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

[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

[mmusselwhite@tech.lgbt]

@aral As a Trans Brit - I immediately abandoned ALL plans to (eventually) visit the US for the "Neotropolis" LARP event purely because how awful it is there! It's just isn't worth my safety over, which is proven time and time again. /gen

[marisa@mastodon.scot]

@aral do. not. come. here.

[bucachowchow@mstdn.party]

@aral something I said previously may be of interest - I (and I presume other Americans like me) will presume that if you are a white personal visiting the US for pleasure (not business) going forward, you are perfectly fine with the fascism and racism. Yes I am judging.

[vedadalsette@mstdn.social]

@aral I live in the U.S. and I concur. Don't come to the U.S. if you don't want to risk being sent to a prisoner camp in El Salvador. Cuz the assholes running this country JUST DON'T CARE.

[janisf@mstdn.social]

@dcatoffm @aral Patches of CO, Eureka Springs, AR, Nashville, and probably Austin, TX. Lincoln, NE, too. Thank you for the reminder how beautiful our blue dots are.

Went to Lauren Bobert's district i n 2014. Just road tripping. It needs no ICE to be a hell hole. I've been in some dicey places. I have never gotten such a bad case of the creeps. The east strip from Denver to NE definitely registered, though.

[radio_alelopatia@kolektiva.social]

@aral As somebody that unfortunately lives in the US, don't come here. It is worse than the news reports.

[janisf@mstdn.social]

@aral I just watched a video about who should GTFO, GYST, or Eyes Peeled. This was for citizens and long-time residents who know the rules, and though the categories were kind of a joke, the gist wasn't. She's a lawyer, and she knows she'll be called out in very real ways if her data is wrong. I feel like a rabbit near the river... you know, where the hawks & eagles hang out.

Let's hope none of those travelers get a Darwin Award, eh?

[tofugolem@mastodon.social]

@aral
Dear world,
Stay the hell away from my country. We cannot guarantee your safety.

Cut off all economic ties with us. Our government is ruled by billionaires, and damaging our economy is the only thing they will respond to.

[mhowell@kolektiva.social]

@aral Another aspect is the proposed changes in policy for travellers to the U.S:

"If the proposed changes are adopted after the 60-day consultation, then millions of travellers to the U.S. will be forced to use a U.S. government mobile phone app, submit their social media from the last five years and email addresses used in the last ten years, including of family members. They’re also proposing the collection of DNA."

PI (Privacy International) linked to and summarized a Federal Register entry describing the proposed requirements:

-ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) applications will include ‘high value data fields’, ‘when feasible’
‘telephone numbers used in the last five years’
-‘email addresses used in the last ten years’
-‘family number telephone numbers (sic) used in the last five years’
-biometrics – face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris
-business telephone numbers used in the last five years
-business email addresses used in the last ten years.
-All visitors must submit ‘their social media from the last 5 years’

https://www.privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/5713/trump-administration-wants-your-dna-and-social-media

[nancylwayne@mastodon.social]

@tofugolem @aral I completely agree. The US is a dangerous place to visit. It’s also dangerous to live here with all the guns and near-daily mass shootings.

[jaystephens@mastodon.social]

@aral
You have to do some motivated reasoning to think it's OK in any way shape or form.
I just blew my $ budget and carbon budget to link up with US friends who were travelling overseas, coz I know this might be the last chance to see them.