A constant refrain in our national conversation about immigration is familiar: Why don’t they just follow the process and become citizens? Why don’t they just “get in line”?
The answer is simple but not widely understood. For most immigrants, there is no line to stand in.
The pathway to U.S. citizenship is long, complex and, for many people, effectively out of reach. Legal immigration is limited to a narrow set of routes: employment, family reunification or humanitarian protection. Each is governed by strict caps, years-long backlogs and constantly shifting rules that have little to do with effort or character. Depending on country of origin and immigration category, the wait for legal permanent residency can stretch from five years to more than 20.
This is not an abstract policy debate. It is a lived experience for people caught in a legal system that is confusing, backlogged and often impossible to understand.
Over the past 25 years, through my professional work and as a volunteer English teacher, I have worked closely with immigrant families and adults from around the world as they attempt to make sense of that system. They struggle with shifting requirements, endure years-long waits and live with constant uncertainty.
For many, migration was not a choice but a necessity. My students tell of watching relatives beheaded by the Taliban, of girls prohibited from education, of female genital mutilation and of families forced to flee gang violence, warlords, famine and political persecution.
They came to the United States because they believed in this country’s promise of fairness, equality under the law and safety for their children. They juggle multiple jobs, pay taxes, contribute to their communities and do their best to learn English. They believe that if they work hard and follow the rules, they can build secure lives free from violence and fear.
Yet even those who are following the rules are targeted. People with pending valid cases, no criminal records and deep community ties are increasingly being detained by ICE and sent to facilities far from their families and access to legal counsel.
These tactics are not just cruel. They pose a real threat to democratic norms. When federal agencies normalize mass detentions, profiling and family separation, they erode constitutional protections meant to apply to everyone. Immigrants are often the first to experience the harm, but history shows they are never the last.
Silence is not an option. We need to speak out against ICE tactics that terrorize families and press our elected officials to limit funding and tie it to clear standards of transparency and accountability. State and local governments should also refuse to enter into contracts with companies that profit from immigration enforcement.
I continue to be in awe of my students’ courage and their belief in the ideals of this country. They are still doing everything asked of them. The question is whether the rest of us will step up to defend the rights that protect us all.
Aggie Alvez is a member of the Chaffee Immigrant Partnership Team.