The new American refugees fleeing to other states for safety
A little look backstage at the editing process
Back in January, our chief reporter Ed Pilkington and I started talking about a troubling trend: families leaving their home states for political reasons.
I say political, but in many cases, persecution wouldn’t be too strong a word. And it’s not just anecdotal—there’s data now showing a meaningful uptick in interstate migration driven by ideology, policy, and fear.
Today, we published the stories of five families and individuals who were forced to relocate to more tolerant states from New Hampshire, Idaho, Florida, California, and Texas. Among them: a high school history teacher, a mother, an OB-GYN, a climate scientist, the mother of a trans teen, and a climate refugee.
From an editing standpoint, what struck me most was how hard it was for Ed to secure those interviews. He spent weeks following leads, reassuring people, explaining why telling their stories mattered. Dozens of emails, hours of calls. Many agreed to talk, only to back out—afraid of being identified, afraid of losing their jobs, afraid for their families.
The fear is palpable. People are scared to speak, scared to be photographed, scared to describe what’s happening in their communities.
I’ve been doing this job in the US for ten years. I’ve never seen it this bad.