As an American, these developments are embarrassing and shameful, but I want people to make informed decisions about visiting the US at this time. This is a gift article from today's New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/world/europe/german-tourists-detained-deported.html?unlocked_article_code=1.304.Fb21.D_nJI2TKnmj6&smid=url-share

Friends from abroad: I am deeply sorry about this. 

Unfortunately, this is only one of the reasons why we will not even set foot in the US. Not  even to transfer airlines. Too bad, because there are many beautiful places and many wonderful people there, but the potential hassle makes it not worth it to us. On the other hand, we are home all summer- come and visit, we have a spare room.

Thank you for posting this. I have had concerns about whether it would be wise for a non-citizen to undertake a bicycle tour in the U.S. now - unfortunately, I now know the answer.  Embarrassing is too mild a word for this inhumane treatment of our own citizens and lawful tourists.  Our enemies laugh as we self-destruct and lose the respect of our friends and allies.  I wouldn't advise anyone to visit the U.S. as a bicycle tourist at this time.  If they really wanted to do so, I would advise them to arrange to tour with a U.S. friend, or perhaps as part of an organized tour, so that someone is available to help them with any "issues" that may arise. 

I didn't cause this problem, but as a U.S. citizen I feel shame because of it. 

Yes, shocking conditions in those detention centres a lot like those in third world countries. I expect that the second couple who traveled from USA to Tijuana to obtain veterinary services regret their choice.

As an American I apologize to the world, especially to our friends overseas and neighbors to the north and south.

I am rethinking plans as well.  I would rather travel (and spend my money) abroad or in "blue states" and will make adjustments.  

Sheelagh Daly (https://www.youtube.com/@SheelaghDaly) a Canadian bicycle tourist recently visited Washington State to so some training rides for an upcoming tour. On her return to Canada she was detained at customs and asked to show proof that she had not purchased the bike in the US. Lucky for her she had a receipt for the purchase, which she made in Canada, on her phone. For those of us with old bikes, proof of purchase would be nearly impossible. (I bought my touring bike in 1991, for example.) 

We live in interesting times.

There has certainly been a significant increase recently in uncertainty, unpredictability and feeling of risk to travel across borders. 

Obviously the USA, Canada and Mexico tensions are significant (through no fault of anyone here on CycleBlaze, so please no embarrassment or apologies needed from American friends), but with the ramping up of global trade war, and the possibility of real war in Europe increasing, international travel just about anywhere seems less palatable nowadays. 

The lesson I learned from the Covid era is that borders can bang shut very fast, and mass travel can stop in an instant. 

We are living in uncertain times internationally, and they seem to be becoming more uncertain by the day.

I’m about to start another longish cycle tour, but I won’t be leaving my own country for this one.

I can't delete this duplicate post, but I can edit it to merely say this.

My next bike tour was planned and reserved before US politics turned upside down. I'm a bit nervous because the tour is entirely in "red" states that support abandoning the rule of law. But I still plan to do the tour and do my best to not read or talk about news. That's my usual mindset during tours. I consciously try to keep my thoughts immersed in the here and now during tours.

Of course no region is entirely conservative or entirely progressive. My tour starts in a progressive university town, Missoula. And I will have a rest day in Anaconda, a copper mining town famous for its socialist history. Montana has a long libertarian history. The tour ends in eastern Idaho where Mormon farmers favor an authoritarian church, but oppose authoritarian government that might persecute their church.

My thoughts run wild when I read news headlines about treason literally every day. I give $1000 per month to the American Civil Liberties Union foundation, hoping they can preserve the rule of law through the courts. I'm confident that the law will prevail in the courts, but I'm also confident that the Executive branch will defy the courts. 

Sometimes I think I should move to a free country NOW, where my rights are protected by the rule of law. I'm able and willing to do that, but retiree status limits the number of countries that would accept me as a permanent resident. Other times I merely want to avoid traveling to "red" states and spend more in Canada and "blue" states. That's easy to do, as long as I don't get detained at the border for no reason. I think my odds of being detained are lower at a rural crossing from Canada than at an urban crossing from Mexico.

My problem is that my country literally makes me sick. Mentally sick. Physically sick. I don't want to mentally be at peace with what is going on now. I don't want to hate my government and my fellow citizens, and hate myself for being complicit. What to do? Doing nothing seems to be the worst of many options...

“What to do?” That’s a tough one Wayne. 

My first thought from a cycle touring perspective is to focus on the positives of your remarkable country. Especially its natural beauty and vast, diverse geography which is so accessible by cycle touring. Nature has a way of making human constructs look relatively insignificant.

But also there are many millions of like minded Americans who will be thinking and feeling similar to you. Meeting them on tour will be a positive. And even meeting others with opposite perspectives would hopefully not be as bad face to face as it is in online forums. Especially when travelling by bike, interactions seem to be almost always amiable.

And if not, I find that this old motto is a good one for times like these, “Illegitimi non carborundum”.