(UNITED STATES) – AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released a poll on June 15, 2026, showing that most Asian American and Pacific Islander adults no longer see the United States as a great country for immigrants as immigration crackdowns reshape daily life, travel decisions and trust in public systems.

The survey of 1,075 AAPI adults, conducted April 20–28, 2026, found that 64% said the United States “used to be a great place for immigrants, but is not anymore.” Another 34% still viewed it as a great place for immigrants.

Nearly 50% said they or someone they know had been detained or deported within the last year. The poll also found 41% had started carrying proof of citizenship or immigration status at all times, compared with 25% in the general U.S. population.

Those findings arrived days after the Department of Homeland Security issued new enforcement directives on June 9, 2026. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said, “The Department is taking unprecedented steps to ensure the integrity of our systems. Effective immediately, I have directed ICE to prioritize the detection and deportation of any alien who attempts to subvert our democratic process by voting or registering to vote in American elections.”

USCIS had already moved in a stricter direction. In a policy update issued May 8, 2026, the agency addressed Presidential Proclamation 10949, which restricts entry for certain foreign nationals based on national security, and outlined the “Impact on USCIS adjudications,” signaling tighter vetting for visa and status applications.

Congress also approved $70 billion in additional funding for ICE and Border Patrol on June 9, 2026, expanding what officials described as a mass deportation campaign. ICE press releases through June 2026 used the phrase “WORST OF THE WORST” while highlighting the arrest of thousands of “criminal illegal aliens.”

The poll lands in the year of the country’s 250th anniversary, or America 250, and sets demographic growth against a darker reading of national belonging. AAPI adults are among the fastest-growing groups in the country, yet the survey found many now see the American Dream as harder to reach.

The poll tied that shift to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration approach. It cited high-profile enforcement actions, including the “Minneapolis crackdown” earlier in 2026, and described a climate in which even naturalized citizens and legal permanent residents felt their status was being questioned more often by authorities and by the public.

Travel emerged as one of the clearest signs of that pressure. The survey found 34% of AAPI adults had changed travel plans because they feared they would not be allowed back into the country or would face secondary inspection on return.

Daily routines have changed as well. Many respondents said they were avoiding certain public spaces or immigrant-heavy communities to reduce the chance of encounters with ICE or Customs and Border Protection officers.

Healthcare fears also surfaced in the findings. The poll found 32% of respondents were “extremely or very concerned” that their medical records could be shared with immigration enforcement after a December 2025 court ruling allowed that data sharing.

That concern reaches beyond enforcement encounters and into ordinary medical care. It links immigration policy to whether families feel safe seeking treatment, disclosing personal information or entering hospitals and clinics at all.

Advocates at Stop AAPI Hate said the language directed at AAPI communities had shifted. “Go back to your country” was increasingly being replaced by “ICE is going to deport you,” they said, fueling anxiety and a sense of exclusion.

The poll’s numbers suggest that fear is not limited to undocumented immigrants. People with citizenship papers and lawful status reported carrying documents more often, adjusting movement and weighing the risk of routine contact with public agencies.

That atmosphere also intersects with the federal immigration system beyond enforcement arrests. Stricter adjudications at USCIS can affect visa and status applicants, while the June 2026 State Department Visa Bulletin remains a reference point for families waiting in immigrant visa backlogs and for lawful permanent residence processing tied to visa availability.

Federal agencies have posted the new measures and updates across their public channels, including the USCIS Newsroom, DHS press releases and the ICE Newsroom. Together, those statements and actions form the policy backdrop for a survey in which many AAPI adults described a country less welcoming than the one they once believed in.