I’m actually shocked that folks I speak to here in Ireland are still planning holidays in the USA.

[ronanmcd@mastodon.green]

@aral yeah, I saw an article last week that student j1 visas were at the same rate as usual. These people are fucking mad. Sending their kids to fascist state

[ogjester@stranger.social]

@aral If you have friends thaa ast you care about outside the U.S. - as I do - please, please talk with them about not coming here. IT IS NOT SAFE. If there’s even a chance of ending up in one of our nightmare concentration camps, it isn’t worth the risk!

[johnelalamo@mcr.wtf]

@OGjester @aral Don’t worry !

[fkamiah17@syzito.xyz]

@aral RTÉ 1 had an interview with him.

[mast0d0nphan@beige.party]

@aral Sadly, people who aren't paying attention or aren't willing to drop their pride for even a second are the ones making the decision to vacay in a fascist country.

[aapis@mastodon.world]

@aral @fkamiah17 some people have to learn everything the hard way ‍️

[beisbolcards@mastodon.world]

@aral I've seen quite a few people shrug it off with a "they've always been like that", not realizing why it's different this time around.

[peachfront@toot.community]

@aral

they're thinking that the dollar is in collapse & they will get a cheap vacation but i would not advise people to visit at this time, you are not helping us by providing money / tourism dollars / business to this administration & make no mistake, money spent here now is not going to regular people, it's going to a few bribe-takers & authoritarians

[joaquim_satolep@bolha.us]

@aral
The country where I was born still has many problems, but it is a free democracy
(we almost lost it a few years ago to a fascist government >> Bolsonaro).
We are a large repository of various ethnic groups that migrated here at some point in history, mainly Europeans.
My ancestors are swedish
who mixed with other ethnic groups.
We welcome tourists from all over the world,
as well as refugees.
Perhaps we should show solidarity with each other, to see if it works.

https://paydayreport.com/brazilian-federal-police-detain-melk-but-release-him-after-lecture-on-immigration-policies/

[gigi@kolektiva.social]

@aral

It's paywalled to shit, but at least I could grab a screenshot before the overlay kicks in.

[revolt_agent@mastodon.social]

Personal sovereignty isn't just about code; it's about our physical and financial metabolism. Every cent and every byte sent into captured territories feeds the very infrastructure that enclosures us. Tourism is often the soft power layer of extraction we forget to patch.

[npars01@mstdn.social]

@aral

Tourists are operating under the assumption that their consulates will fund a legal defense to retrieve them from ICE detention.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/lawyers-allege-dept-homeland-security-denying-legal-counsel/story?id=129335914

They won't, the individual is responsible for paying their lawyers, if they're permitted to get one.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/alligator-alcatraz-detainees-held-without-charges-barred-from-legal-access-attorneys-say

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-deportation-detention-true-costs/

Secondly, people are underestimating their fortitude as they pick vegetables for Walmart & Target in 104 degree heat.
https://apnews.com/article/prison-to-plate-inmate-labor-investigation-c6f0eb4747963283316e494eadf08c4e

1/

[npars01@mstdn.social]

2/

Detainees are prospective slaves, in corrupt convict leasing schemes.
https://truthout.org/articles/major-brands-like-mcdonalds-kroger-and-coca-cola-linked-to-forced-prison-labor/

Feel like working at McDonald's for free for years while your case winds its way through the courts?
https://inthesetimes.com/article/alabama-slavery-prison-labor-incarcerated-company-exploit-capitalism-lawsuit

https://jacobin.com/2024/09/alabama-convict-labor-fast-food

https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/mcdonalds-kfc-burger-king-wendys-convict-leasing-suit-in-alabama/702375/

CoreCivic & Geo Corp paid a lot in bribes... ahem... campaign finance to get their slave labor concentration camps.
https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/private-prison-behemoth-is-first-corporation-to-max-out-to-trump/

https://theintercept.com/2025/07/10/corecivic-trump-big-beautiful-bill/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/14/trump-administration-epa-prison-company-donations

[bkbarham@social.vivaldi.net]

@PatrickoftheG Don’t come here unless you are white and Christian. We are a fascist country now. It’s horrible

[yoshi@toot.community]

@aral And, when they're detained by ICEholes they'll whine, "I didn't know it was THAT bad!" Trust us, it's THAT bad. You might as well take a vacay in Gaza.

[anniebuddy@mstdn.ca]

@aral

The Americans have been sending the "DO NOT COME HERE" message loud and clear, but still people don't think they mean them.

Privilege is a dangerous thing in the hands of fools.

[irenetherogue@beige.party]

@aral as a resident of a famous international tourist destination (Santa Cruz, CA)

Do not fkn come here

The beaches/surf are not worth your support of corporate totalitarianism
None of your money goes to locals

Do not fkn come here

[dcatoffm@mastodon.social]

@aral

What you have to realize is ICE has what amounts to a no constitution zone anywhere within a hundred miles of an international border, including coastlines; they need no reason to stop you in here. This affects all of FL, MS, Louisiana, and NJ, petty much all of New England, most of CA, OR, and WA, NY (all of NYC), MI, WI, PA, large chunks of every other border state north and south.. basically about half the land mass and 9/10's the population.

I suppose Colorado is still okay to visit.

[clickhere@mastodon.ie]

@aral I saw a poster ad for USIT on the bus on Sunday, extolling the joys of student summer visas (J1, etc.) in the USA.

Couldn't fucking believe it.

#MastoDaoine #FuckICE

[processparsnip@mastodon.ie]

@dcatoffm this bit. I think a lot of people internationally don't understand that it's not just a matter of making it through customs in and out.

@aral