Trans immigrants are concerned about their future, The transgender immigrant community in the United States is facing renewed fears and uncertainty under the policies of President Donald Trump. Advocacy groups and individuals have voiced their deep concerns about what they see as a direct attack on their rights and safety. Many are struggling with the compounded effects of anti-transgender legislation and aggressive immigration enforcement, leaving them in a state of vulnerability and anxiety about the future.
Bamby Salcedo, a longtime advocate and founder of the TransLatin@ Coalition, expressed the widespread fear among trans immigrants. “It’s very clear that the federal government has a specific initiative to target members of our community,” Salcedo said. “We, as an organization, are fighting like hell to make sure that our community is supported, protected, and taken care of, but nonetheless, the messages that people are getting from the federal government have an impact on people’s minds and people’s spirits.”
The Trump administration has already taken significant steps to roll back protections for transgender individuals while simultaneously ramping up immigration enforcement. For trans immigrants, this combination of policies creates a particularly precarious situation, as many have fled violence in their home countries only to face new threats in the U.S.
Since taking office, Trump has enacted executive orders and policies that have directly impacted transgender Americans. Among them is a nationwide ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military, restrictions on federal support for gender-affirming medical care for minors, and the reversal of efforts to expand gender identity protections in federal agencies.
One of the most controversial moves came when Trump signed the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order, barring transgender girls and women from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity. This decision is part of a broader effort to limit transgender rights in education, healthcare, and public life.
These policies, combined with Trump’s campaign rhetoric that frequently targeted transgender and immigrant communities, have fueled anxiety among transgender immigrants, many of whom are unsure how these changes will affect their status in the country.
Salcedo’s organization has seen an increase in calls from worried individuals seeking guidance. “Calls to TransLatin@ Coalition have at least doubled since Trump came into office with people trying to figure out how those policies have the potential to impact them,” Salcedo said.
According to a 2024 report by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, an estimated 174,200 transgender immigrants live in the United States, with about a quarter residing in California. The study found that 72% of transgender immigrants in the U.S. are people of color, with 38% identifying as Latinx, 33% as non-Hispanic Asian, and 29% as White.
While no policies have explicitly targeted transgender immigrants, experts argue that their intersecting identities put them at greater risk of discrimination, violence, and deportation.
Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez, an assistant professor at Boston University’s School of Social Work, noted that trans immigrants face heightened dangers due to the combination of anti-trans and anti-immigrant policies. “It’s important to consider that trans immigrants are experiencing an enhanced experience of discrimination, because we have in our country this anti-trans and anti-immigrant rhetoric of policies,” he said.
The most pressing threats trans immigrants face include deportation and detention, both of which carry life-threatening consequences for many individuals in this community.
Many transgender immigrants come to the U.S. seeking refuge from extreme violence and persecution in their home countries. Countries such as Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have some of the highest rates of violence against LGBTQ individuals, with transgender people being particularly vulnerable.
Data from the Trans Murder Monitoring project reported that at least 350 trans and gender-diverse people were killed worldwide between October 2023 and September 2024. A staggering 70% of those deaths were reported in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Mexico, where many transgender migrants originate, has the second-highest homicide rate for transgender people globally. Amnesty International has documented widespread violence against trans people in Central American countries, where gang-related violence often targets LGBTQ individuals.
For many, deportation is not just a matter of losing legal status—it is a potential death sentence.
“I think ultimately the biggest fear is for them to lose their lives, right?” Salcedo said.
Alvarez-Hernandez echoed this sentiment, recalling his work as a clinical social worker during Trump’s first administration. He met numerous trans immigrant clients who were terrified of being deported back to hostile environments. “Their fears are not unfounded. We have a long history of news out there following trans immigrants who have been sent back to their countries of origin and then have been killed there,” he said.
For trans immigrants who are detained by U.S. immigration authorities, the conditions inside detention centers can be equally terrifying. Advocates have long reported that transgender detainees face heightened risks of abuse, lack of medical care, and mental health struggles while in custody.
A 2024 report by the National Immigrant Justice Center found that immigration detention centers often fail to provide adequate healthcare for trans detainees, leading to “largely preventable deaths.”
Li Ann Sanchez, a transgender woman from southern Mexico who now runs a trans immigrant rights group in Atlanta, shared her own harrowing experience in immigration detention.
“The fear is huge because we’re so vulnerable and anyone can attack us, and your rights are basically lost,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez was detained in 2012 and recalls experiencing discrimination from detention staff. “Female officials would tell me that I was not a woman and that I would never truly be a woman,” she said.
Trans immigrants in detention often face similar experiences of humiliation, neglect, and physical violence. These conditions, combined with the broader fear of deportation, have left many in the community feeling trapped and helpless.
Despite the hostile political climate, organizations like the TransLatin@ Coalition are working tirelessly to support and protect trans immigrants. Salcedo, who has dedicated decades to advocacy, understands the fear and pain within the community but refuses to back down.
She recalled a moment of joy in December, when she gathered with fellow trans immigrants in West Hollywood for a holiday celebration. It was a stark contrast to her own early experiences in the U.S., where she struggled with homelessness, incarceration, and immigration detention.
A month into Trump’s second term, those moments of joy feel distant as the community braces for what may come next.
Many trans immigrants believe that the political climate has worsened beyond what was seen in Trump’s first term. While deportation rates were high under the Biden administration, the Trump administration’s renewed focus on targeting transgender rights has left many feeling directly under attack.
Last year, Salcedo’s office received a bomb threat from a man who police say was also planning to attack a Pride parade. Such incidents highlight the growing hostility that transgender people face, making advocacy efforts more crucial than ever.
With Trump’s policies creating an increasingly hostile environment, trans immigrants and their allies are calling for action. Advocacy groups are pushing for legal protections, better immigration policies, and increased support for trans detainees.
The road ahead may be challenging, but activists like Salcedo are committed to ensuring that transgender immigrants are not erased or forgotten. “We’re fighting like hell,” she said, “because we have to.”
As the political landscape continues to shift, the future remains uncertain for thousands of trans immigrants. But one thing is clear: they will not stop fighting for their right to live safely and with dignity in the United States.
