Fearful of Trump, some Americans seek new life in Europe

Concerns over rising polarization and policies that erode social rights drive move

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LONDON/NEW YORK - When US President Donald Trump decided to seek a second term in the White House, Ms Doris Davis and Ms Susie Bartlett — an interracial lesbian couple living in New York City — made a life-changing decision.

If he won, they would move abroad.

The couple said they had been willing to give Mr Trump a go during his first term, but they had watched in alarm as he returned to office and ended a range of policies aimed at promoting racial equity and rights for LGBTQ+ people.

"We love this country, but we don't love what it has become," Ms Davis, a 69-year-old educational consultant, said from their home in a New York City suburb.

"When your identity is being attacked, there is a personal sense of anger (and) frustration."

Now, they're working with an immigration lawyer to assess options in Europe.

The couple are most interested in Portugal and Spain, attracted by the southern European lifestyle, and are looking at a digital nomad or retirement visa.

Ms Bartlett, who is 52, is retired.

"It saddens me to move," said Ms Davis, who will be sorry to leave her local community behind. "But it's also a situation, politically and socially, that is unacceptable."

Government visa and citizenship data, as well as Reuters' interviews with eight relocation firms, indicate an increased number of Americans are considering moving to Europe in the wake of Mr Trump's election — though the figures remain quite small for a nation of 340 million people.

US applications for Irish passports were at their highest level in a decade in the first two months of 2025.

Average monthly applications in January and February of nearly 4,300 were up around 60 per cent from 2024, according to data from Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs.