Less than three weeks into his second term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump has already begun what he pledged would be "the largest deportation program in American history." (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters)

Asian immigrants in U.S. cower in shadow of Trump deportation drive

An estimated 1.7m Asians lived in U.S. without authorization in 2022, up a third from 2016

PAK YIU

February 7, 2025 06:00 JST

NEW YORK -- News of a U.S. military aircraft embarking on a long-haul flight from Texas to India threw a scare into Samuel this week. The plane was transporting people like him -- Indian nationals illegally residing in the United States.

The 42-year-old, who has lived in the U.S. since 2013, said he fell victim to an immigration scam that resulted in his current illegal status. Since then he has married Andrea, a U.S. citizen, and together they own a catering business in California, where he runs daily operations.