As President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to deport large numbers of undocumented immigrants, prepares to take office on January 20, the Korean-American community is paying close attention to potential policy changes. While there are no precise statistics due to the nature of the undocumented population, estimates of undocumented Koreans vary widely depending on the source, and recent data is scarce.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) April 2023 report on undocumented immigrants lists only the top 10 source countries, with China ranked 10th at an estimated 210,000 undocumented immigrants as of 2022. This suggests the number of undocumented Koreans is fewer than 210,000.

However, a 2018 DHS report based on 2015 data ranked South Korea 8th among source countries for undocumented immigrants, estimating 230,000 undocumented Koreans in the U.S. This accounted for about 2% of the estimated 11.96 million undocumented immigrants nationwide at the time.

On the other hand, the Center for Migration Studies (CMS), a nonprofit organization based in New York, provides a much lower estimate. According to CMS, there were 129,758 undocumented Koreans in the U.S. as of 2022, ranking South Korea 13th among source countries. CMS uses the same Census Bureau data as DHS but adds an additional step called "logical edits," which accounts for factors like the likelihood of individuals having legal status based on their occupations.

Challenges in Deportation Policies
Immigration experts argue that Trump’s promise to deport all undocumented immigrants is unlikely to be implemented immediately. Immigration attorney Deokgyun Kim told Yonhap News Agency, “Although Trump has mentioned deploying the military, U.S. immigration law prohibits using military forces for deportation.”

Furthermore, sanctuary policies in states like California and cities like Los Angeles hinder federal efforts to track and deport undocumented immigrants. California implemented a sanctuary law in 2017 prohibiting police from questioning individuals about their immigration status or cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. Similarly, Los Angeles formalized its sanctuary city policies in 2023, reinforcing these protections.

Despite these obstacles, Kim explained that individuals with serious criminal records could still face deportation. The FBI maintains records of such individuals, and the federal government could use Social Security numbers and other data to locate and prioritize their deportation.

California Prepares for Federal Pushback
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced plans to request additional legal funds to counter potential lawsuits from a second Trump administration aimed at overturning state policies. The state’s proactive stance reflects its ongoing efforts to shield undocumented immigrants from federal immigration enforcement.