According to a poll, 22% of immigrants know someone who has been detained or deported since Trump assumed office. Indian IT workers and US tech corporations are impacted by new H-1B visa regulations that favor higher-paid applicants and increase expenses. A major change in US immigration policy is indicated by the changes.
According to the 2025 Survey of Immigrants, which was carried out by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) in partnership with The New York Times, 22% of immigrants claim to personally know someone who has been arrested, detained, or deported on immigration-related grounds since President Donald Trump took office in January, amid increased H-1B visa fees and the Trump administration's stepped-up immigration crackdown.
Here are the five findings from the survey.
The majority of people who know someone impacted claim that the person did not commit a severe crime. Simultaneously, 41% of immigrants express concern that they or a family member may be detained or deported, a significant rise from 26% in 2023.
According to the KFF study, these fears have increased most among lawfully present immigrants (from 33% to 50%) and naturalized Americans (from 12% to 31%), but they are still highest among potential undocumented immigrants (75%).
According to the survey, over half of immigrants (53%) do not believe that they or a family member would be treated properly by the US judicial system if jailed on immigration-related charges. This includes the majority of both naturalized Americans and lawfully present immigrants.
In order to avoid being scrutinized by immigration authorities, nearly three out of ten immigrants reported canceling their vacation plans. According to the KFF poll, 63% of undocumented immigrants reported avoiding both local and foreign travel due to fear.
But caution was not limited to this group; 15% of naturalized citizens and 32% of H-1B visa holders reported not traveling.
H-1B visa dispute
The Department of Homeland Security said in December 2025 that a weighted selection mechanism favoring higher-paid and more highly educated candidates will take the place of the conventional random lottery used to distribute H-1B visas.
The final rule will be applicable to the next H-1B cap registration cycle and will go into effect on February 27, 2026, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
A crucial component of employment-based immigration is the H-1B visa program, which allows US businesses to hire highly qualified foreign workers for specialized positions.
Trump signed a proclamation increasing application costs in September, claiming that the action was meant to stop program abuses that he believes hurt American workers.
The strategy represents a significant shift from the conventional immigration policy of the United States. People from many different countries and socioeconomic backgrounds have come to the country since its founding in search of more freedom and opportunity.
Indians are heavily hurt by the increase in H-1B visa expenses.
Since Indians have benefited the most from the H-1B visa program, the action also has a significant impact on India in addition to US tech enterprises.
The continuous unpredictability has alarmed many Indian professionals working in US tech, finance, health care, and other industries, in addition to the additional expenses that Indian IT companies will incur for thousands of employees on such visas. This is especially true in light of the recent widespread postponement of work-visa appointments.
H-1B visas are mostly utilized in the technology sector and are granted through a lottery method. According to the US government, the corporations with the most H-1B visas are Amazon, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Microsoft, Meta Platforms Inc., and Apple Inc.
As political currents change, the tech sector has been adjusting to changes in US immigration regulations for some time.
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