Empire in decline? Asian Americans in an age of anxiety

Since US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began intensifying its enforcement actions — detaining and deporting “undocumented immigrants” — there have been repeated violent confrontations with lawful residents and even native-born American citizens, sometimes resulting in death. 

In early 2026, a shooting incident in Minneapolis sparked demonstrations in dozens of cities across the US. Protesters accused ICE of “excessive use of force” and a “lack of accountability”. Critics argue that ICE engages in “racial profiling”. Some protesters pointed out that some individuals who were stopped were in fact legal US citizens but were suspected simply because of their appearance. 

ICE’s detention system has also long been criticised. Detention centres operated under its authority have been condemned for poor medical conditions, overcrowding, severe psychological pressure, and the separation of families, particularly children from their parents.

From late 2025 to early 2026, a series of civilian shooting incidents connected to ICE enforcement operations triggered widespread public anger. In Los Angeles, Keith Porter Jr. was shot and killed by an off-duty ICE agent. In Minnesota, Renée Good was killed during an ICE enforcement action. On 24 January, also in Minnesota, Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse who had worked at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital for 11 years, was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection officers while filming an enforcement operation and attempting to protect a woman. These are not isolated incidents. Minnesota subsequently experienced a general strike.

Partly due to what many consider ICE’s controversial practices — excessive force, violence and masked enforcement — on 28 March 2026, the No Kings protests were held in more than 3,300 locations across the US. According to organisers, approximately eight to nine million people participated nationwide, and multiple media outlets described it as the largest single-day protest in US history.

As a Chinese American citizen who has lived in the US for more than 20 years, I can state with certainty that the greatest domestic impact of the current situation is that immigrant communities are living in a prolonged state of fear and anxiety, gradually losing confidence in the country. Immigrants whose appearance is not “typically white” or those who speak English with an accent, have been placed in a particularly vulnerable position and are feeling increasingly alienated.

For this reason, when my wife goes out to work, she now feels compelled to carry her green card with her at all times — something that previously seemed unnecessary — in case of potential identity checks. At some universities, international student offices have formally advised international students that if they encounter ICE enforcement, they are not required to answer questions and may ask ICE officers to contact the university’s international student office instead.

In this atmosphere of pervasive anxiety, some Asian-majority areas that I used to frequent for shopping and leisure — such as AsiaTown in Cleveland, Ohio — have clearly become less prosperous than before, with noticeably fewer people and a stark contrast to the former lively atmosphere. 

A friend who works in property rentals in California also pointed out that due to large-scale detention and deportation of immigrants, the rental market has declined significantly.

During my trip to Atlanta to attend an academic conference in 2026, I noticed that the once-bustling Chinese food court and the neighbouring Asian grocery market were unusually quiet and nearly deserted. On a conference trip I took in late March 2026 to Texas, I also brought my US passport along, something that would normally be unnecessary for domestic travel. 

At Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania and Austin–Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, I did not witness the rumoured scenes of ICE taking over airports and security check systems. However, rumours or advice about airport management chaos this year — such as claims that travellers must arrive four hours early even for domestic flights — have already spread widely. As a result, many immigrants and even ordinary American passengers have been affected by these rumours and are arriving four hours early for domestic flights.

In my view, the US today is facing both internal and external crises. The US is currently still engaged abroad in a war with Iran, whose prospects remain uncertain, a conflict that even many enthusiastic supporters of the “Make America Great Again” movement do not support. 

At the same time, domestically, the fear, vulnerability and discrimination that ICE has created among minority communities — combined with the strong moral backlash among many white Americans — are generating a wave of protests reminiscent of the anti-Vietnam War movement of the 1960s. 

Last year, when my wife, our college-aged child and I were dining at a restaurant in Erie, Pennsylvania, and discussing the current situation in the US, a local white diner turned towards us and said helplessly, “I heard what you said. I believe you are first-generation immigrants. Believe me, this ‘empire’ is in decline.”

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