Dear Reader,

You have not heard from me directly in a while, and I’d like you to be among the first to know why: the Trump administration wrongfully denied my work permit renewal. Having exhausted my legal recourse, I have no choice but to leave the only country I’ve called home in my adult life. 

It is unfortunate that my time in Atlanta and Boston ended so abruptly. The United States simply no longer has a government that follows the letter or the spirit of the law, nor do its people have access to the means to demand or compel their regime to do so. As a result,

• I couldn’t do things as basic as renewing my driver’s license or verifying The Xylom’s Google AdSense account.

• I had to withdraw from speaking opportunities at my alma mater, Georgia Tech, the National Association of Science Writers, and #SEJ2026.

• I recently turned down an all-expense-paid trip to attend the Nonprofit News Awards ceremony, where I am a finalist for the Best Investigative Journalism Award.

We do not yet have any evidence that the wrongful work permit denial was politically motivated. However, as you can see in our coverage, the Trump administration is conducting a multi-pronged attack on the environment, public health, immigrants, and evidence-based policy. They are particularly hell-bent on going after members of the Fourth Estate standing in the way between the regime and the country’s most vulnerable people, places, and ideas. 

I think of our Atlanta colleague Mario Guevara, who was arrested while covering "No Kings" protests, detained by ICE for over 100 days, and deported to El Salvador. Having seen his ordeal, I just decided I’d rather leave this country on my own terms for now.

This was not the outcome any of us wanted, but I am grateful for those who are still willing to wield what remains of their institutional power to do the right thing. Thank you to my lawyers, my other alma mater (MIT), and the offices of Senators Elizabeth Warren, Jon Ossoff, and Raphael Warnock for fighting tooth and nail for my dignity.

Most of all, I am grateful for my family and my colleagues who stepped up in my absence: Laasya took our weekly newsletter and newsroom partnerships to new heights; KC is still taking immense personal risks and a pay cut to file dispatches for us from all over the world (you can support her directly here), and Aorui, who recently joined Documented as a Chinese correspondent, made sure we stuck the landing with our year-end NewsMatch campaign. The fact that The Xylom has recorded a slight profit and doubled its audience this year, while I have been sidelined, shows how much the newsroom has grown on its path to sustainability.

I will have much more to share as I take time to unpack my suitcases and my emotions. But my priority is to keep The Xylom alive. I will resume my duties from abroad in June, while I discuss next steps with our fiscal sponsor, Alternative Newsweekly Foundation, and my lawyers.

Here’s where I need your help: the most straightforward way for me to reenter the United States is to apply for an O-1 Extraordinary Ability visa. However, to have a shot at returning by the end of the summer requires at least 8,000 USD of legal, travel, and visa fees.

As a first-generation college graduate, I have been living off my savings without generational wealth to fall back on; similarly, unlike other corporate media, The Xylom does not have the funds to retain its own attorneys. Therefore, I am looking for 100 more defenders of press freedom to support us as we navigate this precarious situation.

Can I count on you to lock arms and weather the storm together?

Best regards,
Alex Ip
Publisher and Editor

P.S. Please forward this email to anyone you think who needs to know about my situation or can offer any help. Thank you!