There is nothing wrong with wanting a secure border. It is an essential function of a country to be able to choose who may enter and remain within its confines, but that is only the first of many layers that make this issue so complex. As the previous blogs explained, the issue also includes who is being allowed into the country, the prioritization of white South African Afrikaners over all other refugee groups, and the revocation of legal protections for people who entered through established humanitarian pathways, forcing many to return to countries that remain unsafe. On top of the uncertainty migrants are already facing, the myths and harsh rhetoric surrounding immigration have only made the situation more hostile.
In today’s blog, we will debunk a few of these myths, map out the latest developments in immigration policy, and discuss the part we can all play in this fight.
Myths
The two most popular myths are that immigrants are taking American jobs and that immigrants are criminals. Both claims are largely unsupported. The Congressional Budget Office found that increased immigration can have a miniscule effect on wage growth for less educated workers, but job competition is strongest among workers with similar skills, including other recent immigrants. Therefore, when job competition occurs, it happens between immigrants, and not between U.S.-born workers and immigrants.
Immigrants are contributing to our economy, not taking from it. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in 2025, foreign-born workers made up 19.1 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force, representing more than 31 million people. The Congressional Budget Office also estimated that the immigration increase from 2021 to 2026 would raise federal revenue by roughly $1.2 trillion, reduce federal deficits by about $900 billion, and increase the size of the U.S. economy by $8.9 trillion between 2024 and 2034. The inequality and pay gaps that exist in our country are not caused by the people who are the most financially vulnerable. Immigrants are not to blame for a barely livable minimum wage, expensive healthcare, or rising grocery prices.
Scapegoating is an effective political strategy. Scapegoating a group means characterizing them in a way that makes them easy to fear or hate; hence the criminal immigrant trope and openly xenophobic rhetoric from high level government officials. For example, the Vice President saying Haitian people were eating people's pet dogs in Springfield, Ohio. This xenophobia often goes hand in hand with Islamophobia, especially when immigrants from Muslim majority countries or Muslim political activists are portrayed as threats to American culture and security. All of these claims are, of course, unfounded. The National Institute of Justice is one of the many institutions that concluded immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.- born Americans.
When you watch our Between Borders series, one of the common threads is that people don’t want to leave their countries of origin. In the words of Somali-British poet Warsan Shire "I want to go home, but home is the mouth of a shark. Home is the barrel of a gun. No one would leave home unless home chased you to the shore."
click here to read the rest of this power poem on the migrant/refugee experience.
People leave behind successful careers as doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers. They leave behind family homes, friends, and the fruits and vegetables only their homeland grows. Immigration involves a heavy decision to turn your back on everything you know. This is in clear contrast to the prevalent messaging that people are just chasing the American dream when they are really running from a nightmare.
Threat to Freedom of Speech
James Baldwin once wrote to Angela Davis, “For, if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night.” In the wake of increased immigration enforcement, core rights and liberties have come under assault, with freedom of speech at the forefront. As Baldwin suggests, these threats do not only affect immigrants but can ultimately affect citizens as well.
One example is the case of Salah Sarsour. Sarsour is a Palestinian lawful permanent resident whose lawyers argue that he is facing deportation because of his advocacy for Palestine and Palestinian rights. Sarsour is an active part of his community, the president of a Wisconsin mosque, and a father and grandfather. He was detained for over 80 days while facing deportation. A federal judge ordered his release after finding that Sarsour’s legal case raised a substantial First Amendment retaliation claim. Release was only the first step. Sarsour still has to defend himself before an immigration court.
Another glaring example is Mohsen Mahdawi, a student at Columbia University and another Palestinian lawful permanent resident who was arrested during his naturalization interview. His lawyers believe that this was largely the result of his pro-Palestinian advocacy. Like Sarsour, a judge released Mahdawi after concluding that his detention raised substantial First Amendment concerns.
Latest Developments
On July 27th, following the Supreme Court ruling allowing the administration to terminate TPS for Haiti and Syria, more than 350,000 people are in danger of deportation. This is the largest de-documentation in history. The administration has made it clear that they intend to deport 1,000 people per month to Haiti with the flights starting two weeks ago.
In April the courts lifted the administration's virtual ban on new asylum applications; that progress has now been undone. On July 27, 2026, USCIS issued a new rule, effective immediately. The new rule means asylum seekers in affirmative proceedings will no longer be interviewed but will instead be sent directly to an immigration judge. Importantly, immigration judges in some instances can remove individuals without hearing the case. This means many people who have undergone the arduous journey to the borders are then turned away without having the chance to plead their case. At this moment– a few days after the new rule– it is unclear how this will play out, but it appears the goal is to deport as many people as possible, as fast as possible.
What Can You Do
Our immigration chaos is not about a border crisis. The dehumanization, vilification, and outright abuse of families in detention centers are unacceptable, and the scapegoating of immigrants is a cover-up for poorly-conceived policies that make life harder for all working people in the United States. We think it is important to stay informed about the ever-changing policies, and to take action when possible.
Here are some ideas:
You can stay informed by reading blogs like this series, news articles from trusted sources, and finding out what is happening in your own community.
This list of resources is not exhaustive but here are a few groups we recommend for staying up to date on immigration and for taking impactful action. These organizations are run by individuals directly impacted by these issues.
Movement for Justice in El barrios
Have a resource to share? Leave it in the comments below.
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