South Asian Coalition

The First 100 Days and the Impact on South Asian Groups and Communities

As the turbulent 100 days of the Trump Administration come to a close, we look back at 5 ways in which South Asian communities and groups were affected by executive actions in the first 100 days of the Trump Administration – and how our communities responded and resisted with care, courage and solidarity.

1.    The Trump Administration’s policies of mass deportations and visa revocations have affected many South Asians.

>> US military planes deported hundreds of undocumented immigrants to India, many of whom alleged religious discrimination and challenging conditions. The Sikh Coalition spoke out against the mistreatment of Sikh deportees.

>> South Asian non-citizen students on college campuses including Ranjani Srinivasan and Dr. Badar Khan Suri faced immigration backlash and infringement of their First Amendment rights. Over 1,500 students from nearly 250 colleges have had their visas revoked and their SEVIS records terminated without notice or due process. 50% of the students impacted are from India, followed by 14 percent from China; other countries represented include Nepal and Bangladesh (American Immigration Lawyers Association; NAFSA: Association of International Educators). 

>> Over 60 Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community members have been targeted and detained by ICE in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Kentucky, Vermont, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota since March 2025. Deportations of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese Americans creates a situation of particular danger for this community, as many have been deported to Nepal, where they are re-expelled to India and are now being sent to Indian refugee camps. (New York Times article; Asian Refugees United; Solidarity Statement) 

2. Around the country, South Asians experienced acts of discrimination and violence. 

 >> Stop AAPI Hate’s reports reveal that anti-South Asian threats increased 88% from Nov. to Dec. 2024 and remained elevated in Jan. 2025 at 22% higher than a baseline of the previous five months of data. 

>> In February, a 67-year-old Indian woman was working as a nurse at Palms West Hospital when she was violently attacked. According to the prosecutors during a hearing on pre-trial detention and bond, the perpetrator made anti-Indian slurs during the attack; accordingly, he has been charged with second degree attempted murder with a hate crime enhancement. 

>> In April, an Indian family was eating at a local McDonald’s in Fremont, California, when a man stole food from them, slapped a woman in the group, and threw a sauce packet at a child. The perpetrator is being charged with battery charges with a hate crime enhancement. 

3. Various executive orders might affect South Asian communities in detrimental ways.

>> Limited Language Access to Government Benefits and Programs: An executive order declaring English as the official language might limit access to federal benefits and programs. An executive order requiring truckers to be proficient in English might have a disparate impact on truckers of Sikh descent. Approximately 150,000 Sikhs work in the trucking industry. 

>> Dismantling the Department of Education: Various executive orders dismantling the Department of Education and characterizing the study of the histories, needs, and challenges of marginalized communities as “radical indoctrination” could drastically impact young South Asians.

>> Ending DEI programs: The characterization of DEI as illegal by the Trump Administration could affect the ability to access various programs and benefits by marginalized and underserved community members.

>> Vetting and Ideological Assimilation: Several executive orders signal that the government will use enhanced vetting and screening processes as well as ideological requirements to make decisions around immigrant entry. 

>> Eliminating research into minority health impacts: The Department of Health and Human Services has eliminated at least seven offices that focus on minority health, which will result in the cessation of life-saving research into racial and ethnic health disparities. 

>> Attacking LGBTQ community members and limiting access to rights and resources: Executive actions and orders have sought to impose static definitions of gender identity and erase trans and queer people. 

>> Limiting pathways to redress civil rights violations: By shifting the mission of the storied Civil Rights Division (OCR) at the Department of Justice to serve the Administration’s anti-woke priorities, the OCR will no longer serve as a vehicle and advocate for people to seek justice for violations of their civil rights. 

4. South Asian nonprofit groups have lost access to federal funding for vital programs on anti-Asian hate education, gender-based violence, and cultural history.

>> In particular, the Department of Justice’s cancellation of $811 million in grants to organizations affected South Asian groups who run anti-hate violence prevention programs and support underserved crime victims. Over 365 programs have been eliminated overnight. 

>> Groups such as the South Asian American Digital Archive lost funds for cultural history and memory preservation from the National Endowment of Humanities (NEH); Raksha, a long-time South Asian domestic violence organization has lost funds to support underserved victims of crime; and South Asian Network, an LA-based organization has lost funds for an anti-violence prevention program.

5. Indian American appointees and representatives in the Trump Administration including Kash Patel (FBI) and Harmeet Dhillon (Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice) are unfortunately implementing many of these destructive policies.

South Asian groups and individuals are engaging in acts of courage and solidarity during the first 100 days, modeling what we need to see moving forward.

>> South Asian lawyers are showing up to protect and defend communities including Rina Gandhi who is part of the legal team defending Kilmar Abrego Garcia, attorneys at CUNY CLEAR, and the growing legal network convened by Muslims for Just Futures.

>> South Asian academics like Veena Dubal and Sameer Ashar are speaking out on behalf of their students and demanding that universities step up to protect their campus communities. Despite being targeted, professors like Sheila Bedi at Northwestern are pushing back on behalf of their students, our communities, and our constitutional rights. 

           >> South Asian groups are collaborating through networks including the South Asian American Policy Working Group. Check out our updated Resource Hub which contains Know Your Rights information, policy explainers, toolkits for preparing your family and reviewing your digital security, travel information, guidance for students, civil rights and reporting hate violence information, domestic violence resources, and more. 

           >> South Asian organizations, including members of the South Asian American Policy Working Group, are providing Know Your Rights sessions, in-language information, healing spaces, and funding campaigns to support vital work. By working across communities to build connections with immigrant communities across the U.S., South Asian organizations are rising to meet the call for solidarity in this moment. Working Group members are showing up in various ways for community, each playing a unique and critical role in the social change ecosystem with the shared goal of keeping our communities safe, informed, and prepared: