A new study about net US migration states there will be fewer people coming into the US than those leaving for the first time in almost 100 years. But there’s more to the story.
A Wall Street Journal investigation published this week set the internet ablaze with a headline that practically writes itself: Americans are leaving the country in record numbers. The piece found that at least 180,000 Americans relocated abroad in 2025, with record passport applications in the UK and Ireland, surging American communities in Portugal and Mexico, and a 48% jump in citizenship renunciation requests. The narrative quickly took on a life of its own, spawning breathless coverage across dozens of outlets and earning the phenomenon a catchy nickname: the “Donald Dash.”
It makes for a compelling story. It also deserves a closer look, because the data underneath the headline tells a much more complex and, frankly, less dramatic story than the one making the rounds.
These actual reported figures from credible institutions paint a picture of a country that, for the first time in decades, saw more people leave than arrive. This isn’t partisan, it’s statistics.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
