14 Jul Safely Traveling to the United States as a Sex Worker
Posted
in Industry Knowledge
With a dense and diverse population, as well as cities like Miami, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas being international hubs for the adult entertainment industry, there are plenty of reasons a sex worker might want to travel to the United States. Whether you’re a content creator heading to a convention or an escort going on tour, there really is something for everyone. Unfortunately, due to recent and extreme anti-immigration policies implemented by the current regime, getting through customs and completing your trip without running into trouble has become more difficult. While there’s no golden ticket for a safe journey (actually, there literally is a golden ticket if you have $5,000,000 USD to spare), there are some helpful practices that will minimize your risk.
THE CURRENT CLIMATE AT THE BORDER
There’s no hiding the fact that there has been a flood of horror stories coming from the US this year. Scientists were turned away at customs over social media posts critical of the Administration, tourists thrown out for being freelance workers, and even detained on the streets for looking “illegal”. With sex workers already being on the list of undesirable here, we all have to be extremely cautious. Since we’re likely coming to attend a show, collaborate, do photo shoots, or other work-related activities, it’s crucial that we know what to say and do to keep the man off our backs.
CLEAN UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
When you’re preparing for your trip, you should clean up your social media or at least set everything to private. Nobody knows exactly what triggers officials to look into someone’s socials, but as mentioned before, people have been turned away at the border for posts they’ve made. With Twitter/X being so closely intertwined with federal agencies here, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
DISABLE BIOMETRICS ON YOUR DEVICES
Arguably, the most important thing you should do ahead of your arrival is to turn off all biometrics on your phone. You’re protected from unlawful search and seizure, so the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can’t force you to unlock your phone for them without a warrant, but that protection doesn’t keep them from holding your phone up to your face. Once it’s no longer a locked personal item, it’s fair game for them to rifle through your socials, emails, texts, and media. Having an Onlyfans has been enough of a reason to deport people right from customs. Unfortunately, due again to recent changes in the law, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) CAN access your devices without a warrant, so be proactive with what’s on them.
WHAT TO SAY IF YOU'RE QUESTIONED
If you do wind up getting questioned when you arrive, say as little as possible. If you’re here to do any kind of work or networking, don’t disclose that. Just say you’re on holiday and leave it at that. If your accommodations aren’t set up in advance, you could also find yourself in trouble, as had recently happened to a couple of German tourists. So, do everything you can to make your trip look as legitimately recreational as possible.
IS THE TRIP WORTH THE RISK?
Mainly, you have to ask yourself if the trip is really worth it. While there’s not a high chance that you’ll find yourself in a bad situation, there’s significantly more risk than there ever has been for foreign visitors. Canadians have been detained for weeks while crossing the US/Canada border, tourists have been arrested on the street and separated from their child, and there’s almost no transparency when it comes to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) behavior.
The United States is a wonderful place full of amazing people, and there are so many reasons to visit. But political unrest is at a boiling point, and active-duty military personnel are on the streets in multiple states, and there have been political assassinations and protesters murdered. To say that people are on edge would be an understatement, so you should take some time to weigh the risks and benefits of your visit. And if you decide to come, do everything you can to protect yourself ahead of time.
Riley Cyriis is a New England-based indie content creator and mortician. She owns Cyriis Studios with her partner, Ryan Cyriis. She’s a cult survivor, a heavily-armed liberal, and the enemy of corruption and greed.
With a dense and diverse population, as well as cities like Miami, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas being international hubs for the adult entertainment industry, there are plenty of reasons a sex worker might want to travel to the United States. Whether you’re a content creator heading to a convention or an escort going on tour, there really is something for everyone. Unfortunately, due to recent and extreme anti-immigration policies implemented by the current regime, getting through customs and completing your trip without running into trouble has become more difficult. While there’s no golden ticket for a safe journey (actually, there literally is a golden ticket if you have $5,000,000 USD to spare), there are some helpful practices that will minimize your risk.
THE CURRENT CLIMATE AT THE BORDER
There’s no hiding the fact that there has been a flood of horror stories coming from the US this year. Scientists were turned away at customs over social media posts critical of the Administration, tourists thrown out for being freelance workers, and even detained on the streets for looking “illegal”. With sex workers already being on the list of undesirable here, we all have to be extremely cautious. Since we’re likely coming to attend a show, collaborate, do photo shoots, or other work-related activities, it’s crucial that we know what to say and do to keep the man off our backs.
CLEAN UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
When you’re preparing for your trip, you should clean up your social media or at least set everything to private. Nobody knows exactly what triggers officials to look into someone’s socials, but as mentioned before, people have been turned away at the border for posts they’ve made. With Twitter/X being so closely intertwined with federal agencies here, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
DISABLE BIOMETRICS ON YOUR DEVICES
Arguably, the most important thing you should do ahead of your arrival is to turn off all biometrics on your phone. You’re protected from unlawful search and seizure, so the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can’t force you to unlock your phone for them without a warrant, but that protection doesn’t keep them from holding your phone up to your face. Once it’s no longer a locked personal item, it’s fair game for them to rifle through your socials, emails, texts, and media. Having an Onlyfans has been enough of a reason to deport people right from customs. Unfortunately, due again to recent changes in the law, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) CAN access your devices without a warrant, so be proactive with what’s on them.
WHAT TO SAY IF YOU'RE QUESTIONED
If you do wind up getting questioned when you arrive, say as little as possible. If you’re here to do any kind of work or networking, don’t disclose that. Just say you’re on holiday and leave it at that. If your accommodations aren’t set up in advance, you could also find yourself in trouble, as had recently happened to a couple of German tourists. So, do everything you can to make your trip look as legitimately recreational as possible.
IS THE TRIP WORTH THE RISK?
Mainly, you have to ask yourself if the trip is really worth it. While there’s not a high chance that you’ll find yourself in a bad situation, there’s significantly more risk than there ever has been for foreign visitors. Canadians have been detained for weeks while crossing the US/Canada border, tourists have been arrested on the street and separated from their child, and there’s almost no transparency when it comes to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) behavior.
The United States is a wonderful place full of amazing people, and there are so many reasons to visit. But political unrest is at a boiling point, and active-duty military personnel are on the streets in multiple states, and there have been political assassinations and protesters murdered. To say that people are on edge would be an understatement, so you should take some time to weigh the risks and benefits of your visit. And if you decide to come, do everything you can to protect yourself ahead of time.
Riley Cyriis is a New England-based indie content creator and mortician. She owns Cyriis Studios with her partner, Ryan Cyriis. She’s a cult survivor, a heavily-armed liberal, and the enemy of corruption and greed.
