u/Embarrassed-Ear7751

I'm a Brazilian student researcher, still an undergrad, and my research program allows me to stay for 4 months at most in a foreign country while working with a foreign professor that is willing to take me on, fully funded by my country. My advisor knows two professors who could do this for me, and one of them teaches at a very prestigious university in New Jersey. While I'm going to ask that we try with the one from a different country first, this one is also an excellent professional and working with him would be a great opportunity. I never even thought this would be possible during my undergrad.

However, with all the news about ICE activity that we've been hearing about for the past few years, my family is extremely worried about this, and honestly, so am I. I'm torn on what to think. They're worried about my safety.

Another thing that worries them is that on top of us being latin american, I am also transgender, but I'm not sure if this would matter because what allows me to use a different name within my country is something that doesn't exist internationally. My passport and all of the documents that I would use in the US would contain the name and sex I was given at birth, and my appearance wouldn't give anything away either.

What I wanted to ask, and please be honest with me: would it be safe at all? Is there anyone over there who's going through a similar experience and would like to share? Should I tell my advisor I would rather not? How are things over there?

It would pain me to turn down an opportunity like this, but I would never want to put myself in any actual danger. I have no one to ask, since I don't know any US americans personally nor do I know anyone who has visited beyond a few vacation days in the last couple of months. I would stay for 3 months next year, apparently with a J-1 visa.

I asked in a different subreddit about this and while I got very few answers, all of them said they were fine and that I would be fine. And obviously my advisor's other student researchers do this a lot and they've never had any problems, and he wouldn't have suggested this if he felt it was dangerous. But I would like to talk to as many people as possible about this before making any real plans.

I apologize if the question may be stupid in any way from the standpoint of someone who is inside the country, but the news that reaches us outside is very concerning and scary. But news doesn't always capture the way day to day life actually is (for example, if you read the news about where I live you'd think it's unlivable over here lol, but most people I know are fine and haven't been in any danger), which is why I want to ask. It's been hard finding people to talk to.

Thank you in advance.

Estamos montando o projeto da minha IC, e existe a opção de pedir a BEPE. Meu orientador disse que os orientandos dele vão com frequência para o exterior e que ele conhece dois professores que poderiam me orientar lá fora, e um deles é da Princeton. Obviamente, fiquei muito feliz (apesar de priorizar um de uma universidade em outro país), mas minha família (meus pais principalmente) está apavorada com essa ideia por conta do que têm ouvido sobre aquelas coisas sobre a polícia de imigração e tudo mais, ainda mais por eu ser trans (coisa que não acho que mudaria muito a minha vida lá, porque eu iria com meu nome e sexo de registro, já que não existe nome social internacionalmente, e eu não quero nem tentar mexer com isso lá).

Eu admito que não sei como estão as coisas agora em detalhes e se há um risco real no meu caso (chuto que não, considerando a situação visto e o fato de ter parentes lá, mas posso estar sendo ingênuo). Não conheço ninguém que tenha ido para lá recentemente, muito menos para ficar alguns meses, então não tenho para quem perguntar pessoalmente. Perguntei em outro sub dedicado a estudantes internacionais e a resposta geral foi que não tem risco nenhum e ninguém disse ter tido problemas. Eu não perguntei para o meu orientador, mas, sendo ele a pessoa quem sugeriu isso, não acho que os orientandos dele tiveram problemas com isso. Gostaria de saber das experiências de vocês, se possível. Como foi? Tranquilo ou não? Agradeço!

(É claro que não vou chegar a conclusões só com base em respostas do Reddit, mas ajuda. E peço desculpas se for uma dúvida boba, mas eu acho as preocupações deles compreensíveis, ainda mais considerando que nenhum deles sequer viajou para fora do estado, quem dirá do país) (os parentes que tenho lá são do tipo que só mandamos uma mensagem no natal e a situação é meio complicada, não gostaria de falar com eles a não ser que fosse algo muito urgente)

I'm asking because I'm a student researcher and I might study abroad for a few (3-4 only lol) months next year through my research program. I was talking to my advisor about it, and one of the possibilities is Princeton, which obviously had me excited. But I'm also a bit concerned, and so is my family, about the safety aspect of being latin american (brazilian, in my case) and staying in the US for around half of a semester.

I'm not sure if this is a stupid question or not lol (considering my advisor's students do this frequently and don't seem to have had any problems), but I've been hearing some very crazy (and scary) things about the state of the country regarding latin americans in the past few years and I wouldn't want to risk any danger. However, I haven't heard in detail from anyone who is actually there right now under these conditions. I also understand that there are many things that may affect one's situation, and also that while my stay wouldn't be the length of a quick vacation, it wouldn't be very long at all. I wanted to hear people's experiences, if possible.

I do have another concern, which is that I'm transgender (and I've heard some scary things regarding this as well), but my documentation has my birth sex and name only and I'd go over using these, so (at least I think) this might not affect things much, if at all, as I have no intention of trying to use a different name or anything.