Amid higher H-1B visa fees and the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on immigration, 22% of immigrants say they personally know someone who has been arrested, detained or deported for immigration-related reasons since Trump took office in January, according to the 2025 Immigrant Survey by the Kaiser Family Time Foundation (KFF) in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
Here’s what the survey revealed – 5 points
- Most of those who know someone affected say that the person has not committed a serious crime. At the same time, 41% of immigrants said they were worried that they or a family member could be detained or deported, up from 26% in 2023.
- While those concerns remain highest among likely undocumented immigrants (75%), the biggest increases were among legally present immigrants, where concerns rose from 33% to 50%, and naturalized citizens, where they jumped from 12% to 31%, the KFF survey found.
- Overall, more than half of immigrants (53%) — including most naturalized citizens and legally present immigrants — lack confidence that they or a family member would be treated fairly by the U.S. legal system if detained on immigration-related charges, the survey found.
- Almost three in ten immigrants said they had canceled their travel plans to avoid scrutiny by immigration authorities. The fear was most pronounced among undocumented immigrants, with 63% saying they were avoiding both domestic and international travel, the KFF survey found.
- But caution extended beyond that group, as 32% of H-1B visa holders said they refrained from traveling, while 15% of naturalized citizens said they did the same.
H-1B visa controversy
In December 2025, the Department of Homeland Security said the traditional random lottery used to allocate H-1B visas would be replaced by a weighted selection system favoring better-paid and more qualified applicants.
The final rule issued by USCIS will take effect on February 27, 2026 and will apply to the upcoming H-1B cap registration cycle.
The H-1B visa program is a key pillar of employment-based immigration and allows American companies to hire highly educated foreign professionals for specialized positions.
In September, Trump signed a statement raising filing fees, saying the move was aimed at curbing abuses of a program he says disadvantages American workers.
The policy marks a sharp departure from the United States’ traditional approach to immigration. Since its founding, the country has long served as a destination for people from a wide range of nationalities and economic backgrounds seeking greater opportunity and freedom.
The hike in H-1B visa fees has hit India hard
Apart from US tech companies, the action will also hit India hard as Indians have been the biggest beneficiaries of the H-1B visa program.
In addition to the additional costs Indian IT companies will incur for thousands of workers on such visas, the continued unpredictability is unnerving many Indian professionals working in US tech, finance, healthcare and other sectors, especially after the recent mass postponement of work visa appointments.
H-1B visas are granted based on a lottery system, but are primarily used in the technology industry. Amazon, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Microsoft, Meta Platforms Inc. and Apple Inc. is among the companies with the largest number of H-1B visas, according to the US government.
Amid higher H-1B visa fees and the Trump administration’s increased crackdown on immigration, 22% of immigrants say they personally know someone who has been arrested, detained or deported for immigration-related reasons since Trump took office.
The tech industry has been adapting to changes in US immigration rules as political currents shift for some time.
(With input from agencies)
