Immigration restrictions, rising living costs and strains in US-India relations are putting President Donald Trump’s support among sections of the Indian-American community to the test, including some voters who backed him in the 2024 presidential election.
As the US prepares for the November 3 midterm elections, recent surveys indicate that Indian-American voters currently favour Democratic candidates.
However, this preference comes even as the community’s identification with the has declined over the years.
A separate AP-NORC/AAPI Data survey, conducted between September 8 and 15 and released on October 19, found that only 25% of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults approved of Trump’s performance, according to The Times of India.
The survey also found that 83% of respondents considered the cost of living an important issue when voting, while 89% said the economy was important. Although these findings cover the wider AAPI population and are not specific to Indian-Americans, they underline the economic concerns shaping voting priorities across Asian-American communities.
Among Indian-American voters, the preference for Democratic candidates is more pronounced. The 2026 AAPI Voter Survey, released in August by AAPI Data and Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), found that 66% of Indian-American registered voters favoured Democratic candidates for the US House of Representatives, compared with 18% who preferred . For Senate elections, 66% backed Democratic candidates, while 22% favoured Republicans.
A February 2026 survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found that 71% of Indian-American respondents disapproved of Trump’s performance as president, while 29% approved.
Disapproval extended to several key policy areas. Around 64% disapproved of Trump’s handling of immigration, 68% of his domestic economic policies and 70% of his international economic policies, including trade, tariffs and sanctions.
Immigration has emerged as a significant concern for a community that includes a large number of professionals, students and families whose lives are closely connected to cross-border mobility.
Restrictions on immigration and uncertainty surrounding work visas have added to concerns over the administration’s policies. Economic pressures, particularly the rising cost of living, are another factor shaping voter priorities.
US-India relations have also become part of the political debate. Trade disagreements, tariff measures and diplomatic tensions have complicated ties between Washington and New Delhi, potentially influencing how some Indian-American voters assess the
The shift is also reflected among some voters who supported Trump in 2024. A poll of 800 registered South Asian-American voters, conducted by HIT Strategies for Indian American Impact, found that 60% of likely voters planned to support Democratic candidates for . Notably, 25% of respondents who voted for Trump in 2024 said they intended to vote for Democrats in the midterms.
Indian-Americans accounted for roughly 90% of the survey’s respondents, according to findings released on October 26.
Despite the preference for candidates reflected in recent midterm polling, Indian-American voters’ identification with the party has gradually declined.
The Carnegie Endowment’s Indian American Attitudes Survey found that the share of respondents identifying as Democrats fell from 52% in 2020 to 46% in 2026.
Republican identification rose from 15% to 19% over the same period, while the proportion identifying as independents increased from 23% to 29%.
The figures suggest that disapproval of Trump and his policies does not automatically translate into stronger allegiance to Democrats. Some Indian-Americans may favour candidates in specific elections while remaining independent of either party or less aligned with the Democrats’ broader political positions.
This shift follows a notable increase in support for Trump during the 2024 presidential election. Carnegie’s October 2024 survey found that 32% of registered voters intended to vote for Trump, up from 22% who had supported him in the 2020 survey. However, 61% still intended to vote for in 2024.
The November 3 elections will determine control of the US House of Representatives and Senate, shaping the legislative agenda and the extent of congressional oversight of Trump’s administration.
With a population of more than 5.2 million, Indian-Americans are an increasingly visible constituency in , particularly in closely contested congressional districts.
With inputs from agencies
