By 
Hanif Ardiningrum Khansa
Nitish Meena via Unsplash, January 30, 2017.
At least 15 Indonesian professionals and students face deportation under Trump’s revived immigration crackdown, with one already expelled despite having a pending visa renewal. The detentions have exposed glaring gaps in both U.S. due process and Indonesia’s diaspora protections.
At least 15 Indonesian citizens in the United States (US) have been detained or face deportation under former President Donald Trump’s revived immigration crackdown, according to Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry. The affected individuals–mostly students and skilled workers on visas–report being abruptly detained during routine immigration checks.
An Indonesian student got deported on 27 March, 2025 after being detained and getting his student visa revoked for committing property damage (a fourth-degree offence in US domestic law) during the George Floyd protest in 2021 (The Jakarta Globe, 2025; Indonesian National Police, 2025). There is no evidence that the Indonesian student was provided the opportunity to have legal assistance during the detainment and deportation. This has sparked a question not only relating to the abuse of legal process but also to the freedom of expression and education.
Indonesia’s government has dispatched consular teams to assist its citizens, with six operative offices, including the Indonesian Embassy located in Washington and Consulates General around Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco (RRI, 2025). Nevertheless, the crackdown seems to exploit bureaucratic delays. Many detainees had valid visa applications in process before being swept up in Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy. Judha Nugraha, the Indonesian Citizen Protection Director, has emphasised that Indonesian nationals retain their entitlement to legal counsel and the right to challenge judicial proceedings (RRI, 2025).
The deportations could strain US-Indonesia relations, coming just months after the two nations pledged to boost tech talent exchanges as part of the bilateral trade and investment initiatives in technology and infrastructure industries (US Embassy in Indonesia, 2025). With many Indonesians in visa limbo nationwide, there is a fear that more will be caught in the dragnet. Trump’s immigration policy has created a circumstance where such policy is not about security, it is about fear.
The crisis underscores a pressing need for both systematic accountability and proactive diplomacy. On one hand, Indonesia’s government must escalate protections for its diaspora, such as by establishing emergency legal aid funds and entering into negotiations with US officials. Silence or bureaucratic inertia only perpetuates the vulnerability of migrant workers, students, and professionals who contribute to Indonesia’s global standing and even the US’ economy itself. Meanwhile, the US must confront the grotesque irony of its policies: by targeting legally present immigrants–many of whom fill critical skill gaps and drive innovation–the government has violated its own purported values of fairness and human rights.
Sources and further readings:
Jakarta Globe. (2025, April 21). 15 Indonesians caught in Trump immigration crackdown, one deported.
RRI. (2025, April 16). 15 Indonesians affected by Trump’s deportation policy: Ministry.
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