(TIJUANA, MEXICO) Claims that Trump-era immigration policies pushed U.S. visa holders to leave affordable housing in Tijuana and remain inside the United States 🇺🇸 are not supported by available evidence. As of October 2025, there is no documented link between those policies and housing choices among lawful visa holders, according to public records and reporting. The policies most clearly affected asylum seekers, refugees, and people without status, not workers and students with valid visas.
Tijuana remains a major border city for migrants and people with pending cases. During the Trump years (2017–2021), the city saw large numbers of asylum seekers waiting for hearings under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), known as “Remain in Mexico.” Many rented rooms or stayed in shelters because housing is cheaper than across the border and close to U.S. ports of entry. But that pattern mostly involved asylum seekers, not H‑1B tech workers, F‑1 students, or other nonimmigrant visa holders.
Policy Context and What We Know
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, broad Trump-era immigration policies included tougher enforcement, efforts to narrow legal pathways, and lower refugee admissions. Core moves included:
- Expanded deportation priorities and interior enforcement
- Attempts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several nationalities
- The “public charge” rule that increased scrutiny of some applicants for permanent residence
- The MPP program, which sent certain asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for U.S. court dates
Each of these steps had real effects. Families were split across borders, court backlogs grew, and shelters in Tijuana and other cities adapted to people who could not enter the U.S. to await their hearings. However, experts say there is no clear evidence tying these measures to a specific shift in housing choices by lawful visa holders living in or near Tijuana.
Most legal visa holders were not the targets of these policies and could typically live where their work, school, or family needs placed them.
U.S. asylum and refugee policies shifted often from 2017 to 2021. Under MPP, many asylum seekers had to remain in Mexico—often in Tijuana—until their hearing dates. The Department of Homeland Security summarizes the program and its implementation on its official page, which explains who fell under the policy and when it applied. For background, see the Department of Homeland Security MPP overview: https://www.dhs.gov/migrant-protection-protocols.
Importantly, the lack of evidence about visa holders’ housing patterns is not proof the trend occurred; it means the data and reporting available do not verify it. Journalists, aid groups, and border researchers focused on people stuck in the MPP pipeline, families waiting on metering lists at ports of entry, or those facing removal. That body of work does show widespread use of affordable housing in Tijuana by migrants and asylum seekers who could not afford long stays elsewhere.
Human Impact in Tijuana
Shelters such as Casa del Migrante adjusted during the Trump period to waves of people who had pending cases or hoped to seek protection. Staff arranged beds, legal workshops, and health care referrals. Some residents rented rooms in nearby neighborhoods because rents were lower and daily life felt manageable while they waited.
Community groups helped children access school and provided food kits for families living on tight budgets. Lawyers in Tijuana and San Diego reported steady requests for help with filings, including asylum and refugee policy questions and work permits for eligible clients. These services reflect ongoing need, not a verified shift by the visa-holder community tied to the 2017–2021 policy framework.
For people seeking asylum, the legal process hinges on filing:
- Form I-589 — Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal
- Form I-765 — Application for Employment Authorization (available after meeting eligibility rules)
These forms must be filed with the correct office and within specified timelines. Readers can find official instructions on Form I-589 and Form I-765:
– Form I-589
– Form I-765
These forms are central to the experience of people who stayed in Tijuana during MPP or who crossed and pursued claims inside the U.S.
Why Visa Holders’ Housing Choices Differ
What the record does not show is a wave of lawful visa holders—such as H‑1B employees or F‑1 students—leaving affordable housing in Tijuana specifically because of Trump-era policies and then deciding to remain in the U.S. instead.
Nonimmigrant visa status typically depends on:
- Work, school, or family situations
- Job location and employer requirements
- School terms and attendance rules
- Lease agreements and wages
Housing choices for these groups are more likely shaped by those practical factors than by policy measures aimed at asylum and refugee processing.
That distinction matters because misreading the policy map can lead to poor decisions. For example:
- A student weighing a cross-border commute should consider:
- School attendance rules
- Visa conditions
- Transportation time
- An H‑1B worker should monitor:
- Employer compliance
- I‑94 validity
- Travel plans
Policy watchers also point out that shifting rules can cause spillover effects. When asylum access tightens, more people may wait in Mexico; local housing markets can feel pressure as demand for rentals rises. That can affect prices, availability, and neighborhood dynamics.
However, experts separate market pressure from a direct policy push on visa holders. The strongest documented link is between asylum restrictions and where asylum seekers live while they wait—not between those rules and the housing choices of lawful workers and students.
Practical Guidance for People in the Border Region
If you’re in the border region and considering next steps:
- Check the official rules for your status or case type.
- For asylum, review the Form I-589 instructions and filing locations: https://www.uscis.gov/i-589.
- If eligible for work authorization, read the Form I-765 guidance before filing: https://www.uscis.gov/i-765.
- Keep records of entries, exits, and any court notices.
- Speak with a qualified attorney if your situation changes.
Good reporting—and good policymaking—requires separating categories: asylum seekers under MPP, refugees waiting for resettlement, TPS holders, visa overstays, and lawful workers and students. Conflating them obscures the true effects of policy.
Bottom Line
On the question at hand, the record is clear: there is no current evidence that Trump-era immigration policies specifically caused U.S. visa holders to leave affordable housing in Tijuana and remain in the U.S. This conclusion aligns with public reports and review of official sources. VisaVerge.com reports that most measures in that period targeted asylum processing and enforcement, not lawful visa holders’ residential choices.
This Article in a Nutshell
An updated review finds no documented connection, as of October 2025, between Trump-era immigration policies and U.S. visa holders abandoning affordable housing in Tijuana to remain in the United States. The policies enacted from 2017–2021—such as expanded interior enforcement, attempts to end TPS, the public charge rule, and the MPP program—primarily affected asylum seekers, refugees, and people without status. Those groups often used cheaper housing or shelters in Tijuana while awaiting U.S. hearings. Evidence shows housing pressure in Tijuana stems from asylum-related flows and local market dynamics, while lawful H‑1B and F‑1 visa holders typically base housing on work, school, and lease factors rather than those enforcement measures.
