How Trump’s immigration crackdown is putting pressure on Indonesians in the US

The return of Donald Trump to the White House has cast a long shadow over the lives of Indonesians in the United States, particularly those without legal status. Couples like Ida Bagus Bimantara and Wulan Widyastini, who arrived on tourist visas hoping for a better life, now find themselves navigating a landscape of uncertainty and fear after applying for asylum.

Months after their arrival in late 2023 and subsequent asylum claims, Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown has upended their dreams. While they were eventually called for an asylum interview, the approval remains pending, leaving them in a precarious state. They acknowledge their relative fortune, as some Indonesians have waited as long as five years without an interview, living in constant fear of arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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Those without legal status who haven't applied for asylum are extremely cautious. They're afraid of being arrested by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

Data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security indicates over 3 million undocumented immigrants have been deported since Trump's return. Although Indonesians form a smaller immigrant group compared to Latin Americans, immigration lawyers and community leaders confirm they are not exempt from stricter enforcement. ICE's 2024 data showed 4,276 Indonesians subject to final removal orders, the third-highest number among Southeast Asian nationalities. Shinta Penyami Storm, founder of Gapura Philadelphia, notes that while Indonesians may not face the same level of targeting as Latino communities, the aggressive operations of ICE create pervasive fear.

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Indonesians may not be targeted the way Latino communities are, but the fear is still there, especially because of how aggressively ICE carries out its operations.