I Canceled My Plans to Visit the US; As a European, I Don’t Feel Safe

I’m based in the UK, but I’ve visited the United States three times in my life.

When my kids were small, I brought them to Florida for a once-in-a-lifetime trip exploring the state. On my family’s second visit to the US, we headed to Texas after a cruise, stopping by the Houston Zoo and having the best Tex-Mex food I’ve ever eaten.

On my third, my partner and I spent a few days in Boston. Although it rained the whole time, we had a blast visiting coffee shops and enjoying the city’s waterfront views.

As a European, I always felt welcome in the country and never worried about my visits beyond the usual travel inconveniences like long flights and tiredness.

However, this year, my concerns about visiting the US have increased — so much so that I called off my travel plans to see Niagara Falls in New York this summer.

Recent headlines have me worried about crossing the border

Following the Trump administration’s orders to increase national security, I’ve seen more stories about travelers facing scrutiny at the US border and even having their devices searched by US Customs and Border Protection officers.

One headline-making incident involved a French researcher who was denied entry to the US in March after his phone was searched.

French officials said officers found the researcher’s opinions about the Trump administration on his phone. The US later denied his removal was based on political beliefs — but this incident gave me pause.

Although these device searches have been legal for a long time and are still considered relatively rare, recent incidents like these set off my internal alarm bells.

When I shared my concerns with American friends, they advised me not to say that I’m a writer at the border and to pack a “burner phone” with me instead of my real one if I visit the US. (Folks in online travel forums and even Canadian immigration lawyers have suggested using “burner phones” while traveling to the US, too.)

I’ve also been reading about a number of tourists visiting the US who have been detained in the past few months.

One British tourist was detained for 19 days at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center after trying to go from Canada to the US in February.

She said she was traveling on a tourist visa and staying with a host family in return for doing chores. She told the BBC that even though she was not paid, she was told she violated her visa.

Regardless of whether that tourist had legitimate visa violations or paperwork issues, I don’t want to worry that one small mix-up could get me sent to a detention center in the US.

Attitudes and guidelines seem to constantly be shifting

For now, my plans to travel to the US with or without my partner are on pause.

I’m not the only person reconsidering travel to the US, especially considering that flight bookings from Canada and Europe to the US have dipped in the past few months.

The UK, along with numerous other countries like Canada, Finland, France, Germany, and Portugal, has also issued travel warnings to its citizens who are considering visiting the US.

Right now, the future just seems so uncertain. If I were to visit the US a few weeks from now (as I’d originally planned) I don’t feel confident I would be allowed into the country or that I wouldn’t be detained over a small error or misstep.

If I did enter without issue, I’m not sure what the political situation or atmosphere regarding Europeans might be even just a few weeks from now. After all, in the UK, we’ve heard frequent reports about the ever-changing political landscape in the US.

I’m also worried after President Donald Trump’s anti-Europe sentiments, repeated statements about wanting to make Canada the 51st state, and comments about taking Greenland from Denmark.

As an anxious person, all these changes and feelings of instability make me worry I won’t feel welcome in the US. I know so many foreigners visit on a daily basis without any issues, and I could be completely fine on my trip, but I’d feel too stressed to enjoy it.

I look forward to a time when I’ll feel comfortable going back to the US, maybe once relations between Europe and America feel less strained.

For now, this year, I’m planning to visit Italy instead.