Ter Apel, a small town by the German border in the Netherlands, is now home to about 2,000 asylum seekers. Recently, a surprising group has appeared: Americans seeking asylum, many of whom are transgender. They say they fear for their lives since Donald Trump returned to the White House. American claims for asylum in the Netherlands jumped from 9 in 2024 to 76 last year. Many Americans arrive at Ter Apel’s fenced reception centre, where they live under tight rules but can leave during the day. The centre is not a prison but has guards and bed checks. Jane-Michelle Arc, a transgender woman from San Francisco, arrived last April after facing street abuse and threats, feeling unsafe even in her home city known for LGBT acceptance. She recalls, “What’s this big dumb American doing here asking about asylum?” when she first spoke to customs. Arc lives in a housing block for LGBT asylum seekers, where people from countries like Libya and Iran share similar stories of fear and rejection. Another American, Ashe Wilde, also transgender, said anti-trans hate and dangerous political rhetoric under Trump made life unbearable. Trump’s administration called for a strict binary gender policy, erasing federal recognition of transgender identities. Arc admitted, “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done,” but left the US fearing for her safety and uncertain future. She estimates 35-50 transgender Americans seek asylum in the Netherlands, though official data on this is not tracked. Experts say the chance of Americans gaining asylum in the Netherlands is very low due to strict rules. Proof of persecution and failure of protection by local authorities are required. Simply losing rights in ID documents is insufficient grounds. Despite this, a few American families, like Lisa Gayle Carter-Stewart and her transgender child Nox, face possible deportation. Nox has expressed suicidal thoughts and struggles daily in Ter Apel but does not want to return to the US. They recently moved to a family-friendly camp near Leiden while awaiting appeal. Arc fears deportation could mean detention with men and possible harm or death in US custody. Wilde warns that forced return would end access to vital hormone treatments and force emotional and physical detransition. Their stories spotlight the harsh reality many transgender Americans face, driving them to seek refuge in a small Dutch town far from home.