# Thoughts on Visiting the US **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** vacation-travel\ **Created:** [April 18, 2025, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194 "2025-04-18T23:15:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/1 "2025-04-18T23:15:22Z")
My wife and I, in the process of looking for a new car, spent a few hours with a young salesperson who had immigrated to Canada from Syria several years ago. She was mentioning that in a few weeks she will be going to Vegas or LA (I can’t remember which) for a friend’s bachelorette party. She’s young, probably not a Doper so not as well informed as she should be, and doesn’t seem to see the potential seriousness of things in the US. Now I am a white, Anglo-Saxon, about as privileged as one can be, and there’s no bloody way I would cross the border these days. Our sales person is slightly darker skinned and has an Arabic sounding name. Do you folks think that she is taking a big risk with this? ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/2 "2025-04-18T23:17:57Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > Do you folks think that she is taking a big risk with this? Probably not, but it would send an important message if she refused to go. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/3 "2025-04-18T23:18:56Z")
A big risk? Probably not. A non-zero risk that wouldn’t have existed a year ago? Definitely. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/4 "2025-04-18T23:20:07Z")
It’s now a non-zero risk, IMO, which of course is a very large change from five months ago, where it should have been routine as hell, with essentially no risk whatsoever. Alas, it probably also matters if the Canadian in question looks white, has a non-ethnic-sounding name, was born in Canada (as opposed to some country that the current administration finds suspicious), has no known criminal record, etc. FTR, my wife is currently scheduled to go on an Alaska cruise in June with some friends; as is usually the case in these cruises (due to U.S. laws about passenger ships), the cruise departs and returns through Vancouver, BC. She and her traveling party are all 60-something white people, U.S. born, with no criminal history, but nonetheless, they are all growing increasingly nervous about this. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/5 "2025-04-18T23:28:09Z")
Absolutely she’s at risk. > **[US citizen detained after visiting Canada: "Treated like a criminal"](https://www.newsweek.com/us-citizen-detained-canada-criminal-2060280)** > > Bachir Atallah and his wife, Jessica Fakhri, say they were stopped by CBP in Vermont on Sunday while returning from a brief family trip. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/6 "2025-04-18T23:32:08Z")
Definitely at risk. I would urge her not to go. The consequences of a bad decision are too awful to contemplate. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/7 "2025-04-18T23:34:27Z")
The rewards do not seem to outweigh the risks in this case. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/8 "2025-04-18T23:37:58Z")
I would definitely urge her not to go. Bad enough that there’s more risk than there was a year ago - but now we also know they don’t feel obligated to fix mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/9 "2025-04-18T23:42:47Z")
@Smapti nailed it. The problem here is that risk is the product of likelihood and severity. The likelihood is still down in the one-in-a-mllion range. Which is a sea change from true zero pre-trump, but is still a very, very small number. The problem is the severity is life-altering. OTOH, if an evil regime can get a million people to cower by threatening just one, they’ll take that bargain every time. And we’ll all live on a prison planet. The land of the brave won’t survive by everyone being afraid of being that 1 in a million. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/10 "2025-04-19T00:11:22Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > Do you folks think that she is taking a big risk with this? One thing that limits the risk for her is if she is flying from a preclearance airport like Montreal. Since she is still physically in Canada, the worst that they can do is refuse her entry. US CBP has no right to detain and must hand the person to Canadian law enforcement. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/11 "2025-04-19T00:14:34Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > if she is flying from a preclearance airport like Montreal. Since she is still physically in Canada, the worst that they can do is refuse her entry That is an excellent point. I’ll pass that on to her. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/12 "2025-04-19T01:12:41Z")
Aren’t there instances of people who have been in the US on a seemingly appropriate visa who have been detained for some time when they try to leave, on the basis of an allegation they have breached their visa while in the US? I don’t think this solves all the problems. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/13 "2025-04-19T01:15:41Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > … probably not a Doper so not as well informed as she should be, I assume you’ve just phrased this clumsily or are joking because while I know we are an intellectually arrogant lot, damn this is taking it to a whole new level! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/14 "2025-04-19T01:18:28Z")
In my opinion this person would be perfectly fine. Don’t carry anything sketchy. They’ll be fine. There are way worse places people go to all the time. Follow your own countrys travel guidelines. It will be ok. We’re not monsters. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/15 "2025-04-19T01:18:40Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Aren’t there instances of people who have been in the US on a seemingly appropriate visa who have been detained for some time when they try to leave, on the basis of an allegation they have breached their visa while in the US? That’s why I said it limits her risk, it does not eliminate it. The vast majority of interactions with CBP/ICE for a traveller are at the Port of Entry. The Lebanese American posted up thread was stopped returning to the US, the Canadian that was detained was at the southern border. The odds of a random tourist being picked up on the Strip in Vegas are vanishingly low. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/16 "2025-04-19T01:26:17Z")
What exactly is her legal status in Canada? Is she now a Canadian citizen? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/17 "2025-04-19T01:29:12Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > The odds of a random tourist being picked up on the Strip in Vegas are vanishingly low. Not the point - > **[I was a British tourist trying to leave America. Then I was detained,...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/05/i-was-a-british-tourist-trying-to-leave-america-then-i-was-detained-shackled-and-sent-to-an-immigration-detention-centre)** > > Graphic artist Rebecca Burke was on the trip of a lifetime. But as she tried to leave the US she was stopped, interrogated and branded an illegal alien by ICE. Now back home, she tells others thinking of going to Trump’s America: don’t do it This is an example of a British tourist being detained for an extended period while trying to leave. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/18 "2025-04-19T01:34:20Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > What exactly is her legal status in Canada? Is she now a Canadian citizen? I don’t know, tbh. > [@Princhester](#): > > I assume you’ve just phrased this clumsily or are joking because while I know we are an intellectually arrogant lot, damn this is taking it to a whole new level! We’ll, I just read that Canadian gen z are probably leaning towards Poilievre because of their concerns about entering the housing market (in their early 20s), apparently unconcerned about the Trump threat to Canada. Also, the individual I’m talking about is young and seemingly unconcerned about what’s going on. And, notwithstanding arrogance or the lack thereof, my guess is that we, here, are generally news junkies and critical thinkers, for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/19 "2025-04-19T01:37:32Z")
Huh, so you are doubling down on the “people who are not Dopers are not as well informed as they should be” idea. You maybe need to get out and smell the roses. This is a small messageboard. 99.9% of well informed people in the world have never heard of this place. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194/20 "2025-04-19T01:39:01Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > This is an example of a British tourist being detained for an extended period while trying to leave. Exactly. And in one of her detentions, she met a Romanian tourist to Canada who strayed across the border at Peace Arch Provincial Park. All the US officials had to do was send her back to Canada and her husband, who she was vacationing with. Instead they sucked her into the US detention system for several weeks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-visiting-the-us/1017194.md?page=2)