Anti-trans sentiment is at a fever pitch in the United States. More Americans like us are seeking asylum in the Netherlands to flee worsening threats on our safety. Jane-Michele Arc, 47, software engineer, San Francisco Ashe Wilde, a 40-year-old cisgender man, transitioned in 2019. Both men were forced to leave their country during Donald Trump’s second term in office. They fled out of concerns for their lives, as anti-trans sentiment surged.
Arc and Wilde are part of a small but growing, crucial group of trans asylum seekers. They have recently found safe haven in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, over the past year, only 76 Americans have formally sought asylum in the U.S. This is a significant increase from just nine claims in 2024. Compared to other European countries, the Netherlands provides a more family-oriented settlement for refugees. Some asylum seekers are being held in a camp located outside of Leiden. For people like Lisa Gayle Carter-Stewart and her 14-year-old daughter, Nox, this camp offers at least a sense of safety.
connects to the increased anti-trans messaging in the U.S., especially during Trump’s presidency, which has heightened the crisis for trans people. Trump’s re-election campaign featured an attack ad that disparaged diverse gender identities, contributing to an atmosphere where many feel unsafe. Wilde called attention to the increasing negative environment. As he put it, “I was labelled a paedo and a groomer,” encapsulating the brutal interpersonal violence and social discrimination that trans individuals face every day.
Yet both Arc and Wilde don’t really know what their best chance of getting asylum is because it’s still very low. In her comments, Marlou Schrover, professor of economic and social history at Leiden University, made an essential point. To justify their claim, the U.S. needs to prove that there is systemic violence against trans people. In addition, at present the Dutch government does not track statistics on, or make allowances for transgender asylum applicants, putting them in an even more precarious position.
Arc shared her fear of going back to the U.S. She stated, “My guess is that re-entering the US, we would be detained by ICE… I don’t think that the US government wants to murder me specifically. I think that they don’t care if I am murdered.” This thought strikes a chord with so many trans Americans who, too, feel let down by their own government.
Carter-Stewart’s dramatic experience underscores the lengths to which many are willing to go in search of sanctuary. She explained, “It was automatically rejected because America is considered a safe country of origin.” She and her daughter knew their lives were in danger. In an interview with Dutch authorities, Nox cried over his profound despair. He promised that he would “do suicide” if returned to the United States.
In recent years, the Netherlands has granted asylum to dozens of such children with U.S. passports. The majority of these children are minors under guardianship of Yemeni, Turkish and Syrian parents. The plight of trans Americans who legitimately fear persecution simply for existing has not received similar support. As Wilde pointed out, access to healthcare is a critical concern: “Come 2027, there won’t be access to it via government healthcare… I can’t go back to that.”
There are millions more Americans who hope to someday come back to the U.S. For Arc and Wilde, the stakes are much higher. They are painfully aware of what awaits them should they be forced to return: a potential loss of freedom and safety that they have fought hard to achieve in the Netherlands.
Arc described her experiences upon arriving in the Netherlands: “I hear a lot of people saying: ‘You are an idiot. You came here from America,’” acknowledging the skepticism some express about her decision to seek asylum. For her and others like her, the decision was an easy one. “I didn’t do this in secret… Everybody said: ‘I don’t love this for you, but there is no other option.’”
These individuals already face incredible barriers to navigating the asylum process. They hold hope for a day they can experience life in peace without intimidation. They risk everything and hope for acceptance and security from a place that has much more to offer than their countries can provide at the moment.