**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
Most AAPI Adults Disapprove of Current Trump Administration Priorities and Policies
The community is divided on which party to trust to do a better job handling key issue areas such as the economy, inflation, and immigration. Democrats are better trusted on issues including health, education, and foreign policy.
CHICAGO, April 9, 2025 – As the Trump administration continues to enact their agenda, a new AAPI Data/APNORC Poll finds that many AAPI adults disapprove of how President Trump is handling a host of key policy issues, including the economy and trade (71%), managing the federal government (68%), and government spending (63%). AAPI adults are more likely to express disapproval on each of these issues than the general population. About half (55%) say Donald Trump is mostly focusing on the wrong policies, while just 18% say he is mostly focusing on the right priorities.
A majority of AAPI adults (76%) agree that Elon Musk, the head of the new Department of Government Efficiency, has too much influence on the U.S. federal government. They are largely opposed to the cuts to federal agencies that DOGE has either implemented or proposed. About 7 in 10 oppose eliminating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (69%) and the Department of Education (67%), while about half (55%) oppose eliminating the US Agency for International Development.
AAPI adults are opposed to federal cuts to diversity and equity programs. Two-thirds oppose eliminating initiatives that seek to broaden access to federal resources, policies, and programs for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Two-thirds also oppose cuts to federal funding for K-12 schools that teach about the ongoing impact of slavery and racism in America.
Although AAPI adults are opposed to many of the Trump administration’s policies, they are divided on which party they trust more to handle key issue areas such as the economy, inflation, and immigration. Democrats are more trusted than Republicans on issues like climate change (56% vs 15%), education (50% vs 19%), health reform (45% vs 18%), and foreign policy (42% vs 25%).
“Many in the AAPI community are concerned about which policies the Trump administration is focusing on,” says Jennifer Benz, deputy director of The AP-NORC Center. “Neither party has the faith of the community to address high-priority issues such as economic issues and inflation.”
On immigration, AAPI adults and the general population largely share similar views on policies addressing those living the United States illegally. Forty-three percent of AAPI adults support deporting all immigrants living in the United States illegally. However, just 20% of adults aged 18-29 support this policy, compared to 36% of adults aged 30-44 and about half of those aged 45 and older.
Context also matters for AAPI opinion on deportation policies. Both AAPI (83%) and general populations (82%) support deporting all immigrants living in the United States illegally who have been convicted of a violent crime. About 9 in 10 AAPI adults aged 45 and older support this policy, compared to two-thirds of young adults aged 18-29. Just 27% support these deportations if it means they will be separated from their children who are citizens. About half of AAPI adults oppose arresting people who are in the country illegally while they are in the hospital (60%) or at church or other places of worship (52%). These views are nearly identical to those of the general population.
About half of AAPI adults oppose eliminating birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are here on a temporary work or student visa (56%) or are in the country illegally (50%). Similarly, half oppose reducing the number of family-sponsored visas available for immigrants living in the U.S. legally to bring their relatives here, as well as cutting the number of temporary work visas, such as H-1B visas, available for foreign workers.
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders widely disapprove of the Trump administration’s handling of many issues, including the economy, trade negotiations, government spending, and policies on diversity and inclusion,” says Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of AAPI Data and researcher at UC Berkeley. “They also oppose the elimination of federal agencies like the Department of Education and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.”
On experiences with climate change, similar to findings from a year ago, about 8 in 10 AAPI adults have experienced an extreme weather event in the last 5 years. Sixty-five percent have experienced extreme heat waves, 46% have experienced severe winter storms, and 32% have experienced wildfires.
Compared to a recent poll among the general population, AAPI adults are more likely to say that climate change has had or will have a major impact on their lives or health. For example, 21% of AAPI adults say that climate change has already had a major impact on their health, and 53% say it will have major impact in the future, while just 26% think it will not. Expectations are similar for the impacts of climate change on their lives overall, as well as on air quality and water availability in their communities.
Like recent findings among the general public, there is broad support among AAPI adults for government aid in the aftermath of natural disasters. Most support the federal government providing money to local residents to help them rebuild (58%) or make their property more resistant to natural disasters (62%). Additionally, 60% support providing homeowners’ insurance in at-risk communities for those who cannot obtain private insurance.
Media Contact:
Nicholas Turton
Director of Communications
AAPI Data | press@aapidata.com
About the Study
The nationwide study was conducted by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data from March 4–10, 2025, using the Amplify AAPI Monthly survey drawing from NORC’s Amplify AAPI® Panel designed to be representative of the U.S. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander household population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean with 1,182 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.7 percentage points.
About AAPI Data
AAPI Data is a leading research and policy organization producing accurate data to shift narratives and drive action toward enduring solutions for Asian American (AA) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities across the nation. AAPI Data aspires to transform public and private systems to ensure that all AA and NHPI communities are recognized, valued, and prioritized. Learn more at aapidata.com. Email press@aapidata.com for more questions.
About the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research
The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research taps into the power of social science research and the highest-quality journalism to bring key information to people across the nation and throughout the world.
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NORC at the University of Chicago is one of the oldest objective and nonpartisan research institutions in the world. www.norc.org
The two organizations have established The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research to conduct, analyze, and distribute social science research in the public interest on newsworthy topics, and to use the power of journalism to tell the stories that research reveals. Learn more at www.apnorc.org.