A growing number of Black Americans are relocating to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, to escape political tensions and racial pressures in the United States following Donald Trump's reelection. These immigrants, often queer and left-leaning, describe the move as a chance to breathe freely amid a challenging environment back home. The historic town offers affordability and community, though it comes with its own nuances.
In San Miguel de Allende, a picturesque Mexican town known for its neo-Gothic church and cobblestone streets, a new wave of American immigrants has arrived since Donald Trump's reelection in November 2024. Unlike earlier white retirees who settled there from the 1930s, today's arrivals are predominantly Black, queer, and politically progressive, driven by fears of racial profiling, job losses in diversity initiatives, and a perceived fascist shift in the US.
Rozella Floranz Kennedy, 62, lost her diversity, equity, and inclusion job in Seattle in June 2024. Inspired by her husband's observations from a trip to Papua New Guinea, the couple sold their home and drove to San Miguel on July 17 with their dog Pippa. Their rent is now a third of their previous mortgage. "It’s like suddenly we have breath again," Kennedy said. "He’s composing again.… I’m writing a new book."
Tonya Melendez, 54, an award-winning psychic medium, moved in May to escape the "white gaze" she experienced throughout her life in Wisconsin. "It affects the nervous system, because it keeps you under a feeling of... surveillance," she explained. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 300,000 Black women left or were pushed out of the job market between February and April 2024.
Michelle Wedderburn, 56, has lived in San Miguel for seven years and runs Casa Elm, a relocation service primarily for Black women—90% of her clients, with 60% eventually moving. Her Facebook group, "Black SMA," has 1,800 members and fosters community through events. The town's population is about 174,000, with Black immigrants forming a small but growing fraction.
DevKirn Khalsa, 71, and Shakti Khalsa, 77, left Austin in June, viewing the move as activism against fascism. Jaimes McNeal, 59, and his husband plan to arrive in January 2026 from California, citing fears of ICE procedures. Newcomers obtain Temporary Resident Visas, requiring financial proof, valid up to four years.
Local journalist Maria Ruiz expresses mixed feelings about gentrification, noting rising costs but welcoming Black immigrants. Noí Brooks, 62, who moved in September 2024, acknowledges that while life is better, challenges persist: "San Miguel has its own issues."
Historically, Mexico outlawed slavery in 1829, drawing enslaved Black Americans via the Underground Railroad. Today, these immigrants reject the term "expat," preferring "immigrant" to reflect their voluntary, personal choice.