A photo of a Korean man who was arrested, Jan. 28, in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's crackdown on illegal immigration on charges of possessing sexually exploitative materials involving minors. The original image was shared uncensored. Captured from White House's X

SEATTLE — U.S. President Donald Trump's massive immigration crackdown across the country is sparking fear, disruption and frustration in both expected and unexpected ways in Korean communities.

Some 110,000 undocumented Koreans, as estimated by the Pew Research Center, are scattered throughout the United States, but in reality, experts say there are many more, and Trump's sweeping clampdown promises to weed them out.

On. Jan. 31, the White House said a Korean national was arrested for the first time in the latest operation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Living undocumented in Atlanta, the Korean man was found guilty of possessing sexually explicit material depicting minors, according to U.S. authorities.

He is one of nearly 1,000 migrants arrested daily in the immigration crackdown, which the Trump administration claims targets illegal residents with criminal records, such as assault, robbery and driving under the influence.

However, local media reports say many of the arrested migrants have not committed any criminal offenses — a concern that's putting some people on edge.

"It's not just criminal illegal immigrants. It's not even just illegal immigrants. It's people of color who are being randomly targeted," said Sam Kim, 39, a U.S. citizen living in Los Angeles, who is trying to mobilize efforts to advocate against what he considers "racial profiling."

"Criminals need to get punished. I'm not arguing against that," Kim noted. "But legal, hardworking Koreans in the U.S. should not be mistreated just because of the way we look and speak."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conduct an arrest as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's wide-ranging immigration crackdown in Chicago, Ill., Jan. 26, in this still image from a video. Reuters-Yonhap

Rumors of ICE raids all over the country have been swirling on multiple social media platforms daily. Revoking a previous policy, the Trump administration has authorized ICE to target schools, hospitals, churches and other "sensitive areas," a drastic change that has triggered a new level of anxiety and a barrage of online posts — some of them fake — taking advantage of growing fears.

On popular online sites among Koreans here, numerous posts detail stories and rumors of surprise raids happening everywhere from Los Angeles to New York City.

"I work at a hospital in California and my employer sent out a mass email instructing what actions to take if ICE tries to enter the building," wrote one user on MissyUSA, the largest online forum among Koreans in the U.S.

Another user, who runs a food business in Los Angeles, wrote, "ICE officers are seen walking up and down the streets in front of my business. I can tell that business has gotten much tougher since the crackdown because people are staying home."

Not only are potential customers possibly hiding out, but restaurant and factory workers are also skipping work.

"My friend runs a garment factory and she says at least a dozen sewing operators haven't shown up to work since the Trump administration started this campaign," said Kim Joo-young, 52, who runs a tofu restaurant in California.

She said one of her bussers had also been out of contact since last week.

"I know what's going on so I'm thinking he's doing what's best for him and his family," Kim said, adding that so many other Korean businesses are experiencing the ripple effects of the crackdown.

Many wonder how long the mass arrests and deportations will last, but so far, the answer is indefinite.

The Trump administration has promised a stringent series of immigration policies that primarily aim to get rid of illegal immigrants so it is expected that the enforcement will last until deemed necessary.

Recent media polls also show that Americans, in general, support deporting undocumented immigrants, while answers are split depending on the details of the process.

Even many Koreans are supportive of arresting and deporting other Koreans who are illegally in the U.S.

"We need more law-abiding Koreans in the U.S., not illegal people," wrote one user on HeyKorean, an online platform popular among Koreans overseas. "Illegal immigrants do nothing but hurt our reputation."

Another user wrote, "It's honestly puzzling why these Koreans continue to live in fear here, when they have such a good mother country to go back to. Everything is so much cheaper and better in Korea."

Many echo this thought, saying people would be so much better off starting from the bottom up in Korea than struggling in survival mode in the U.S.