The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In the Trump Administration immigration crackdown in the USA, it has been learnt that a middle-aged Bhutanese man in New York was detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) around a month ago.
The man did not have any criminal record but only had a deportation order issued against him back in 2009 which is now in the process of being enforced.
A series of immigration related actions by the Trump Administration is adding an increasing level of uncertainty to the small Bhutanese community in the USA, mostly concentrated around New York. At the same time, panic has not yet set in and people are trying to live a normal life as possible.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MoFAET) says there are around 1,500 Bhutanese in USA that are registered, but informal numbers indicate anything between 4,000 to 5,000 Bhutanese there.
The majority of the women there work as baby sitters with some in housekeeping while many of the men work as Uber or Lift drivers, in stores and some in restaurants. There are a smaller number with white collar jobs and their own businesses.
Earlier, while migration was mainly from Bhutan, in recent years it has changed with Bhutanese from Australia exceeding the 35-year age limit and Bhutanese from Canada coming to the USA.
Unlike Mexicans and others, Bhutanese migration to USA is not by crossing the borders but by applying for tourist visas and then overstaying. There are people engaged in facilitating this for a fee of Nu 1 million to Nu 1.2 million per person.
At the same time there are growing number of Bhutanese with legal status like Green Cards and even Citizenship acquired through different streams and options. There are also Bhutanese who have bought their own houses and property and have built a life there.
The Bhutanese talked to four Bhutanese in USA all of whom requested anonymity either due to not wanting to come in the limelight or due to their immigration status.
Chuki (name changed)a Bhutanese woman in her early 40’s said that Bhutanese without a legal status are keeping a low profile and even when they meet difficult or rude people, like while catching buses, they deliberately stay silent and avoid fights to not attract attention.
She said that they have noticed that in some places where Bhutanese work immigrants like Mexicans do not show up for work. Even employers wary of fines over hiring illegal immigrants now prefer to hire immigrants with legal documentation.
Chuki said that recently ICE did a raid in a restaurant in Jackson Heights but the fear was so much that a Bhutanese acquintance of hers who still has a legal tourist visa ran away from the site.
Chuki said that before the crackdown her neighborhood streets used to be quite busy with people delivering food and doing other works but now those same streets have gone quiet.
Tandi (name changed) in her mid-20’s painted a starker picture saying that she has heard about some Bhutanese not going to work and some not even opening their doors when people knock.
Tashi (named changed) who heads a Bhutanese organization there and is in contact with a large number of Bhutanese said he has seen Tiktok videos of some Bhutanese people panicking but that is not the case on the ground.
He said that NYC has around 8 mn people and Bhutanese only make a very small part of it.
He said his source of confidence lies in the fact that the Trump immigration drive is firstly against those with criminal records, secondly those who have removal letters for deportation pending and finally those who have illegally crossed the border.
He said even if there are Bhutanese who do not have legal status they can still apply for IDs and license which they should carry on them. He called on people to not make alarmist Tiktok videos about the situation in USA.
Tashi said people say there are around 4,000 to 5,000 Bhutanese in the USA but even in the largest ever NYC gathering it was only 1,800 people coming.
Tashi said that he has been telling Bhutanese not to panic as even if they are deported it will be back to their own peaceful country and family under a benevolent King.
When asked if Bhutanese are avoiding big gatherings, he said they are not and are having cultural and religious gatherings when entertainers and Lams arrive from Bhutan.
Recently the Trump administration said that all foreign immigrants staying beyond 30 days from 11th April 2025 have to register with the government and carry the registration papers with them at all times, for checks and inspections.
Not registering may result in fines, imprisonment and deportation. Tashi said he personally does not trust the system and so will not register.
The Trump Administration has managed to access the tax data base as even illegal immigrants in USA pay tax. Here Tashi said that some pay or take cash.
A Bhutanese with an artistic background, Sonam (name changed) shared similar points like Tashi and said he is going to work without worry as the main priority are criminals. He said he even doubts if there are 4,000 to 5,000 Bhutanese in the USA.
Phurba (name changed) is a Bhutanese with a wife and kid and he also said he is going to work as the priority is criminals or those with criminal track records. He said the democratic system and civil society is strong and there is a fight back and also a Constitutional crisis over the deporting of a migrant to a prison in El Salvador.
He also said that ICE does not do random raids but comes with a name list and only goes after specific people on the list.
In the 2023 list of countries with the smallest numbers of people granted green cards issued Bhutan ranked 20th with only 75 getting green cards. The other 19 were mainly small island nations with miniscule populations.
This shows that Bhutanese migrants both legal and illegal would be at the bottom 20 when it comes to numbers of migrants in the USA.
However, while Bhutanese can take comfort in the small numbers and being law abiding residents, the high visa overstay rate has put a spotlight on Bhutanese migration even briefly putting Bhutan in a draft red list which Bhutan is no longer on.
Meanwhile, foreign ministry officials continue to appeal to Bhutanese to not go to the USA with the intent of over stay as it can have repercussions on them and the country too.
