NYT highlights rise of separatist movements in US and Canada

Several regions in the United States and Canada are seeing renewed separatist activity, with groups advocating separation from their federal governments over concerns about economic inequality and a perceived lack of political representation, according to The New York Times (NYT).

In Seattle, the group Cascadia Democratic Action is preparing initiatives aimed at holding referendums in 2028 in the states of Washington and Oregon on leaving the United States.

“We’re in an abusive relationship with the federal government. Divorce is a valid response,” the organisation’s leader, Andrew Engelson, said.

Meanwhile, the campaign to incorporate conservative counties in eastern Oregon into a neighbouring “Greater Idaho” has already won referendums in 13 counties. Supporters argue that eastern Oregon covers roughly two-thirds of the state’s territory but accounts for only 10–15 percent of its population.

“They just don’t understand us on the other side of the mountains,” said county judge Dan Joyce. However, two counties that initially backed the proposal later withdrew their support.

The newspaper noted that similar sentiments are emerging elsewhere across the country. Lawmakers in Indiana have passed legislation inviting conservative counties from Illinois to join the state, while a senator from West Virginia has proposed that 30 border counties in Virginia and Maryland become part of West Virginia.

In Canada, the province of Alberta is preparing for a referendum in October 2026 on the possibility of leaving the country.

Experts say these movements are driven by a common dynamic.

“What propels these movements is when that sense of feeling different really comes with economic consequences,” Semir Dzebo, a researcher at the University of Oxford, noted.

Despite growing interest, such initiatives face significant legal hurdles. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in 1869 that states cannot unilaterally secede from the Union. Any change in state boundaries requires approval from the affected states and the US Congress.

According to Hugh Spitzer, even the most realistic scenarios would likely take decades to materialise.

By Jeyhun Aghazada