27% green card holders, immigrants avoid travel within & outside US: Survey

From undocumented migrants to H-1B holders and citizens, many immigrants say fear of scrutiny is quietly reshaping travel plans

A growing share of immigrants in the United States are choosing not to travel, driven by fears of immigration enforcement and heightened scrutiny at transit points, according to a new national survey.

 

About 27 per cent of immigrants said they avoided trips within the US or overseas to reduce the risk of encounters with immigration authorities, the 2025 Survey of Immigrants found. The study was conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in partnership with The New York Times.

 

The caution is not confined to undocumented migrants. Immigrants with legal status and even some naturalised US citizens reported changing their travel behaviour, pointing to a wider climate of unease.

 

 

Travel plans quietly put on hold

 

Nearly three in ten immigrants said they altered or cancelled travel plans specifically to avoid drawing attention from immigration authorities. The concern has intensified amid stepped-up enforcement under President Donald Trump, including expanded scrutiny at airports, border crossings and other transit hubs.

 

Fear is strongest among undocumented immigrants. Almost two thirds said they avoided travel both within the United States and abroad. But the hesitation extends further:

 

• About one-third of H-1B visa holders said they chose not to travel

• A noticeable share of naturalised US citizens also said they stayed home to avoid potential scrutiny

 

The findings are based on a nationally representative survey of 1,805 immigrant adults living in the US.

 

Holiday travel disrupted by enforcement fears

 

The timing stands out. The survey period overlapped with the US holiday season, usually the busiest travel window of the year from Halloween through New Year’s Eve. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year typically bring packed airports and congested highways.

 

This year, many immigrants opted to stay put. Respondents pointed to concerns over tighter checks and closer monitoring during one of the most heavily policed travel periods on the calendar.

 

Data sharing adds to anxiety

 

Many immigrants said they were trying to keep a low profile. That caution has grown amid reports that the Transportation Security Administration has shared domestic travel information, including passenger lists, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

 

Until recently, immigration authorities had largely avoided using domestic flight data. The survey links the change to a broader push by the Trump administration to expand data sharing across federal agencies, making it easier to identify, detain and deport immigrants who may be in the country unlawfully.

 

H-1B holders caught in policy shifts

 

H-1B visa holders appear to be feeling the pressure more sharply. In July, the US State Department ended remote and third-country renewals for H-1B and H-4 visas, requiring applicants to return to their home countries to complete the process.

 

Two months later, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications. By early December, the administration widened social media screening, with officials reviewing applicants’ online activity as part of visa vetting.

 

The changes quickly strained US consulates and embassies, with the impact most visible in India. Diplomatic missions reshuffled interview schedules at scale. In several cases, visa appointments scheduled for December 2025 were pushed back by nearly a year, with some reportedly delayed until 2027.

 

The disruptions left hundreds of skilled professionals stranded in their home countries after travelling for interviews, separated from their jobs and families in the United States.