In late 2016, I returned from a trip to Myrtle Beach with some exciting news. One of my clients was just about to launch an indie travel agency, and hired me to do their PR work in exchange for travel perks and shares in the company.
By January, I had put together the 5 Travel Destinations on my 2017 List. That post became – and still is – my most popular for 2017.
Through the post, I’ve received priceless advice from locals and fellow travelers, and heard your stories of where you’ve been and where your 2017 travel plans will take you.
Executive Orders
Then, just one week after my post was published, the U.S. President issued an executive order on immigration, which banned the entry and re-entry of immigrants from all over the world.
Ever the vigilant ones, my family and I had a brief five minute meeting; at the end of which we cancelled all our international travel plans for 2017. This included a cruise, and a trip back home to Jamaica.
The nationalities the ban applied to were not disclosed at that time. We weren’t taking any chances.
But Who?
After much confusion at airports and borders, the Department of Homeland Security issued a fact sheet specifying the countries affected as:
- Iraq
- Syria
- Sudan
- Iran
- Somalia
- Libya
- Yemen
My family and I were not convinced it would only affect those countries and only Muslims. So we held to our decision to keep our travel plans inside America, at least for the rest of the year.
Jamaica Issues Warnings
On January 31, 2017, on my way home from work I came across news headlines from back home in Jamaica. Jamaican immigration experts and attorneys were encouraging Jamaican U.S. residents in America to stay there.
Our own country was warning us not to come home. Jamaican U.S. residents still on the island were encouraged to leave and return to America. We were reassured that our citizenship would be right where we left it, and not to worry about our status at home.
Those words were like daggers in my chest, and I took to Facebook to share the news. Shortly afterwards, a schoolmate who had migrated to the U.S. to live with her husband, maybe around the same time I did, messaged me.
“Should I be worried?” she asked me. “I’m in Jamaica.”
I admitted that I would be if I was her, and told her to hurry back. She came back the very next day.
Luckily, she had no run-ins with immigration, but she also shared the news that two Jamaican U.S. residents she knew were turned away at JFK in New York, and had their green cards cancelled.
Travel Agency without Travelers
In the days that followed, the indie travel agency reached out requesting a meeting. I met with the immigrant-owners on February 2, 2017.
After we had ironed out the details for the agency and the decision to launch under the Alexis Chateau PR umbrella, they reluctantly cancelled the company trip to Dubai. This was despite the fact that both owners have roots in the Caribbean, not Islamic states; and one is a citizen.
As we looked at domestic travel options, I got my details together for my trip to Las Vegas. I then reached out to a fellow road-tripper to ask if he would be interested in tagging along with me to Alaska this year, since Canada was now out of the question.
The following day, February 3, 2017, my mother forwarded an advisory she received, recommending that green card holders not travel at all for the remainder of 2017. Neither domestically, nor internationally.
What Freedom of Speech?
Along with the advisory not to travel, we were also told to guard our words on social media, which I would assume includes my blogs. Anything perceived as anti-American as decided by the U.S. President would also be perceived as potential terrorism and a free pass out of the country.
Immigrants are being told to take their social media down, to wipe their phones, and gods know what else. While telling one of my best friends in Vegas that I wouldn’t be able to make the trip, I asked him:
How is this America???
We went back and forth for an hour or two about how to work around the ban without risk to me. Finding none, I told him I had a good mind to book the bloody ticket and travel anyway. He replied with:
I’m scared for you if you plan on doing that though, Alex.
He is a U.S. citizen, born to a Jamaican mother and American father. I don’t think he intends to do any traveling this year, either. His mother still resides in Jamaica.
A Small Reprieve
On February 4, 2017 Judge James L. Robart granted immigrants a window of opportunity by temporarily blocking the President’s Immigration Order. According to USA Today:
U.S. District Senior Judge James Robart of Seattle on Friday issued a nationwide restraining order blocking the travel ban put in place by President Trump last week.
The White House quickly responded, saying the federal government would challenge the judge’s decision.
However, unless Robart’s ruling holds against the President’s administration, my family and I have decided to stay put. Travelling for recreation – even when it means revisiting our home country – is just not worth the risks involved, until the dust settles.
Travel Blog with No Traveling
And so it is with a heavy heart that I release the following statement:
Owing to the executive order on immigration and the threats this places on my personal and professional life, there is a high probability that I will not be taking trips – domestically or internationally – for the rest of the year, until further notice. As an unfortunate result, the Alexis Chateau travel blog may be a travel blog no longer.
Thankfully, over the past year and a half, the blog has ventured into other topics that have done well, and I’ll continue to write on those. Still, I apologise to each and every reader who follows and subscribes to this blog, specifically to hear about all my awesome adventures 10 minutes, 10 hours, or 10 states away.
I would love to see more of the world, but in the Land of the Free, the decision is no longer mine to make.
I wish the rest of you all the best on your 2017 travels! I will be living vicariously through each and every one of you, so don’t forget to share all your trips and the triumphs and the obstacles along the way.
I’ll be rooting for you, as you’ve always rooted for me.
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For those of you who were patiently waiting for the indie travel agency to launch, we still will – just not with the February date we had in mind. I’ll continue to meet with the owners and let you know as soon as their services become open to the public.
So sad we are living in such dangerous, crazy times because some Americans want change. I hope they are happy with the changes of making us look like idiots all over the world. I am ashamed and embarrassed as never before as we were military serving our country and always proud of our diversity. Praying change will come soon and Americans will be proud again.
Thank you! I can definitely understand that Americans want change, and why. I’m just not sure this was such a good way to go about it..
I am so sorry for all of this. We have elected very dangerous man. Please keep blogging! And hang in there!
I’ll definitely keep blogging on this and my other websites. Hopefully there’s less uncertainty around travel for us soon, so we can get our show on the road!
Thanks so much for reading and leaving your well wishes with me. 🙂
Where to start dear girl? I learned that I have dual citizenship with Canada and did briefly consider leaving. But of course I am staying. And doing everything I can with my 69 year old self to counter the racism, religious intolerance and xenophobia currently running amok. Love and strength. The battle will be long and messy, but we will prevail. As my best friend says, “Evil always oversteps its bounds.”
I’ve never heard that saying before but it’s a good one.
I heard Canada erected new restrictions against Americans migrating there. So perhaps it’s for the best. I get the feeling Americans will face a lot of prejudice around the world going forward either in revenge or as ridicule.
If you ever decide to explore New England, send me an email.
I will! Thanks Elizabeth 🙂
I’m hoping at least domestic travel won’t be so much of a threat soon. The worry is that some states will start checking travel documents and discriminating against immigrants. Some already require a passport to travel.
Ayo sings “run run run”, this is the video I wanted to send. I wouldn’t stay in the US. I would run run run.
I just left one country to be here. Can’t be on the run all my life…
Yes sure Alexis. Read history. It may not happen as in Germany in the 1930s but it smells the same nasty odor. The next thing that could happen is that non citizen will be deported. I’d leave before.
I was a history student in college. I know what happened in Germany and I am fully aware of the parallels with what is going on now.
But America is my home, and I love my life here. One man isn’t going to ruin that for me, permanently. It’s easy to pack up and run. It takes courage to stay and face the music.
It’s unfortunate that you have to cancel your plans. I’m not American, but I have many friends working down there on visas. I can only hope for the best, but due to the instability it looks like I’ll have to postpone that Hawaii trip too.
I’m sorry your trip is getting postponed to Rini. Might I suggest Jamaica instead then? I’m sure you won’t regret it.
In the meantime, we’ll be bunking down here and waiting for the storm to pass with fingers crossed.
Thanks for the recommendation. I have been to Jamaica before and it’s a beautiful island with great food, but I’m looking for a new place to explore. Tbd. 🙂
That makes sense. Europe is still the place that tops my list, Spain especially.
I highly recommend Spain. I had low expectations before I went, but it completely blew me away. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
I know of I visit I’ll never come back, so I’m scared to go haha. Spain is a dream for me. I love the culture, the food, and the people.
I hate to say it, but I think you made the right choice. I sincerely believe that Trump’s travel ban is only the beginning. Right now he’s just targeting immigrants, mostly from seven countries, but his list will undoubtedly expand. If history’s taught us anything, this is going to get worse. The U.S. never was the land of the free, and now that’s painfully obvious.
I’m sorry if my words are harsh, but please keep your wits about you. I’m deeply concerned about what might happen to anyone whom the “good” Americans don’t like.
Thanks Josh.
I think this has actually created a lot of unity and activism from Americans who never thought they would live to see any of this in their country. I’m amazed to see so many Americans protesting on behalf of non-citizens. It’s one thing to protest on behalf of black lives matter and women’s right and lgbt. They’re Americans. But we’re outsiders, and the solidarity has been outstanding. Hopefully that prevents things from getting any more restrictive for the lot of us.
Also it looks like that judge’s freeze on the ban might hold. Still monitoring the news to see how it plays out.
It’s wonderful to hear you say that. As far as I’m concerned you’re not outsiders, and it’s good to see that so many other Americans agree. I’m definitely hoping that the judge’s ruling will stick, but right now I’m aiming for an attitude of cautious optimism.
Cautious optimism. I like that. That’s where I’m headed too. I still want to book that ticket to Vegas, and of course to see the Redwoods, so I’m just watching and waiting and hoping to all the travel gods.
Sounds good! Let me know if you make it to Redwood country.
Will do!
🙁 I refused to be silenced.
Well, if you’re an immigrant you might want to be careful about that. Freedom of speech doesn’t seem to apply to us this year. 🙁
My great great grandparents were immigrants. I plan to shout loud and clear for everyone who is unable to speak and I’m not alone. What is happening is NOT what this country was founded on.
I agree with that, but the President is even closer to immigrants than you. You would think it would make him more sympathetic. His parents were immigrants, as are his many wives and girlfriends over the years.
Man, I didn’t realize how far this ban was stretching. Now I’m even more pissed about it! Jesus, we live in scary times.
Yeah, I don’t know any immigrants in America who hasn’t suspended their 2017 travel plans, at least temporarily. Just to be on the safe side. It looks like that judge’s order is holding though.
Every morning, I think, “Now what?” This is a new way of living, and it makes me sad and angry for so many people. I am so sorry that you’ve been made to feel uncertain and unsafe.
Uncertain and unsafe just about sums it up for sure. I hope the dust settles soon for all of us. This is far more chaos than I expected to start the year with.