underwear-after-a-warrantless-search https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-u-s-citizen-says-ice-f... * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kavanaugh_stop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kavanaugh_stop

forinti 7mo ago
This reminds me of an incident with a friend of mine. He flew to the US and entered through Texas. He is white with blond hair and he was wearing a t-shirt very reminiscent of the Confederate flag. A security guard picked up his bag from the carousel, handed it to him, and very emphatically said "Welcome home, sir!".
- mixmastamyk 7mo ago
  How would a guard know who a bag belongs to?
  - forinti 7mo ago
    It must have been the x-ray conveyer belt, not the carousel.
    - staticman2 7mo ago
      Pretty sure you don't go through an x-ray conveyor belt when you exit a plane. I think something was lost in the telling. I could see a kiosk worker saying this or similar.

ncr100 7mo ago

Our president is abusive, he hired other abusers ("stephen miller", etc), and they are spreading abuse. I WISH governments would be for the people and not for the powerful who can buy "justice" .. for themselves.