A recent survey reveals that the majority of Korean Americans support the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
As the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensifies its crackdown on undocumented immigrants with serious criminal records in cities such as Los Angeles, Korean Americans appear to view the Trump administration’s immigration policies favorably.
The Korea Daily has been conducting an online survey through its website (www.koreadaily.com) since February 4.
As of 2 p.m. on February 12, 72% (742 respondents) of Korean Americans who participated in the survey expressed strong approval of ICE’s actions against undocumented immigrants with criminal records. An additional 16% (167 respondents) indicated moderate approval, bringing total support to 88%, effectively nine out of ten respondents backing the enforcement measures.
Among the reasons cited for supporting ICE’s crackdown (with multiple responses allowed), the most common was the belief that it strengthens law and order (69%). Other reasons included reducing crime rates (61%) and addressing the issue of illegal immigration (38%).
The survey also asked respondents about the impact of ICE’s operations on their daily lives. A significant majority, 78% (807 respondents), said they were unaffected. Meanwhile, 12% (128 respondents) reported feeling fear, and 9% (97 respondents) were uncertain.
Korean Americans also expressed generally positive views of the Trump administration’s overall immigration policies.
Regarding the administration’s immigration policy, 54% (557 respondents) viewed it as “very positive,” while 23% (242 respondents) described it as “somewhat positive.” In contrast, only 11% (118 respondents) saw it as “very negative,” and 10% (102 respondents) as “somewhat negative,” meaning only about 20% held unfavorable opinions.
Those who opposed ICE’s enforcement efforts (with multiple responses allowed) primarily expressed concerns over the potential economic impact on local communities. Many undocumented immigrants work in service industries such as restaurant serving, kitchen assistance, janitorial work, and day labor.
Among respondents who opposed the crackdown, 58% cited potential negative economic consequences as their main concern. Other reasons included the potential for social issues such as family separations (55%) and human rights violations during enforcement operations (42%).
Survey respondents also shared diverse opinions. Among over 100 additional comments, notable responses included: “Undocumented immigrants who pay taxes and parents of U.S. citizen children should be granted relief through immigration reform, except for criminals,” “Only undocumented immigrants who have committed serious crimes should be deported,” and “The media should report accurately that ICE is targeting undocumented immigrants, not all immigrants.”
The survey gathered responses from 1,032 Korean Americans aged 20 to 80. Of these respondents, 48% stated that they primarily receive immigration-related news from Korean American media. The majority of respondents were U.S. citizens (74%), and 96% had been residing in the United States for over ten years.
BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
