ICE arrests of Asian immigrants quadruple under Trump Administration

Image published under CC License 1.0 Courtesy American Community Media

Immigration arrests of Asian immigrants have surged since the launch of President Donald Trump’s second administration. That’s according to a new analysis by the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate.

The report released found that arrests of Asian immigrants by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2025 increased nearly fourfold compared with the previous year.

Using federal government data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the group reported that ICE arrested 7,752 immigrants from Asian countries between January and mid-October 2025. During the same period in 2024, ICE recorded 1,998 arrests.

Among those arrested in 2025, 7,069 were detained and 2,631 were ultimately deported.

Sharp rise in arrests of Asian immigrants

Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share of arrests at 26% (about 2,015 people). That was followed by Indian nationals at 25% (about 1,938), Vietnamese nationals at 12% (about 930), and Laotian nationals at 4% (about 310). South Korean nationals accounted for about 4% (roughly 300 people), ranking fifth among Asian countries. 

A separate analysis by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center also found a sharp rise in arrests of Asian immigrants. According to the center, ICE arrests involving Asian nationals rose from about 2,000 in 2024 to more than 7,000 in 2025.

The increase comes amid broader immigration enforcement efforts. In the past, enforcement often focused on undocumented immigrants with serious criminal records. More recently, authorities have increasingly targeted cases involving employment visa violations or other immigration status issues.

The relatively high number of South Korean arrests, in particular, may also reflect a large immigration enforcement operation in Georgia last year. That operation involved subcontracted workers tied to construction projects for Hyundai Motor Company and LG Energy Solution factories. Hundreds of Korean workers were reportedly detained in the operation.

‘Harder for people of color to feel safe here’

The report also found that the enforcement climate is having a significant psychological impact across Asian communities.

In a nationwide survey conducted by Stop AAPI Hate and the NORC at the University of Chicago, 53% of 1,378 Asian and Pacific Islander adults said they or someone in their community had been affected by anti-immigrant policies or sentiment over the past year.

“Our data shows that Asian and Pacific Islander people are having their lives and futures upended by the recent surge of anti-immigrant policies and sentiment,” said Stephanie Chan, director of data and research at Stop AAPI Hate, in an email statement. “Half of A/PI adults said that they or an A/PI person in their community has been affected. This is true for citizens and non-citizens alike.”

Chan said the impact is being felt across many aspects of daily life.

“People are worried their status will be questioned. They’re changing jobs and transferring schools. They’re self-censoring social media posts and withdrawing from political activism,” she said. “Some A/PI adults have even considered leaving the U.S. altogether, as the Trump administration makes it harder and harder for people of color to feel safe here.”

About 36% of survey respondents said they were concerned their immigration status or citizenship could be questioned, while 30% reported fears of arrest, detention or deportation. Nearly 28% said they had considered leaving the United States.

Additionally, 45% said they feel less safe living in the country than before, and 39% reported limiting activities such as traveling, visiting public places or participating on social media.

“The ICE raids, the travel bans, the anti-immigrant rhetoric — it’s all hate and bigotry codified in immigration policy, and the fallout is impacting all A/PI communities,” Chan said.

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The above article by Nancy Chang is reprinted here with the permission of American Community Media, a partner of East Palo Alto Today.

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