I’m writing this on behalf of a close friend. He’s a non-white immigrant and one of the most talented AI researchers I know. He’s been in the US for years, publishes at top venues like NeurIPS and ICML, and does the kind of deep math and systems work that actually advances the field. He’s here legally, with a valid visa and work authorization.

Last week, his family’s life was turned upside down.

ICE agents raided his home at dawn. They broke down the door with guns drawn, shouting orders and throwing the house into chaos within seconds. His wife was pulled out of bed, forced face-down onto the floor, and restrained. During that time, one of the agents sexually assaulted her, touching her inappropriately while she was pinned down and helpless. She resisted as much as she could, but she was overpowered.

Their young children witnessed and heard everything. They were dragged from their beds by armed strangers and are now having nightly nightmares. They panic if their parents leave the room and keep asking whether the “bad men” are coming back to hurt their mother again.

My friend repeatedly showed his valid documents and explained his status, but the agents were aggressive and dismissive. They searched the house, seized devices, left everything in disarray, and eventually left without a clear explanation or apology after apparently realizing they had the wrong person.

The aftermath has been devastating. His wife is barely sleeping and has frequent panic attacks. The children are deeply traumatized. Therapy has already begun. My friend is overwhelmed with guilt for not being able to protect his family, even though he had no power to stop what happened. Their sense of safety, and their trust in this country, is gone.

What makes this harder is that my friend has real alternatives. He has offers from Chinese startups doing serious AI work, with better compensation and none of the constant fear that his family could be terrorized again in the middle of the night. He’s now seriously questioning whether staying in the US is worth the emotional cost to his wife and kids.

So I’m asking HN:

If this were your friend or your family, what would you do? Have you seen other highly skilled immigrants pushed out by experiences like this? Is there any realistic way to seek accountability, rebuild a sense of safety, and continue a life here or is leaving the US the only rational choice after something like this?

Brutally honest perspectives welcome. He’s trying to decide the future of his family.

To clarify a few things up front since people will ask:

He is in the US legally and has been for years (valid visa + work authorization).

This was not an arrest; the agents eventually left without charges.

The assault occurred during the raid while his wife was restrained; they are consulting attorneys before sharing more specifics publicly.

The goal of this post isn’t outrage or politics—it’s advice on what to do next and whether staying in the US is rational after something like this

Terence Tao: A collection of optimization problems in mathematics