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I got a weight of my chest: I turned down an invitation to a math conference in the US and cancelled another I had already accepted. I know I'm probably overreacting, but I was worried about being deported since I've read many news stories about this happening to people with valid visas —including Europeans, so I don't like my chances as a brown Mexican! And even though I know it was unlikely to happen to me (it probably only happens to a small fraction of visitors), I'm happy to stop the nagging worry in the back of my mind. It's a shame: both events would have been great and I would have seen many American friends I don't get to see often.
in reply to Omar Antolín

Charlotte Aten
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Charlotte Aten
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For whatever it's worth, I'm American and I don't think you're overreacting. For similar reasons I'd only leave the US in the near future if I didn't intend to return. Flying here is a bit scary now, anyway.
in reply to Charlotte Aten

Niles Johnson
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Niles Johnson
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same thoughts here; this sucks, a lot, but I think I would do the same thing.
in reply to Niles Johnson

Dima Pasechnik 🇺🇦 🇳🇱
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Dima Pasechnik 🇺🇦 🇳🇱
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highly random stuff, indeed .. When we landed in Chicago in Oct last year, a border agent with a Ukrainian surname barely looked at our Dutch and Estonian passports, could not be bothered with H1-B paperwork, said "Welcome" with a warm smile, and waved us through...
Although I had been held for hours at US border before few times.
in reply to Dima Pasechnik 🇺🇦 🇳🇱

Omar Antolín
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Omar Antolín
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@dimpase @nilesjohnson @caten I've been lucky that I've never been held for hours. As a vaguely middle eastern looking person named Omar, suspiciously traveling with a Mexican passport, I have been made to speak Spanish by immigration officers. And sometimes their Spanish is poor enough that I don't quite understand what they're asking so I'm afraid it will seem like *I* don't speak Spanish. 😅 But this has never resulted in being denied entry or even detained for a while, fortunately.
@Niles Johnson @Charlotte Aten @Dima Pasechnik 🇺🇦 🇳🇱
in reply to Niles Johnson

Paul Cantrell
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Paul Cantrell
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@nilesjohnson @caten Another one chiming in. You are not overreacting at all. The US is in crisis. Please do not stick with business as usual when dealing with this country right now. Do not normalize. Do not shrug it away. Stay out. It’s radioactive.
@Niles Johnson @Charlotte Aten