Some Americans in Canada no longer see a future back home

Some U.S. citizens living in Canada say Trump-era policies are making them stay for good.

As political uncertainty deepens in the U.S under Donald Trump’s leadership, a growing number of Americans living in Canada say they’re reconsidering their future—and for some, that no longer includes going back.

Alexia Lam, originally from Texas, came to Montreal to study at McGill University. She is currently finishing her degree in education.

Lam, who once planned to return home, now says the U.S. no longer feels like a sure bet.

“I didn’t have a very solid decision about where I was staying before I came in. And I was definitely, considering Canada as a potential future home,” she said in a recent interview.

“There’s a lot of uneasiness around immigration policies and even just entering and leaving the country.”

The Trump administration has revoked visas over minor infractions and promoted self-deportation policies.

Lam says cuts to the U.S. education system sealed her decision.

“They’re letting go of a lot of teachers and a lot of staff within the Department of Education. And that’s really, it’s really scary,” Lam added.

The administration’s move to weaken the department could make existing problems worse from teacher shortages to falling test scores.

But staying in Canada is not easy for everyone. McGill student Sophie McBroom sees how Quebec’s French requirements can limit opportunities.

“I would have no problem staying in Montreal because I could work here in French, a lot of my friends could not,” McBroom noted.

Still, the Chicago native says students are doing what they can to avoid going back.

“They just don’t want to go back to the U.S.,” she said.

Trump’s policies have also rolled back protections for transgender and non-binary Americans—banning the X marker on passports and defunding gender-affirming care for youth.

For some, fears of a life in the U.S. go back to Trump’s first term and it’s not just students choosing to leave.

When Michelle Fones, a former Tampa Bay resident, looked ahead to life in Florida, she said she didn’t see a future.

“The overturning of Roe v. Wade was the big catalyst for me, losing those reproductive rights, especially in Florida,” Fones said, adding that concerns over gun violence have pushed her further.

“I don’t think I could handle the anxiety of sending kids to school and wondering if they’ll come home.”

Fones said she considered moving to Toronto.

“The cost of living was quite high. So, I looked at Montreal and kind of just fell in love with the city,” she said.

After a year, Fones said she is now putting down roots and is in the process of buying a house.