The Behavior and Attitudinal Immigrant National Survey

About the Survey

The Trump administration’s mass detention and deportation agenda has deeply affected thousands of immigrants and their families, whether they are naturalized citizens or not. In partnership with BSP Research, the National Immigration Law Center conducted a survey of immigrants in the United States to help the wider American public better understand how their immigrant neighbors, colleagues, and classmates are experiencing this unprecedented period of cruel enforcement.

Survey Methodology

The Behavior and Attitudinal Immigrant National Survey (BAINS) interviewed more than 3,000 immigrants with samples of n=1,032 Latino immigrant, n=1,009 Black immigrant, and n=1,040 Asian American/Pacific Islander immigrants. Data was collected via live telephone, text invite and web-based panels from June 17 through August 17, 2026. Across all modes of data collection respondents had the opportunity to take the survey in several languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Haitian Creole.

Data were weighted to match the adult immigrant demographic profile within each racial group, based on the most recent Census ACS. The sample included all immigrants regardless of status and overall, 54% of Latino respondents were naturalized citizens, 39% of Black respondents were naturalized, and 67% of the AAPI were naturalized. The project included collaboration from more than a dozen academic scholars who have research expertise in immigrant communities, and following a research embargo period, data will be made publicly available through normal academic outlets.

Key Findings

Exposure to ICE raids are high across the immigrant community, particularly for Latino and Black immigrants.

42% of Latino and 31% of Black immigrants report that there has been an ICE operation or raid in the area in which they live, with an additional 32% of Latino and 28% of Black immigrants reporting that this has occurred in a nearby city. Given the extreme shift in deportation policy across the nation, it is not surprising that just over a third of all immigrants surveyed express worry that they themselves may be detained or deported. Nearly half of Latino (51%) and Black (46%) immigrants worry a great deal that a close friend or family member may be deported, with one in four AAPI immigrants similarly being worried someone in their network will be deported.

With this deep fear of deportation hanging over their heads, there has been a “chilling effect” and/or avoidance of important activities, among immigrants.

For example, roughly one-in-five Latino (20%) and Black (18%) immigrants in the sample have avoided calling the police when they needed help or to report a crime. This is likely due to the conflation of local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement, causing immigrants to fear legal retribution in response to protecting their families, or their communities.

Immigrants are less likely to engage in a core tenet of civic engagement that this country was built on: the freedom to peacefully assemble, as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Roughly a third of Latino (31%) and Black (29%) immigrants in the sample report that they have avoided attending any political rallies or protests. Since non-citizen immigrants cannot vote to express their political opinion, the lack of participation in civic events pushes them deeper into the shadows. The impact of brutal immigration enforcement on First Amendment rights is not limited to non-citizens, as nearly one-in-five Latino (23%) and Black (20%) naturalized citizens have avoided protesting or attending political rallies as well.

Despite the deep shadow of fear, however, many immigrants continue to resiliently believe in the American Dream and in the due process rights of everyone living in this country, no matter their immigration status.

Over 40% of all immigrants in the survey report that they feel like they belong in the United States “a great deal”, and nearly half of each represented racial group report that they would still choose to migrate to the United States if they had to make the decision again today.

Work on the ground from organizations across the country focused on informing the immigrant community about their rights has been effective.

Over 60% of those surveyed know that if they are confronted by ICE agents or immigration officials, they have a right to an attorney, and over 50% know they can keep their door closed and not allow immigration officials to enter, absent a search warrant signed by a judge. Similarly, roughly half of those surveyed know that they have the right to remain silent and to not answer any questions they are posed even if there is a warrant in place, and that they do not have to sign anything they are given by an officer.

• View Survey (PDF)
• View Presentation (PDF)