Resistance Media

05/25/2025

Out of Harm’s Way: Relocation and Exile

Amid the chaos and uncertainty permeating growing aspects of life in America, for more and more citizens, safety is of increasing concern.

For immigrants, documented and undocumented, the threat is immediate and very real. Those holding valid visas and green cards are being forcefully removed— illegally detained and deported or worse, disappeared and sent to prison camps outside of the US. They are denied due process and publicly demonized by administration officials.

Members of the transgender community are being targeted by both red state lawmakers and the federal government—denied gender-affirming healthcare, facing new laws curtailing their rights and facing harassment and violence.

Women seeking reproductive health care, family planning and abortion are increasingly being targeted by red states, in some cases being charged criminally for seeking out such care. Surveillance of women is increasing.

Universities, seeing critical federal grants being withheld, are being pressured to drop DEI policies, adopt new draconian rules to suppress future protests and to submit to hiring and curriculum audits to root out “Marxist” bias. This is setting the stage for the criminalization of dissent, not just on college campuses but more broadly in the streets.

Trans, LGBTQIA+, documented and undocumented immigrants, birth right citizens, African Americans, women, activists, whistleblowers and journalists are all being systematically dehumanized and targeted. In the months ahead, growing numbers of these marginalized and vulnerable communities may consider relocation to a safer, more secure location.

Balkanization

Every state in the union is both “red” and “blue.” As this repression has intensified, America is already experiencing a soft balkanization. This has become most evident in southern states such as Florida and Texas which have been transformed into laboratories of autocracy, attracting and repelling citizens as a result.

Depending on deteriorating circumstances, the country could see significant population shifts as people seek out increased security and shared values. Those who have the financial ability may choose to move to a red state or a blue state. But the fragmentation could be much more complicated—there are rural red territories in blue states. There are blue cities in red states. There are even red & blue neighborhoods within many cities.

One real-time example of this strategy has already appeared—The Trans Continental Pipeline (TCP), a grassroots mutual aid network turned nonprofit based in Denver CO. TCP provides resources to help LGBTQIA+ individuals move from unsafe situations and political climates to the Trans friendly state of Colorado.

Cities and states are facing federal pressure regarding immigration enforcement. The sustainability of sanctuary cities is very much in question as a result of new federal lawsuits and threats, potentially closing off the option of safe refuge by relocating to areas with policies protective of immigrant communities including non-cooperation with ICE. 

Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” contains a dramatic 365% increase in funding for ICE as part of a massive $150 billion immigration enforcement package that would supercharge federal detention and deportation capacities. 

Staying in Place

Options for relocation, however, are fundamentally class-based. For a great many Americans, especially those most vulnerable, relocation is not an option—they simply do not have the means to move. In this case, building community on a grassroots level, neighbor by neighbor, block by block, is a powerful solution for increased security and building an effective resistance.

Community’s organized around sustainability, resilience and mutual aid will be best positioned to safeguard targeted individuals and groups.

Exile: Canada

Proximity, combined with a long and porous border, make entering Canada potentially the most practical option for those seeking refuge outside the US.

If the Trump administration were to invoke the Insurrection Act, Canada could face uncontrolled migration of US citizens. Such a situation would render the country’s current policies that deny Americans refugee and political asylum status moot. Such a massive influx (legal and underground) and the chaos and disruption that would certainly follow, would further destabilize US-Canadian relations and catalyze a domestic crisis in both countries.

The country’s recent history of accepting political asylum refugees from around the world is encouraging. Canada, it is said, is a beautiful mosaic of diverse peoples and cultures, as opposed to the “melting pot” of the United States. Many Vietnam era war resisters entered the country in the 60’s and 70’s. Many stayed and enriched their host country in numerous ways even after they were eventually granted amnesty by President Jimmy Carter. 

On the other hand, America is still considered a safe country by global standards and refugee claims by US citizens to Canada are not welcomed. Since 2013, zero cases of political asylum by US citizens have been accepted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Circumstances have quickly and dramatically changed with Trump’s recent rhetorical attacks on Canada and his repeated assertion that it should become “the 51st state.” With the imposition of punitive tariffs and the results of the federal elections, the US/Canadian relationship is now complex, tense and unpredictable. 

Under these conditions, Canada’s immigration policy and its stance on political asylum is difficult to anticipate. Many forms of pressure could be applied by a Trump administration seeking to target their “enemies” and control the flow of US citizens. In America, the militarization of the northern border is well within the scope of Project 2025. Canada is already committing substantial resources to strengthen control of its border. 

While historically it has been extraordinarily difficult for the U.S. government to strip an American of citizenship, it’s very easy for the Secretary of State to cancel a passport. Without a valid passport, it’s effectively impossible for an American to legally enter another country or to obtain a foreign work permit or residence.

According to Amnesty international, “The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the United States bars most people crossing into Canada via the United States from seeking refugee protection in Canada, and vice versa. The agreement has forced individuals to attempt dangerous border crossings and has pushed people underground in order to seek safety. As the United States becomes increasingly unsafe for asylum seekers, the Canadian government must withdraw from the agreement immediately.”

Canada does have a vibrant civil society sector with several groups working around the issues of immigration, asylum and human rights. Most have little experience working with American citizens.

Crisis Planning

The Trump administration is challenging the courts and the constitution by detaining, deporting and in some cases disappearing documented and undocumented immigrants and American citizens alike.

Local communities are fighting back. Citizens have prepared in advance for ICE raids, setting up a rapid response system that includes text chains, a network that can be mobilized quickly and lawyers on call to prevent those detained from being removed from the state or country. Recent success stories out of Vermont and New York State are encouraging, with those detained ultimately being released.

Erik Prince, former CEO of the criminal mercenary paramilitary outfit Blackwater, and a group of defense contractors are pitching the Trump administration to employ their private, for-profit mercenary company to dramatically expand the program by rounding up hundred of thousands of targeted individuals and placing them in domestic camps. If, in violation of court orders, the administration does proceed with the detention of the millions of targeted individuals identified in Project 2025, the level of fear and chaos will be extraordinary.

If the broader national landscape includes the Insurrection Act and/or Martial Law, then US military personnel could be deployed to US cities, with militia members deputized by MAGA constitutional sheriffs, “assisting” in identifying and detaining “suspects.” Deputized armed vigilantes are currently active along the southern border. 

Facing this level of repression, it is not difficult to imagine that members of vulnerable, targeted communities, including journalists, may be subjected to harassment, threats and violent acts.  

Under such circumstances, it would be necessary for grassroots structures to form to facilitate the safe movement of targeted people and provide support of various kinds. Such underground networks could be fashioned around the concepts of mutual aid and come together in informal, organic ways. Such a network could be horizontally organized and guided by continually shifting participants and assets, allowing for adaptability and fluid responses to dynamic conditions. One network may not be aware of others doing similar work.

There is a powerful historical precedent for such a network in American history: the Underground Railroad of the 1800’s. It was a clandestine, grassroots operation driven by a secret network of citizens—escaped slaves (passengers) were guided north by “conductors,” being given refuge along the way in homes, buildings and churches (“stations”) and provided food and shelter.

Canada often played a key role in the Railroad as the ultimate destination, as the Fugitive Slave Act legally allowed formerly enslaved people to be captured, even in so-called free states, and returned to the South and bondage. It was the courage and moral grounding of this network, organized by ordinary citizens, that saved so many lives and was a powerful force in building the abolitionist movement of the day. 

Beyond Canada

The world has never seen the phenomenon of US citizens fleeing their own country in desperate attempts to avoid incarceration, human rights abuses and possible state or vigilante violence. Such a development could lead to a extraordinary worldwide American diaspora, as those able to seek refuge do so. 

With the Mexican border now heavily militarized, legal movement between the two countries may become increasingly constrained. Nevertheless, because of proximity, Mexico would likely be viewed by many as a desirable and practical relocation destination.

Safety varies widely between various Mexican states. Such cities as San Miguel de Allende, Lake Chapala, Oaxaca and Mexico City are safe and have well established expat communities. On the other hand, heavily armed members of criminal groups often patrol areas and operate with impunity in some states, particularly along the northern border region. Violent crime such as homicide, carjacking, kidnapping and robbery is widespread in those areas.

In Central and South America Costa Rica and Uruguay are both socially progressive, safe and have relatively welcoming long-term or permanent residency requirements.

Around the world, other country’s immigration policies vary widely but in many cases are designed to encourage the wealthy or the highly skilled workers a nation is in need of.

With its advanced, western economies, social democratic policies and commitment to democracy, Europe is likely to be a strong draw for those with the means to relocate. Current immigration and asylum polices could change in unpredictable ways as the American Experiment’s crisis deepens.

Immigration is clearly a hot-button issue in countries around the globe. In Europe far-right parties are leveraging unemployment, housing and crime concerns to grow their base by fanning anti-immigrant sentiment. Many North American immigrants in Europe are wealthy, retirees, digital nomads on temporary work permits or those who were able to establish ancestral history.

Based on such factors as ease of residency, asylum friendliness, quality of life, health care and political climate, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Norway could be considered most open to US citizens seeking safety.

 Spain has been a relatively welcoming destination for immigrants, but that is changing. In January its government put forward a 12-point plan to strengthen the right to housing in response to a severe housing crisis. Calling for the construction of more public housing, the plan proposed measures such as higher taxes on holiday rentals, with tax breaks and protections for landlords who provide affordable housing. The plan also includes a proposal to impose a tax of up to 100 percent on the value of homes bought by non-EU citizens, putting a further check on wealthy overseas nationals investing in Spain. 

Portugal, one of the most welcoming countries in Europe, is facing a similar challenge of lack of affordable housing for its citizens. So far it has tightened requirements for its “Golden Visa” (used by the wealthy), tightened tax breaks offered to new immigrants and strengthened regulations around holiday rentals. It has well-established expat communities, public and private health care systems and English is spoken widely in urban and tourist oriented regions.  

Several African countries are welcoming to immigrants and offer stable governance, activist or political safety, LGBTQ+ safety and good visa pathways. These include Ghana, Mauritius and Namibia. 

Many countries in Asia, while affordable, have varying degrees of military control or influence, limited free speech and public corruption. New Zealand, Australia and Japan have strong democratic systems but have relatively strict visa requirements.