Content note: This piece includes references to child endangerment, surveillance, and family separation, which may be upsetting to some readers.
When people hear the word “immigration,” they often picture borders and bureaucracy. But immigration is, at its heart, about people—our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and friends.
I confess that before I started writing AoCC, I thought immigration was a cut-and-dried issue: either you were following the law or breaking it.
I was wrong.
Immigration is a thousand shades of gray. For example, the U.S. law guarantees asylum to people fleeing persecution. However, the path to becoming a citizen is an abysmally opaque. Even marrying an American doesn’t give you automatic citizenship. U.S. immigration is so complex that anyone on this journey can get caught between steps and find themselves at risk. Especially now.
If you’re a passport-carrying American citizen, the topic of immigration may not be on your radar. With the current administration, however, the dangers are present and costly.
So, here’s a low-key primer on four reasons this topic matters to everyone who lives here.
1. The Definition of “Legal” Can Change Overnight.
Like me, many people assume that immigration concerns only those who “break the rules.” Since January 2025, changes the definition of “legality” have been swift and arbitrary. What was allowable yesterday to an aspiring American become grounds for deportation today—without wrongdoing or notice.
For example, international students received emails in March canceling their educational visas and telling them to “self deport” to avoid court hearings or detention. The current administration also abruptly ended humanitarian programs that welcomed over half a million people fleeing dangers in Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua. One day, our neighbors were living and working here with government permission, the next day they had no status, no means of supporting themselves, and facing imminent deportation. With the stroke of a pen, our neighbors lose their rights, are uprooted, and are justifiably afraid.
The rules keep changing. Correction: this administration keeps changing the rules. The executive branch is targeting vulnerable people, creating unnecessary chaos and instability—not just for enrolled people, but in our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
2. Immigration is Targeting Children – Again.
One distressing trend this year has been the government’s treatment of unaccompanied children. The level of cooperation between agencies seeking to target minors is chilling. In February, ICE began accessing school records to locate and deport minors who had entered the U.S. alone. Some are allowed due process, but it is inhumane to expect a child to legally represent themselves in cou. If they fail to show up, the risk of separation from extended family or sponsors is real.
ICE has been accessing databases managed by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, transforming a child welfare agency into an enforcement tool. Despite a 2011 policy preventing ICE raids in “sensitive” areas like churches and hospitals, the current president’s executive order in January authorized raids in schools, affecting kids as young as five years old. Not only does ICE’s intrusions disrupt learning and scare teachers and classmates, these actions retraumatize children who already carry deep psychological scars from displacement and family loss.
Unaccompanied minors seeking asylum are children. Every decision made about a lone child at our borders should focus on their wellbeing, regardless of their immigration status. They should be welcomed with immediate care, assessed for safety and protection needs, and offered a long-term solution that supports their thriving long term.
3. New Immigration Policies Enrich Private Companies.
Immigration enforcement has become a lucrative industry–at taxpayers’ expense. As the administration expands detention efforts, private prison companies are profiting immensely. In April, ICE offered contracts to corporations CoreCivic and Geo Group to increase detention capacity from 41,000 to 100,000 beds, with projected costs reaching up to $45 billion in taxpayer funds. The people detained often include asylum seekers, children, and long-time residents with no criminal records.
Before 2017, many asylum seekers were allowed to reside with extended family or friends while awaiting court hearings. The Family Case Management Program, for example, was not only more humane, but also significantly more cost-effective. For instance, the daily cost per participant was under $4.20 per day, compared to approximately $152 per day for detention. Moreover, these alternatives boasted high compliance rates, with 99.3% of participants attending their court hearings and adhering to immigration requirements.
Detaining people for financial gain is immoral. It is already a practice that disproportionately targets our Black and Brown neighbors for profit. The same corporations are expanding detention centers and building new ones to profit from the current administration’s “crackdown”. We, the People, pay for this with our tax dollars. Speaking up against this practice is a frequent action in our Checklist.
4. It’s Not Just “Them”—It Could Be Any of Us.
For passport-carrying citizens, perhaps the most sobering truth of immigration enforcement is that it no longer clearly distinguishes between “us” and “them.” Since its inception, ICE has deported or detained thousands of Americans. One 2011 study found that 1-1.5% of people we’ve deported to other countries are Americans. Tech corporation, Palentir, has just been awarded a $30 million U.S. contract for a surveillance program tracking people’s movements. ICE and DHS have begun using expansive databases to track green card holders, student visa holders, and asylum applicants—many of whom have followed every rule while living in the U.S.
When the government detains people without a clear burden of proof, without due process, and pressure to act quickly, every resident of our nation is at risk. Civil liberties are not just for protecting the vulnerable—they are about safeguarding freedom for everyone.
We Are All Neighbors.
Although this issue is deeply concerning, you are not powerless. Every Checklist includes well-researched actions that make it possible to speak up in solidarity with our new neighbors. You don’t need to be an expert to care. In fact, if you have the security of U.S. citizenship, your voice carries special weight. You can speak up without fear—something many of our immigrant neighbors cannot safely do.
So don’t despair. Welcoming new neighbors is part of our culture. When we choose solidarity with immigrants—whom we call aspiring Americans—we build the kind of country where welcome, dignity, safety, and justice are enjoyed by all. Together, our voices can shape a future that reflects our best values.