A major new poll from AP-NORC and AAPI Data finds that roughly 60% of Asian American and Pacific Islander adults believe the United States was once a welcoming place for immigrants but no longer is. Only about 30% still consider the U.S. a great destination for immigrants today. The findings reflect growing fear, policy-driven hardship, and a deepening sense of exclusion across AAPI communities nationwide.
Why Do AAPI Adults Feel Negative About Immigration in the US?
The shift in sentiment is not abstract — it’s rooted in lived experience. The poll, conducted by AP-NORC in partnership with AAPI Data, shows that most AAPI adults say the US is no longer a great country for immigrants because they’ve watched policy become a weapon rather than a welcome mat. [1]
Sixty percent of respondents said the country once offered genuine opportunity for immigrants but has moved away from that promise. Only 30% still believe it delivers on that promise today. That’s not a slight dip in optimism. That’s a collapse in confidence.
The core drivers of this shift include:
- Aggressive immigration enforcement that affects legal residents, not just undocumented people
- Rising anti-Asian bias that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic and never fully receded
- Economic stress that immigration policy has not eased
- A political climate that many AAPI adults describe as hostile to diversity and inclusion [1][3]
What Are the Main Reasons for Declining Immigrant Sentiment?
The decline in positive immigrant sentiment among AAPI adults stems from three overlapping forces: enforcement fear, economic pressure, and cultural alienation.
Enforcement fear is immediate and personal. Nearly half of AAPI adults say they or someone they know has faced detention, deportation, or changed their daily behavior because of immigration status concerns in the past year. [1] That’s not a statistic about strangers. That’s a neighbor, a coworker, a family member.
Economic pressure is constant. The vast majority of AAPI adults report stress over the cost of living, and few believe current federal policies have helped. [2] When immigration enforcement increases while economic relief stays out of reach, the promise of America feels hollow.
Cultural alienation is growing. More AAPI adults now say they identify more strongly with their family’s country of origin than with their American identity — even those born in the United States. [1] That’s a significant marker of disconnection from national belonging.
How Have Immigration Experiences Changed for Asian Americans Recently?
The experience of being an immigrant or the child of immigrants in the U.S. has changed sharply in recent years. The most visible sign: 40% of AAPI adults have started carrying proof of their legal status or citizenship in the past year. [1]
That number is higher among South Asian adults, a community that has faced increased scrutiny and profiling in the post-9/11 era and again during recent immigration crackdowns. Carrying your papers is not a neutral act. It signals that you no longer feel safe assuming your presence is accepted.
The generational experience also matters here. First-generation immigrants often came to the U.S. with high hopes and a willingness to endure hardship for long-term gain. But when their children — born here, educated here, working here — also feel the need to prove their right to exist, something fundamental has changed.
What Challenges Do AAPI Immigrants Currently Face in the United States?
AAPI immigrants in 2026 face a combination of legal vulnerability, social hostility, and economic uncertainty that cuts across income levels and immigration status.
Legal and enforcement challenges:
- Risk of detention even for legal residents caught in enforcement sweeps
- Fear of deportation affecting daily decisions like whether to drive, attend community events, or visit government offices
- Increased documentation requirements that create anxiety for mixed-status families [1]
Social and cultural challenges:
- Persistent anti-Asian bias linked to COVID-era scapegoating
- Feeling unwelcome in public spaces and political discourse
- Ambivalence about celebrating national milestones like America’s 250th anniversary, given policies many see as undermining inclusion [1]
Economic challenges:
- Cost-of-living stress that federal immigration policy has not addressed [2]
- Workplace vulnerability for those with uncertain immigration status
- Difficulty accessing services due to fear of government contact
How Does Current US Immigration Policy Impact Asian American Communities?
Current immigration policy has had a direct and measurable impact on Asian American communities. About 60% of AAPI adults say President Trump’s immigration policies have done more harm than good. Roughly two-thirds say he has “gone too far” in deporting immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status. [3]
This matters because the AAPI community is not monolithic. It includes naturalized citizens, green card holders, visa holders, DACA recipients, and undocumented residents. When enforcement sweeps are broad and indiscriminate, the entire community feels the ripple effects.
The unfavorable view of ICE among AAPI adults — 73%, compared to 60% of the general public — reflects how enforcement has become a source of fear rather than security for these communities. [2]
“The mixing of cultures and values from around the world is central to America’s identity.” — Sentiment shared by 73% of AAPI adults polled, even as many feel that identity is under threat. [1]
Are Other Minority Groups Experiencing Similar Feelings About Immigration?
AAPI adults are not alone in their concerns, but their experience has some distinct features. While Latino and Black communities have long documented the harms of aggressive immigration enforcement, the AAPI community’s shift in sentiment is notable because it includes many people who came to the U.S. with high educational and economic expectations.
The general public’s unfavorable view of ICE sits at 60% — significant, but still 13 points below the AAPI community’s 73%. [2] This gap suggests that AAPI adults feel the impact of enforcement policy more acutely, or at least more personally, than the broader population.
What’s consistent across communities of color is the experience of being treated as suspect regardless of legal status. That shared experience is shaping a broader coalition of concern about the direction of U.S. immigration policy.
How Do Immigration Experiences Differ by Generation of AAPI Immigrants?
Generational differences within the AAPI community shape how immigration policy is experienced and interpreted. First-generation immigrants often have direct experience with the immigration system — visas, green cards, naturalization — and feel enforcement changes most immediately.
Second-generation AAPI adults, born in the U.S., increasingly report that they still don’t feel fully American. The fact that more AAPI adults — including U.S.-born respondents — identify more strongly with their family’s ancestry than with their American identity is a striking finding. [1] It suggests that the sense of belonging promised by birthright citizenship is not being delivered in practice.
Younger AAPI adults are also more likely to be politically engaged and vocal about these concerns, which partly explains the rising unfavorable ratings for Trump among this demographic. [6]
What Specific Factors Are Making the US Less Welcoming for Immigrants?
Several concrete factors are driving the perception that the U.S. is no longer a welcoming place for immigrants, according to the poll data.
- Deportation policies: Two-thirds of AAPI adults say the current administration has gone too far in deporting people. [3]
- Enforcement tactics: The broad reach of immigration enforcement — affecting legal residents, mixed-status families, and community institutions — creates widespread fear. [1]
- Political rhetoric: Language that frames immigration as a threat rather than an asset alienates communities that came here because they believed in the American promise.
- Rollback of diversity initiatives: Many AAPI adults feel that recent federal policy has actively dismantled programs and protections that made them feel included. [1]
- Economic disappointment: The cost-of-living crisis has not been eased by current policy, leaving many immigrants wondering whether the sacrifice was worth it. [2]
How Has Anti-Asian Sentiment During COVID Affected Immigration Perceptions?
The COVID-19 pandemic left a lasting mark on how Asian Americans experience life in the United States. The wave of anti-Asian harassment and violence that peaked in 2020 and 2021 didn’t disappear — it changed the baseline of how AAPI adults assess their safety and belonging.
For many AAPI immigrants, the pandemic revealed that their acceptance in American society was conditional. When a political leader or media figure blamed Asian people for a global health crisis, the sense of being permanently “foreign” — regardless of citizenship status — resurfaced.
That experience is inseparable from how AAPI adults now read immigration policy. Enforcement that targets people who look like them, combined with the memory of being scapegoated during COVID, compounds the feeling that the U.S. has become less safe and less welcoming.
How Do These Poll Results Compare to Previous Years’ Immigrant Sentiments?
The trend line is clear and moving in one direction. Unfavorable views of President Trump among AAPI adults rose from 60% in December 2024 to 71% by mid-2025. [6] That’s an 11-point swing in roughly six months — a rapid deterioration in confidence.
Earlier polls showed AAPI adults were divided on immigration enforcement, with some supporting stricter border policies while opposing mass deportations. [5] But as enforcement has expanded and affected legal residents and mixed-status families, that division has narrowed. The community is increasingly unified in its concern.
The shift from cautious optimism to majority pessimism about the U.S. as an immigrant destination represents a significant change from even five years ago, when AAPI adults were more likely to describe the U.S. as a land of genuine opportunity.
FAQ
What poll found that most AAPI adults say the US is no longer a great country for immigrants?
The AP-NORC poll conducted in partnership with AAPI Data found that approximately 60% of AAPI adults believe the U.S. was once welcoming to immigrants but no longer is, with only 30% still viewing it as a great place for immigrants today. [1]
How many AAPI adults say they’ve been personally affected by immigration enforcement?
Nearly half of AAPI adults report that they or someone they know has faced detention, deportation, or changed their daily routines due to immigration status concerns in the past year. [1]
Why are so many AAPI adults carrying proof of citizenship?
About 40% of AAPI adults have started carrying proof of their legal status or U.S. citizenship over the past year, driven by fear of immigration enforcement affecting even legal residents. This practice is more common among South Asian adults. [1]
What percentage of AAPI adults have an unfavorable view of ICE?
73% of AAPI adults hold unfavorable views of ICE, compared to 60% of the general public. [2]
Do AAPI adults support any immigration enforcement?
The community is divided. While AAPI adults broadly oppose mass deportations and aggressive enforcement tactics, immigration remains a top policy priority for the community, with varying views on what enforcement should look like. [5]
Has Trump’s approval rating changed among AAPI adults?
Yes. Unfavorable views of President Trump among AAPI adults rose from 60% in December 2024 to 71% by mid-2025, a significant shift in a short period. [6]
Do AAPI adults still believe in America’s multicultural identity?
Yes — 73% of AAPI adults believe that the mixing of cultures and values from around the world is central to America’s identity, even as many feel that identity is being undermined by current policy. [1]
Are younger or older AAPI adults more likely to feel negatively about immigration policy?
Younger AAPI adults tend to be more politically engaged and vocal in their opposition to current enforcement policies. The generational data shows that even U.S.-born AAPI adults increasingly identify more with their family’s ancestry than with their American identity. [1]
Conclusion
The data from this poll is not a political talking point. It’s a community telling us something important: the promise that drew millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to this country is feeling less real by the year.
When 60% of AAPI adults say the US is no longer a great country for immigrants, that’s not pessimism for its own sake. It’s a response to enforcement policies that reach into legal households, economic pressures that haven’t eased, and a political climate that has made too many people feel like they need to prove they belong.
For residents of the Mohawk Valley and upstate New York, this matters directly. Utica has been a model of refugee resettlement and immigrant integration for decades. The AAPI community, like our Bosnian, Somali Bantu, and other immigrant neighbors, has contributed enormously to this region’s revival. Policies that make the U.S. feel hostile to immigrants don’t stay abstract — they show up in our schools, our workplaces, and our neighborhoods.
Here’s what you can do:
- Contact your congressional representatives and urge them to support humane immigration reform that protects legal residents and mixed-status families.
- Attend local town hall meetings and ask candidates where they stand on immigration enforcement and immigrant services.
- Support local organizations in Oneida County that provide immigrant legal services and community support.
- Share this information with neighbors who may not know how broadly these policies are affecting AAPI communities.
- Register to vote and encourage others to do the same — voter registration is one of the most direct forms of civic participation available.
The 73% of AAPI adults who still believe cultural mixing is central to America’s identity haven’t given up on this country. They’re asking the country not to give up on them.
References
[1] AP News – AAPI Immigration Poll – https://apnews.com/article/0e28e07969ff36211c28900721562bf8
[2] AAPI Adults See Benefits of Immigration, Most Oppose Current Enforcement Practices – https://apnorc.org/projects/aapi-adults-see-benefits-of-immigration-most-oppose-current-enforcement-practices/
[3] AAPI Adults Mostly Think Trump Has Done More Harm Than Good on Immigration, New Poll Finds – https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2026/aapi-adults-mostly-think-trump-has-done-more-harm-than-good-on-immigration-new-poll-finds/
[4] AAPI Data – https://apnorc.org/download-data/aapi-data/
[5] AAPI Adults Prioritize Immigration But Split on Mass Deportations, AP-NORC AAPI Data Poll – https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/aapi-adults-prioritize-immigration-but-split-on-mass-deportations-ap-norc-aapi-data-poll/
[6] Trump’s Favorability Has Fallen Among AAPI Adults Since Last Year, AAPI Data AP-NORC Poll Finds – https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/trumps-favorability-has-fallen-among-aapi-adults-since-last-year-aapi-data-ap-norc-poll-finds/
