Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of people from Asian countries have nearly tripled over the past year, according to a new report from UCLA researchers—a sharp increase that has sparked concern among civil rights advocates and immigrant communities.
The release of the report comes on the heels of the high-profile arrests of more than 300 South Korean nationals at a Hyundai-LG electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia earlier this month—one of the largest immigration raids in U.S. history.
FILE – July 8, 2019 file photo of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an operation in Escondido, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
From February to May of this year, arrests of Asians jumped from under 700 to nearly 2,000—an increase of almost 200%. The share of Asians among all ICE arrests rose from 1.8% to 2.6%. In the first week of June alone, ICE arrested nearly nine times as many Asians compared to the same week last year.
The researchers noted that the rise in arrests has not been limited to individuals with prior criminal convictions. In fact, the share of convicted criminals among those arrested has dropped steadily this year—from nearly half in early 2025 to less than one-third by June.
This shift runs contrary to the Trump campaign’s frequent claim that immigration enforcement would focus on the “worst of the worst.”
The data, drawn from ICE records provided by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley Law School, also shows a concentration of arrests in a handful of states. California accounted for 19% of arrests, followed by Texas and New York, each with 11%. Together, the top five states made up about half of all arrests.
As for national origin, immigrants from China made up 30% of those arrested, followed by India at 26% and Vietnam at 15%. Nearly 80% of all Asian ICE arrests came from just five countries.
Looking ahead, the researchers expect the number of Asian arrests to rise even further in the coming months. While Latino communities have historically borne the brunt of ICE enforcement actions—often accompanied by racial profiling—the report warns that Asians may soon face increased scrutiny.
“Asians are 16% of the undocumented population and 25% of all non-citizen immigrants,” the brief states. “But they made up less than 3% of those arrested during the first few months of the Trump administration.”
That’s changing, and quickly.
The researchers also raise concerns that this uptick may coincide with a “resurgence in anti-Asian xenophobia,” something the community has faced in past periods of heightened political and social tension.
You can see the full study published by the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, here.
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