How Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown is putting pressure on Indonesians\nin the US<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown has struck fear\ninto undocumented Indonesians living there, prompting some to seek\nasylum despite slim chances of success.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: When their tourist visas expired in August 2024, Balinese\ncouple Ida Bagus Bimantara and Wulan Widyastini turned to asylum,\nbelieving it was their only realistic way to stay in the United\nStates.<\/p>\n
They had arrived in the US a day after their wedding in December\n2023, hoping to build a new life and pursue the American dream.<\/p>\n
But months after they filed their asylum claim, Donald Trump returned\nto the White House in January 2025.<\/p>\n
His sweeping immigration crackdown launched since has upended life\nfor the couple \u2013 and millions of other undocumented immigrants across\nthe US \u2013 replacing hope with uncertainty.<\/p>\n
Even though they were finally called for their asylum interview in\nJanuary this year, the approval has not yet been made, leaving them in\nlimbo, though they know they are luckier than others. According to the\ncouple, some Indonesians have waited as long as five years without being\ncalled for an interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose without legal status who haven\u2019t applied for asylum are\nextremely cautious. They\u2019re afraid of being arrested by ICE (Immigration\nand Customs Enforcement),\u201d Ida Bagus told CNA.<\/p>\n
According to US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) figures\nreleased in May, more than 3 million undocumented immigrants - referring\nto those residing there without legal authorisation - have been deported\nsince Trump returned to office, with the number continuing to climb.<\/p>\n
Although Indonesians make up a relatively small immigrant community\ncompared with those from Latin American countries, immigration lawyers\nand community leaders said they have not been spared from the tougher\nenforcement.<\/p>\n
ICE\u2019s last nationality breakdown, released in 2024, showed 4,276\nIndonesians were subject to final orders of removal \u2013 court orders\nrequiring them to leave the US \u2013 the third-highest number among\nSoutheast Asian nationalities after Vietnam (8,675) and Laos\n(4,850).<\/p>\n
\u201cIndonesians may not be targeted the way Latino communities are, but\nthe fear is still there, especially because of how aggressively ICE\ncarries out its operations,\u201d said Shinta Penyami Storm, founder of\nGapura Philadelphia, a cultural and advocacy group for the Indonesian\ndiaspora in the city.<\/p>\n
For many immigrants, including Indonesians, asylum has increasingly\nbecome a last resort for staying in the US, say immigration lawyers,\nadding that many of the claims are weak and have little chance of\nsucceeding.<\/p>\n
CAUTION AMID TOUGHER ENFORCEMENT<\/p>\n
Under Trump\u2019s administration, ICE has been given broader enforcement\npowers. Officers, often wearing body armour and carrying firearms, can\nnow conduct raids almost anywhere, including workplaces and places of\nworship.<\/p>\n
Indah Nurita Sari, a member of the Indonesian diaspora in\nPhiladelphia who has lived in the US for 25 years as a permanent\nresident, said the tougher enforcement has made many Indonesians more\ncautious.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know one Indonesian who was arrested by ICE and later released.\nBut now he has to wear an electronic ankle monitor and report\nregularly,\u201d said Indah, a writer and founder of Indonesian-language\ncommunity media outlet Indonesian Lantern in the US.<\/p>\n
Some Indonesians said many compatriots now rarely leave home without\nproof of their legal status.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re out, you\u2019re advised to carry proof of your immigration\nstatus, such as a Green Card or a document showing you\u2019re legally\nseeking asylum or other protection,\u201d said Ida Ayu Sabrina, an Indonesian\nGreen Card holder who has lived in Los Angeles, California, for the past\n10 years.<\/p>\n
Husin Siregar, another member of the Indonesian diaspora in\nCalifornia, said he also worries about running into ICE officers despite\nholding a Green Card.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I leave home wearing my nurse\u2019s uniform and hospital ID\nbadge,\u201d said Husin, 56, who has lived in the US since 1986.<\/p>\n
Having arrived in the US a year before power shifted from Joe Biden\nto Donald Trump, Ida Bagus soon noticed a dramatic change for\nundocumented immigrants like himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople without legal documents are extremely cautious. They\u2019re\nafraid they\u2019ll take a wrong turn and run into an ICE raid,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The crackdown has extended beyond undocumented immigrants. Green Card\nholders can also face detention or deportation if they are convicted of\ncertain crimes or found to have supported designated groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know several Indonesians who had lived here for decades but were\neventually arrested and deported,\u201d Husin said.<\/p>\n
Shamsi Ali, 58, a prominent Indonesian community leader who has held\nlegal status in the US since 1997, said the fear of being detained or\ndeported has taken a psychological toll on many.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of them have lived and worked here for years,\u201d said Shamsi, who\nnow serves as imam and director of the Jamaica Muslim Center in New York\nCity.<\/p>\n
Those detained by ICE are typically held while their cases are\nreviewed before being deported or released. The Indonesian Embassy in\nWashington said ICE does not notify it when Indonesians are detained or\nface deportation, making it harder to provide consular assistance.<\/p>\n
The embassy said ICE only contacts Indonesian officials when it\nrequires supporting documents for specific cases, while many Indonesians\ndealing with ICE also choose not to report their situation.<\/p>\n
ICE provides only aggregate figures, the embassy said. Between\nJanuary 2025 and Jun 3, 2026, 230 Indonesians had dealings with the\nagency, including cases that were still pending and those that ended in\ndeportation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs of Jun 3, 2026, 38 Indonesian nationals remained in ICE custody,\nmost of them in Philadelphia and San Antonio,\u201d the embassy said in a\nstatement to CNA.<\/p>\n
The number of Indonesians living in the US remains unclear. The\nIndonesian embassy estimates there are about 53,700 Indonesian\nnationals, while aggregate data from Indonesia\u2019s 2024 general e<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/how-trumps-immigration-crackdown-is-putting-pressure-on-indonesians-in-the-us-1785106213", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }