World Immigration News

Centering Humanity in the Immigration Debate

Release Date: 2025-01-16
Media: Immigration Impact
Summary: The author reflects on their family's immigration story, focusing on their father’s migration from Mexico to the U.S. in the 1970s due to droughts that ruined their farm. The author’s parents worked in construction, baking, and call centers, and raised three children who all graduated from college. Their story is a testament to perseverance, but also one of many untold immigrant stories often overlooked in policy debates.

The author highlights the experiences of immigrants like Martha, a DACA recipient, and Miguel and Rosa, who have lived in the U.S. without legal status for decades, facing uncertainty amid changing immigration policies. Despite having lived in the U.S. for many years, millions of undocumented immigrants remain excluded from meaningful policy solutions.

The piece critiques the current focus on enforcement-heavy immigration policies that stigmatize immigrants and fail to address the root causes of migration. While significant funds are allocated to immigration enforcement, efforts to improve the immigration system, such as hiring more asylum officers and supporting migrant integration, have not advanced. The author calls for immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship and better reflects the everyday lives of immigrants.
Tags: USA

Released on

Article Title