And if you’d decide to leave, where would you go?
Context for why I’m asking: I’m trans and currently live in Minnesota, I moved here from Florida so I have some idea of how miserable big moves can be. I can get EU citizenship which makes me very lucky, but… Do I sit here and hope Minnesota can protect me from 🥭 or do I try to build a life somewhere else, again?
You said “can get”, implying you haven’t done so yet. My advice? Get the EU citizenship. Simply getting EU citizenship doesn’t commit you to actually moving overseas.
That said, things aren’t that bad right now, but it’ll take time to process the paperwork. By the time things get bad enough to force you, you may not have the time to wait for your application to be processed. Plus, depending on the number of refugees, they may change the rules on who qualifies.
Worst thing that happens is that you spend some time, effort and money and you get some peace of mind, which isn’t a terrible thing at all.
This is the right answer. OP has a very privileged advantage not many people have, and not taking advantage of the opportunity would be such a waste, given they are actually considering it in the first place. And you’re right, getting citizenship doesn’t mean they have to move immediately, it just opens the door for options if shit hits the fan and they actually need to leave.
Best thing is that, if they do have to move, they could get married and save sometime else as well.