Immigration Trends Under Trump Administration
President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have led to a decrease in illegal immigration and a reduction in legalized immigrants, but they haven’t effectively limited the number of visa workers, recent agency data reveals.
Data from the State Department, released in early March, indicates that the number of permanent and temporary visas granted between January and August 2025 fell by 11% from the previous year.
“Is this an improvement? Yes. Is it adequate? No,” remarked Rosemary Jenks, the founder of the Immigrant Responsibility Project, commenting on the report and expressing that the situation is far from ideal.
According to Jenks, this decrease can be linked to intensified security measures regarding immigrants from certain regions and public backing for companies that prefer importing less expensive labor.
“Travel bans and screening protocols are to blame for this decline—not a genuine effort from the White House to lower immigration numbers. The Trump administration has a strong donor backing, which seems to correlate with an uptick in undocumented immigrants. I hope to see actual policies aimed at reducing immigration, but this doesn’t appear to be the case,” she added.
She further stated, “American workers aren’t facing as much stigma as they did under the Biden administration. Are they still facing challenges? Yes, but it’s not as severe.”
Jenks urged Americans to “make their voices known in Congress regularly,” emphasizing the need for public pressure regarding H-1B visas and various green card categories, calling the diversity visa lottery “absurd.”
According to the data, around 250,000 fewer visas were granted in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. This suggests fewer foreign university students and J-1 cultural exchange workers seeking work permits, indicating a decline in new legal immigrants, particularly through family and diversity visas connected to citizenship.
However, the large influx of temporary workers hasn’t seen a decline. Many of these individuals hold temporary H-1B, H-2A, or H-2B visas. While a majority will likely return home, a notable number are expected to stay in the country, either legally or otherwise.
Reportedly, there were about 84,000 fewer visas issued to Chinese and Indian nationals than in 2024, attributed largely to reduced student and worker numbers from these nations. There has also been a significant drop in visas for Afghan and Cuban citizens, linking back to the travel ban initiated by the Trump administration in June, which primarily affected Muslim-majority countries.
As Jorge Lowery, managing director at the American Immigration Council, commented, “The Trump administration is attempting to leverage federal power to restrict access for individuals from nations they consider unfavorable.”
Notably, the report does not include numbers for visitor visas, which many Indian nationals use to enter the United States before securing illegal employment, such as truck driving. Recently, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has revoked driving licenses from 200,000 immigrants, leading to protests from Indian drivers.
“While the Trump administration is an improvement over previous administrations, significant challenges remain,” Jenks concluded.
