The Huffman family of Humble, Texas, has achieved their dream of protecting their three daughters from the dangers of American public education by moving to Russia, where father Derek now proudly serves in a war zone with minimal language training.
The family relocated in March after becoming concerned that their children might learn that lesbians exist, a threat they deemed severe enough to warrant abandoning their American citizenship for a nation currently engaged in a grinding military conflict with its neighbor.
Derek Huffman, who praised Vladimir Putin as "an amazing leader" and declared that social media platform X is "the only place where you get real information," has discovered that Russia's traditional values extend to military conscription. Despite being promised non-combat roles as a welder or correspondent, Huffman received limited training conducted entirely in Russian before being deployed near the front lines in Ukraine—a position his wife DeAnna described as being "thrown to the wolves."
The family settled in an experimental community outside Moscow designed specifically for English-speaking conservatives fleeing liberal gender norms. The "American village," founded by expatriate blogger Tim Kirby, has successfully attracted a total of two families, making it roughly as popular as a vegan steakhouse in cattle country.
Meanwhile, fellow Texas refugees Leo and Chantelle Hare have also discovered Russia's commitment to conservative principles after investing their $50,000 life savings with their landlord's son in what was described as a lucrative car import business. The couple received one payment before the money disappeared, and Russian law enforcement has shown no interest in pursuing the matter—presumably because investigating financial fraud would be an example of the oppressive government overreach they fled America to escape.
The Hares' three sons have also benefited from their parents' wise decision, with the two oldest now expressing their desire to return to America, which their parents assure them no longer exists in any meaningful form. The children cannot attend Russian public schools without passing a language proficiency test, thus protecting them from the institutionalized education their parents so deeply feared.
Both families have expressed unwavering confidence in their decisions. "When we left, it was final. We don't plan to come back. There will not be anything to come back to," Chantelle Hare explained, demonstrating the kind of measured, rational thinking that clearly guided their relocation plans.
The families are among approximately 127 Americans who have applied for Russia's "ideological immigrant" program, which offers residence to those rejecting Western values—values such as consumer protections, transparent legal systems, and the expectation that fathers of young children won't be sent to active combat zones.
