Undocumented Chinese among the first Trump will target for mass deportation: report

Undocumented Chinese immigrants reportedly stand to be among the first targeted by President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan, raising alarm among immigrant advocacy groups.

Driving the news: Sources close to the Trump campaign indicate that undocumented Chinese nationals, especially those deemed of military age, will be prioritized for deportation due to perceived national security threats, as per NBC News. Trump has previously suggested that these men might be forming a “little army” in the U.S. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows a surge in undocumented crossings by Chinese nationals, tripling between fiscal years 2022 and 2024. Many use routes from Japan to Mexico, crossing the southern border on foot, often after paying steep fees to human traffickers. Economic hardship and political dissatisfaction drive these migrants to seek a new life. “At my age, it’s hard to find a job, and I don’t like the political atmosphere in the country,” Xiao Jing, a woman in her 30s paying 250,000 yuan ($35,000) to cross the southern border, told VOA.
What advocates are doing: Asian American groups are urgently organizing resources in response to Trump’s plan. Organizations like the Asian American Federation and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund are reportedly disseminating rights information, recruiting multilingual legal support and training communities on securing immigration records. Jo-Ann Yoo of the Asian American Federation told NBC, “We’ve got to get people out there so that people understand what their rights are.” Meanwhile, Hong Kong activists are lobbying the Biden administration to extend Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) protections, which expire in February, fearing Trump will let them lapse. The political crackdown in Hong Kong has left many exiled protesters vulnerable, with more than 1,900 imprisoned under national security laws, Politico reported. Calls for stronger, permanent protections for Hong Kong migrants echo concerns over their uncertain status.
What the public is saying: Polls reflect a complicated public opinion landscape. Though nativist sentiment has grown, support for mass deportation remains inconsistent. A June Gallup poll found that 47% of Americans favor deporting all undocumented immigrants, but support drops when conditions like long-term residency or no criminal record are mentioned. Fifty-nine percent of voters in a June Pew Research Center poll backed pathways to citizenship under certain requirements. Political scientist Michael Tesler noted in an ABC News op-ed that public opinion shifts “against the current president’s policies in response to real or perceived changes in the status quo … with their opinions moving to the left under Trump and back to the right under (Joe) Biden.” Nevertheless, Trump allies see immigration crackdowns as a mandate, buoyed by a rise in nationalistic sentiments.

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