KFF Survey of Immigrants: Views and Experiences in the Early Days of President Trump's Second Term
During his second term, President Trump has implemented an array of immigration policy changes focused on restricting immigration and increasing interior enforcement efforts. While these policies have been a frequent topic of political discourse, the perspectives and experiences of immigrants themselves are often overlooked. To address this gap, this report includes new insights from a KFF Survey of Immigrants about their views and experiences during the early days of President Trump’s second term. This survey builds on the 2023 KFF/LA Times Survey of Immigrants and a KFF Survey of Immigrants in 2024 which examined claims about immigrants that circulated during the presidential election cycle. A companion report based on focus groups with Hispanic immigrants who are undocumented or living with an undocumented family member highlights the broad impacts of shifting immigration policies on this group.
Key Terms and Groups
Immigrants: In this report, immigrants are defined as adults residing in the U.S. who were born outside the U.S. and its territories. This includes naturalized citizens, lawfully present immigrants, and immigrants who are likely undocumented. Likely undocumented immigrants are included in total but cannot be reported separately due to insufficient sample size.
Naturalized citizens: Immigrants who said they are a U.S. citizen.
Lawfully present immigrants: Immigrants who said they are not a U.S. citizen but currently have a green card (lawful permanent status) or a valid work or student visa.
Key Takeaways
- Immigrants’ worries about detention or deportation have risen sharply since 2023, even among lawfully present immigrants and naturalized citizens, and many say these worries are affecting their health. Four in ten immigrants overall (41%) now say they worry about the possibility that they or a family member could be detained or deported, up 15 percentage points from 2023 (26%). Six in ten lawfully present immigrants report being worried about immigration enforcement, as do about a quarter of naturalized citizens. About six in ten (59%) Hispanic immigrants (many of whom are noncitizens) say they worry about detention or deportation, roughly three times the share of Asian immigrants (19%) who say the same. These immigration-related fears have negatively affected immigrants’ health and well-being, with one-third of immigrants overall saying they’ve experienced worsening health conditions, increased stress and anxiety, or problems eating or sleeping since January due to concerns about their or a family member’s immigration status, rising to 41% among lawfully present immigrants.
- As the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement across the country, some lawfully present immigrants report avoiding their normal activities. About one in eight (13%) immigrants overall, including one in five lawfully present immigrants, say they or a family member have limited their participation in at least one day-to-day activity like going to a community event, work, or seeking medical care due to concerns about drawing attention to someone’s immigration status. Amid increased immigration enforcement, about one-third of immigrants say they have seen or heard reports of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) presence in their community. About a third of immigrants are unsure whether ICE and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) can make arrests at “sensitive locations” such as schools, hospitals, and churches.
- Amid confusion and fears, some immigrants have taken precautionary actions to prepare for possible immigration enforcement. Three in ten immigrants overall say they have taken at least one precautionary step like seeking out information about immigrants’ rights or consulting an immigration attorney to prepare for possible immigration enforcement, rising to 46% among lawfully present immigrants. One in twelve (8%) immigrants say they personally know someone who has been detained, deported, or arrested because of their immigration status since January, rising to about one in seven (14%) among lawfully present immigrants.
- Four in ten immigrants say they feel “less safe” since President Trump took office, and a similar share expect their financial situation to worsen in the coming year. Substantial shares of both lawfully present immigrants (44%) and naturalized citizens (34%) report feeling less safe. More broadly, two-thirds of immigrants disapprove of how President Trump is handling his job, and a similar share say things in the U.S. have gotten off on the wrong track. Immigrants also convey unease about the future in open-ended responses describing how President Trump has affected their lives, expressing concerns about the cost of living and the availability of work.
- Immigrants who identify with the Republican Party have generally positive views of President Trump and life in the U.S., though some express concerns. A majority of Republican immigrants say they approve (75%) of President Trump’s job performance, with substantial shares saying they feel safer since he took office (52%) and that they expect their financial situation to improve in the coming year (40%). However, there are some signs of discontent among Republican immigrants; while four in ten (42%) say President Trump’s actions so far have been “better” than they expected, about one-third (36%) say his actions have been “worse” than expected, and one-quarter disapprove of his job performance.
- Most immigrants disapprove of President Trump’s handling of key policy areas and many of his immigration-related measures, but about half approve of his handling of border security (54% approve) and the decision to send additional military forces to the U.S.-Mexico border (53% approve). President Trump’s worst approval rating among immigrants is on his handling of inflation (75% disapprove), and majorities also disapprove of his performance on foreign policy (66%), and immigration (62%). A large majority oppose the administration’s efforts to end birthright citizenship (79%), and a smaller majority oppose efforts to deport more people living the U.S. illegally (57%). Immigrants who are Republican or lean toward the party are much more approving of President Trump’s performance and his policies, but 41% of Republican immigrants disapprove of his handling of inflation, and this group is split on his efforts to end birthright citizenship (52% approve, 48% disapprove).
Immigration-Related Fears and Worries
Worries about being detained or deported are much higher among immigrants now than in 2023, including among lawfully present immigrants and naturalized citizens. Fielded largely before President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport people to El Salvador and the legal case involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia made national headlines,1 the latest KFF Survey of Immigrants finds that overall, four in ten (41%) immigrants worry they or a family member could be detained or deported, up from 26% in 2023. As the Trump administration expands its focus beyond undocumented immigrants, the latest KFF Survey of Immigrants finds worries about detention and deportation have also risen among immigrants who are naturalized citizens and those who are lawfully present. About six in ten (61%) lawfully present immigrants now say they are worried about being detained or deported, roughly twice the share (33%) who said this in 2023. About twice as many naturalized citizens also say they now worry that they or a family member could be detained or deported compared to 2023 (23% vs. 12%). Worries about being detained or deported have also increased substantially among Hispanic immigrants (59% vs. 41%) and parents (50% vs. 32%). Hispanic immigrants are about three times as likely as Asian immigrants to say they worry about themselves or a family member being detained or deported (59% vs. 19%), likely reflecting the fact that a larger share of Hispanic immigrants are noncitizens.
In addition to these worries, one in twelve immigrants (8%) say they personally know someone who has been arrested, detained, or deported due to their immigration status since President Trump took office in January, rising to 14% among lawfully present immigrants and 13% among Hispanic immigrants.
In addition to worries about detention and deportation, about four in ten (43%) immigrants overall say they worry they or a family member could have their legal immigration status revoked, rising to six in ten (63%) lawfully present immigrants. About half of Hispanic immigrants (54%) and immigrant parents (52%), and about a quarter of naturalized citizens (25%) and Asian immigrants (27%), say they worry about their own or a family member’s legal immigration status being revoked. Overall, about half of all immigrants (48%), rising to seven in ten (72%) lawfully present immigrants, say they worry that they or someone in their family could either be detained or deported or have their legal status revoked. While the survey does not have sufficient sample size to report on the worries of likely undocumented immigrants, recent focus groups with Hispanic immigrants who are undocumented or have an undocumented family member detail how immigration-related fears and worries are affecting their daily lives.
About a third (32%) of immigrants overall say they have experienced negative health repercussions due to worries about their own or a family member’s immigration status since January, rising to four in ten (41%) lawfully present immigrants. This includes about three in ten (31%) immigrants who report increased stress, anxiety, or sadness, one in five (20%) who report problems sleeping or eating, and one in eight (12%) who report worsening health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure as a result of immigration-related worries. Lawfully present immigrants are about twice as likely as naturalized citizens to report at least one of these negative health impacts (41% vs. 20%), as are Hispanic immigrants compared to Asian immigrants (43% vs. 17%). About four in ten (38%) immigrant parents of children under 18 say they have experienced at least one of these negative health effects due to concerns about immigration status since January. These negative effects on health are echoed in a companion report about the experiences of Hispanic immigrants living in an undocumented family, many of whom reported health impacts for themselves and their children, such as insomnia, feelings of isolation and stress, and avoiding medical care.
Impacts of Immigration Enforcement on Activities and Community
One in five (21%) lawfully present immigrants say they or a family member have limited their participation in activities outside the home since January due to concerns about drawing attention to someone’s immigration status. This includes about one in five lawfully present immigrants who say they or a family member have avoided traveling (18%), one in ten who have avoided going to church or other community spaces or activities (9%) or seeking medical care (9%), and smaller shares who have avoided applying for a government program that helps pay for food, housing, or health care (7%), going to work (5%), or taking a child to school or attending school events (2%). Even among immigrants who are naturalized citizens, about 5% say they or a family member have avoided at least one of these things. About one-third (35%) of immigrants overall say they know anyone (including non-family members) who has done at least one of these things, including about almost half (45%) of lawfully present immigrants and a quarter of naturalized citizens. In focus groups among Hispanic adults who are undocumented or living in a family with an undocumented family member, many participants told stories about how they are avoiding doing these activities and generally seeing fewer people out in their neighborhoods, while some said they try to avoid leaving their homes entirely due to fears about immigration enforcement.
Amid heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, about one-third (36%) of immigrants say they’ve seen or heard reports of ICE in their community, even if they’re unsure those reports are true. About one in five immigrants say they saw or heard ICE being at store or business (22%) or a workplace employing immigrants (19%). Fewer said they heard about ICE being at or near a school (13%) or at a health care facility (6%).
As immigrants report avoiding some activities, many say they are unsure whether immigration enforcement activity can take place at “sensitive locations” such as hospitals, schools, and churches. As legal challenges continue over the Trump administration’s authority to do so, about a third (36%) of immigrants say they’re unsure whether ICE or CBP can arrest people at these “sensitive locations.” Four in ten (43%) say they think immigration enforcement arrests can take place at these places, while an additional one in five (21%) say they cannot. Confusion about this policy was echoed in KFF focus groups with Hispanic immigrants living with an undocumented family member, some of whom reported avoiding these places amid fears of immigration enforcement activity. In addition to confusion about this specific policy, one-third (36%) of immigrants say they feel they don’t have enough information about U.S. immigration policy to understand how it affects them and their family, though most (63%) say they do.
Amid confusion and worries, three in ten (30%) immigrants say they or a family member have taken steps to understand their rights or prepare for possible interactions with immigration authorities, rising to nearly half (46%) of lawfully present immigrants. This includes one in five immigrants who say they or a family member have sought out information about immigrants’ legal rights (20%) or who have started carrying proof of immigration status (17%). About one in ten say they or a family member have made a plan in case someone in the family is detained or deported (13%) or consulted an immigration attorney or other professional (9%). Lawfully present immigrants are more than twice as likely to say they or a family member have done at least one of these things compared to naturalized citizens (46% vs. 17%). In focus groups with Hispanic immigrants who are likely undocumented or have undocumented family members, some participants said they spoke with their children about potential scenarios involving detention, deportation, and/or family separation and said that they had assigned a local guardian for their children in case of such an event.
Four in ten (40%) immigrants say most people in the U.S. are not welcoming to immigrants, and one in ten report experiencing discrimination or mistreatment since January. While majorities of immigrants say most people in their neighborhood (72%) and in their state (68%) are welcoming to immigrants, far fewer (31%) say the same about most people in the U.S. overall. Further, about one in seven immigrants (14%) say they have experienced discrimination or mistreatment based on their race or ethnicity, appearance, accent, or immigration status since January, and similar shares say they have been criticized or insulted for speaking a language other than English (12%) or have been told they should “go back to where they came from” (12%).
Despite ongoing changes to U.S. immigration policy, most immigrants say they want to stay in the U.S. Overall, most (59%) immigrants say that, thinking about the future, they want to stay in the U.S., while one in eight (12%) say they want to move back to the country they were born in, 5% want to move to another country, and a quarter (24%) say they are “not sure.”
Immigrants’ Views of the U.S. Three Months into President Trump’s Second Term
Two-thirds (65%) of immigrants feel things in the U.S. have gotten off on the wrong track, while a third (34%) say things are going in the right direction. Most immigrants, regardless of citizenship status, say things in this country are on the wrong track, with majorities of both naturalized citizens (63%) and lawfully presents immigrants (73%) alike saying this. Similar to the public as a whole, immigrants’ views about where the country is headed are driven largely by partisan identification. About nine in ten (87%) immigrants who are Democrats or lean toward the party say things are on the wrong track, while about seven in ten (71%) who identify as Republicans or lean that way say the opposite—that things are going in the right direction.
About four in ten (43%) immigrants overall expect their financial situation to get worse in the coming year, while about a fifth expect it to get better and one-third expect it to stay the same. Fielded both before and after President Trump’s announcement and subsequent 90-day pause of widespread tariffs, the latest KFF Survey of Immigrants finds that how immigrants view their economic futures varies widely by partisanship. A majority (57%) of immigrants who are Democrats think their financial situation will get worse, whereas a plurality of Republicans (40%) think it will get better. Yet, on this question, even three in ten (30%) Republican immigrants say they think their financial situation will get worse in the coming year.
About two-thirds (64%) of immigrants overall disapprove of Trump’s handling of his job as president, but there are wide divides by party identification. Similar to U.S. adults overall, nearly nine in ten (87%) immigrants who are Democrats disapprove of the way President Trump is handling his job as president, whereas three-quarters (75%) of immigrants who are Republican say they approve. Overall, majorities of both immigrants who are naturalized citizens (60%) and those who are lawfully present immigrants (70%) say they disapprove of the way President Trump is handling his job.
A majority (57%) of immigrants say the Trump administration’s actions are worse than they expected, including about a third (36%) who say they are “a lot worse.” While immigrants who identify as Democrats are much more likely to say the Trump administration’s actions have been worse than they expected, even among Republicans, about one-third (36%) say the Trump administration’s actions at are least “a little worse” than they expected.
About half (49%) of immigrants say President Trump’s actions have had a generally negative impact on them and their family, while one in seven (14%) report a positive impact and about a third (36%) say they have had “no real impact.” About seven in ten (69%) immigrants who are Democrats say the president’s actions have had a generally negative impact on them and their family, whereas about four in ten (45%) Republicans say his actions have had a generally positive impact. Across citizenship status, partisanship, and race and ethnicity, about three in ten or more immigrants say President Trump’s actions since taking office have had “no real impact” on them and their families.
When asked to describe how they have been negatively affected by President Trump’s actions, the largest share express concerns about the economy and impacts to their financial situation, including inflation and rising prices as well as job losses (57% among those who report a negative impact). Some (18%) say the president’s actions have caused increased stress and anxiety, while others say his actions have caused immigration-related fears (17%) like worrying about deportation or experiencing more hostility because they are an immigrant. Among immigrants who say they have been positively affected by President Trump’s actions, many (27%) said they feel more secure because of the administration’s actions on the border and immigration, or that they generally like President Trump (20%).
In Their Own Words: How Immigrants Have Been Affected By President Trump’s Actions
In a few words, can you describe how Trump’s actions as President have affected you and your family?
Among those who said generally negative impact and mentioned the economy:
“The way he has acted has brought down the economy such as food, gas, education, and healthcare.”— 56 year-old Vietnamese immigrant man in California
“Cost of living is going up. I’m a small business owner and the current sense is that our material cost will substantially increase and our customer base is shrinking due to cost.”—60 year-old Norwegian immigrant man in California
“Although we don’t bear the brunt of these negative impacts, it’s clear Trump is actively making things harder for a middle class family like mine by imposing high tariffs and dealing with economic issues badly.” —20 year-old Chinese immigrant man in California
“Cost of everything is even higher, economy is able to crash, my retirement account is going the wrong way.” —42 year-old Indian immigrant man in California
Among those who said generally negative impact and mentioned immigration-related fears:
“Now my entire family feels unsafe and worried that the police will stop us and have negative behavior and/or be aggressive with us. Additionally, we’re very worried that the tariffs for Mexico and Canada will make the prices in the United States go up a lot.” —55 year-old Colombian immigrant woman in Texas
“It has significantly increased the uncertainty despite me being here legally. It often feels like my status is constantly at risk, making it difficult to feel truly secure in this country. There’s always the looming fear of complications when reentering from another country, adding an extra layer of stress and unpredictability. The ever-changing immigration landscape has made the process more complicated, creating a sense of anxiety and instability. This uncertainty has reached a point where America no longer feels like a safe, secure, or reliable place to build a future, forcing many to question whether staying here is truly sustainable in the long run.” —27 year-old Indian immigrant woman in Pennsylvania
“Every day there’s anxiety, frustration because of not knowing where the country is heading toward. There’s a lot of sadness and indignation. My children are scared by what they hear at school.” —40 year-old Mexican immigrant woman in California
“The fear that my husband or I will be detained by ICE and not knowing what will happen to our children is our greatest fear.” —35 year-old Mexican immigrant woman in California
“I couldn’t travel outside the US to see my parents at my home country, because of changing laws everyday.” —33 year-old Indian immigrant woman in North Carolina
Among those who said generally positive impact:
“Given us a sense of security against the criminal illegal alien; we are thankful for holding to the rule of law and protecting the US against this invasion” —53 year-old Salvadorian immigrant woman in California
“Seeing all the work that he [President Trump] has done in the short time that he has been office is absolutely amazing. I am feeling so much better about our country now that he is our President.” —54 year-old Sri Lankan immigrant woman in California
Four in ten (40%) immigrants, including 44% of lawfully present immigrants and a third (34%) of naturalized citizens, say they feel “less safe” since President Trump took office, but most (52%) Republican immigrants say they feel safer. Overall, about four in ten immigrants (42%) say they feel “about the same in terms of safety,” while 18% report feeling “safer” since President Trump took office. Feelings about safety are strongly shaped by partisanship, with about half of immigrants who are Republicans (52%) saying they feel “safer” and a similar share of immigrants who are Democrats saying they feel “less safe” (57%) since President Trump took office.
Immigrants’ Views of President Trump’s Performance and Policies
Most immigrants disapprove of the way President Trump is handling inflation (75%), foreign policy (66%), and immigration (62%), but a slim majority (54%) say they approve of how he is handling border security. Recent polls of the general public similarly find that President Trump gets his lowest marks for handling inflation and somewhat higher approval on immigration-related issues.
President Trump’s job approval among immigrants across various domains varies widely by partisanship, but across groups his lowest marks are on handling inflation. Large shares of Republican immigrants approve of how President Trump is handling border security (97%), immigration (81%), and foreign policy (75%). A smaller majority (59%) of Republican immigrants approve of how he is handling inflation. Large shares of immigrants who are Democrats say they disapprove of how President Trump is handling border security (68%), immigration (81%), foreign policy (87%), and inflation (92%). On most policy areas, the views of immigrants who are lawfully present immigrants are similar to those who are naturalized citizens, but lawfully present immigrants are more likely to disapprove of how President Trump is handling immigration than naturalized citizens (72% vs. 54%). Slim majorities of naturalized citizens (54%) and lawfully present immigrants (55%) alike approve of how he is handling border security.
Majorities of immigrants disapprove of the administration’s efforts to end birthright citizenship (79%) and to deport more people living in the U.S. illegally (57%), but many approve of sending additional military forces to the U.S. border (53% approve). A Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year found that among the public overall, majorities disapproved of the Trump administration’s efforts to end birthright citizenship, but majorities approved of increasing deportations and sending more troops to the U.S. Mexico border.
Republican immigrants are more likely than those who identify as Democrats to support the Trump administration’s immigration policies but remain divided on ending birthright citizenship. On each of the three immigration policies polled, immigrants who are Republican are much more likely than Democrats to say they approve of the administration’s efforts. Notably, while about eight in ten or more Republican immigrants say they approve of the administration’s efforts to deport more people and send additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, Republican immigrants are split on efforts to end birthright citizenship (52% approve, 48% disapprove). Immigrants who are naturalized citizens and lawfully present immigrants have similar views on all three of the immigration policies polled.
