According to a recent Pew Research survey, almost a quarter (23%) of all U.S. adults, regardless of their immigration status, are concerned they or someone they know may be deported. Although the largest share of this comes from immigrants (43%), more than one-third (34%) of U.S.-born children of immigrants and 19% of all U.S.-born adults experience this fear.
There is a wide partisan gap in sentiment, with 35% of the total number of Democrats and only 10% of Republicans worried that they or someone they know will be deported. When it comes to immigrants (regardless of legal status), half (50%) who identify as Democrats and almost a third (31%) who identify as Republicans fear deportation for themselves or someone they know.
These fears rose between March and June and the June survey was taken before a nationwide escalation of ICE raids in workplaces across the country. Among all respondents, the rate grew from 19% in March to 23% in June.
The most significant increase in fear of deportation occurred among Asian-Americans, regardless of immigration status. That group saw a 10% increase between March (19%) and June (29%) in those who worried they or someone they know may be deported. Among those racialized as Black, the rate of deportation fears during that time increased from 19% to 26%.
These new anxieties regarding deportation arose amid a recent Supreme Court ruling that made it easier for the Trump administration to challenge birthright citizenship protections in lower courts.
More information about the Pew study, including a link to topline results and the survey’s methodology, can be found here.
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