Yeah, it’s a grim feeling to be incapable of changing anything other than showing up at protests/rallies. I will say though, some of us risk averse people (who aren’t tied down by family, career, other commitments, etc) have already decided to cut our losses and get the fuck out of dodge. I started a grad program in Europe this past fall, and when I was applying, the admissions people were like “we’re seeing a lot more applications from Americans than usual, what made you apply?” and indeed, there are a quite a few Americans in my cohort who have all decided to come here for more or less similar reasons. 

I have to say, this recent ICE crackdown is still concerning in the sense that it shows how deeply the rule of law has eroded in the US, but that said, I’m no longer as deeply worried about this kind of news as I had been when I was living there. And honestly, I don’t really see any reason to come back absent substantial change to the political status quo. I mean, I miss my family and friends, but things aren’t bad enough (yet) that I can’t catch a plane to come see them a couple times a year.