The American Exodus: Why a Record Number of U.S. Citizens Are Paying Thousands to Learn How to Leave
On a recent weekend, Jesse Derr and his wife, Jess Yeastadt, packed their bags for a five-hour drive from Phoenix to San Diego. Their destination wasn't a vacation hotspot—it was the Hard Rock Hotel, where they joined hundreds of other Americans at a conference on relocating to Mexico.
Derr, 41, and Yeastadt, 45, are part of a growing wave. According to a 2025 study by the Brookings Institution, the United States experienced a net negative migration of between 10,000 and 295,000 people last year—a first in at least half a century. Among those who left voluntarily, an estimated 210,000 to 405,000 people packed up and moved abroad. While restrictive immigration policies and deportations play a role, many U.S. citizens are leaving for school, work, family, retirement, or simply a fresh start.
Enter Expatsi, a company that runs relocation tours and conferences. In May, it held its second annual Move Abroad Con in San Diego, drawing 600 attendees—double the turnout from the year before. Co-founder Jen Barnett says 89% of a surveyed group of 218 attendees cited political reasons as their primary motivation. Others mentioned adventure (73%) and cost savings (57%). Roughly two-thirds hope to move within two years, with an average monthly budget of $3,856.
Derr points to Supreme Court decisions on abortion and voting rights as signs the country is "going backwards." He and his wife are drawn to Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum and gender equality laws align with their values. After talking to relocation experts, Derr says the couple left the conference with "zero unknowns"—from visa income requirements to what they can bring across the border.
Tickets ranged from $500 to $1,000, covering sessions on visas, taxes abroad, and moving to hotspots like Portugal, Canada, and New Zealand. Von Bradley, a San Diego government worker, attended to research a move to southern Spain for its climate and lower cost of living. "It was like drinking through a fire hose," he says, "but I took a lot of notes."
For Derr, the timeline hinges on the 2026 midterms. If Democrats win and reverse current policies, he says, it could change everything. Until then, he and thousands like him are planning their exit.