politics
Most AAPI adults say views of U.S. opportunity for immigrants have shifted amid enforcement changes
A new AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll finds that most Asian American and Pacific Islander adults have experienced or witnessed some degree of upheaval because of the Trump administration’s heightened immigration policies
Jun 15, 1:21 AM·2m read3 sources
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A poll conducted April 20-28 by AAPI Data and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that roughly half of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults reported that they or someone they know had been detained or deported, begun carrying proof of citizenship or immigration status, changed travel plans, or altered daily routines due to immigration concerns in the past year.
The survey of 1,075 respondents drawn from NORC’s Amplify AAPI Panel had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
About 6 in 10 AAPI adults said the U.S. once offered great opportunities for immigrants but no longer does, while 3 in 10 still view the Land of America as a great place for immigrants and 5% said it never was. A separate April AP-NORC survey showed 55% of U.S. adults overall view being American as important to their identity.
Federal courts have blocked two immigration policies during the current administration. One measure would have increased fees for certain types of visas. The other would have categorically barred immigrants from 39 Asian, African, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries from receiving final decisions on asylum, work permit, green card and citizenship applications.
Khoa Tran, a 27-year-old naturalized citizen who came from Vietnam in 2015 and gained citizenship in 2019, said he became concerned after seeing social media posts urging legal immigrants to carry documentation. He and his wife now treat her green card as a second form of identification.
He has also observed international students postponing trips to visit family in Asia over student visa worries. “They're just scared. They don't know the law around that. Better safe than sorry,” he said.
About half of South Asian adults know someone who began carrying proof of legal status or citizenship in the past year, compared with 4 in 10 AAPI adults overall. South Asian adults are more likely to have been born outside the U.S compared to other AAPI subgroups.
