How U.S. Immigrants and Friends Might Prepare in 2025
Tips and ideas on how those worried about immigration changes can get ready
This is not a political article; but I reserve the right to get political in the future. For now I want to talk about immigrants and their friends on a more relational and practical level, not political. As I’ve been saying since 2013:
Immigration is an issue; immigrants are people.
I have some deeper concerns likely coming later. I am quite worried about how American Evangelicals, in particular, view and treat immigrants. But this article is not focusing on that. First I want to focus on practical problems facing immigrants and their friends right now.
My primary personal background and investment in this question is that many immigrants are my friends. In addition, I was also part of the founding leaders that started Immigrant Connection, the fastest growing low cost immigration legal services organization in the country which has served over 39,000 immigrant families in its history since 2014.(1)
Current Concerns
Many immigrants and their friends are deeply concerned about not only the rhetoric about immigrants these days but also potential real world policy changes that may impact their families in the near future. Here’s the reality: we don’t know what will change. Everyone is unsure and it doesn’t seem prudent to take every extreme comment made in the political realm at face value.
However, if we were to take those statements as predictive, things could get grim. Part of the trauma of this season for many immigrants, their families, and their friends is the lack of clarity. It seems that most in politics only use the issue of immigration for leverage, and so immigrant people themselves are treated like a political football tossed about between opposing teams. If I were in an immigrant’s shoes that would make me feel used, dehumanized, and distrustful.
I think immigration expert Zach Szmara may have captured this dynamic best in his recent statement:
“Immigrants are used as pawns in a relentless pursuit of power and political gain. Small changes towards progress or glimmers of hope in policy are often fleeting, offered temporarily, and then stripped away - leaving immigrants caught in a cycle of uncertainty by a system that grants lawful status only to later revoke it….” - Zach Szmara
But until we change that dynamic by treating immigrants as people, not as an “issue” and by passing substantive immigration reform, we must work practically to understand the situation. I do not write this article as legal advice, because I am not an immigration attorney, a Department of Justice accredited representative, nor even the spokesperson for any organization on this subject. I am merely a researcher and writer who has witnessed much in the last 10 years in the immigration realm so I provide this information as some leads for what we can all do to prepare for the coming months and years of potentially significant change.
I will leave my more theological and biblical reflections on immigration for later, for now I feel compelled to use my voice to be practical for undocumented immigrants who want to learn how to prepare, as well as the friends of immigrants and churches who want to be welcoming and helpful.
What can UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS do to prepare?
I would encourage you to get more informed by signing up for the Immigrant Connection newsletter so you are getting clear information as the need arises. I am speaking in what follows of what undocumented immigrants can do to prepare. Of course documented immigrants should do their best to stay informed and keep their status up to date.
In these days it is also important to beware of those who might look to exploit your fear. This is particularly problematic because of how many “notarios” know you need help, but these are unqualified individuals posing as legal professionals, who often exploit immigrant communities when they are at their most vulnerable.
This is why it is important to get low-cost church-based immigration legal help by looking through this map here. If none are close to you, locate a Department of Justice accredited representative via a simple search function found here. (2)
It is important to at all times carry with you the following:
Valid Identification Card - At all times, carry a valid work permit or green card, if you have one. If you do not have one, carry a municipal ID, state ID or driver’s license if it was issued in the United States and contains no information at all about your immigration status or your country of origin. Keep a clear, color photocopy in a safe location. Do not carry false identification or identification containing your country of origin.
Phone Number for an Immigration Lawyer, Advocate or Legal Services Provider
A Red Card (which is a quick reminder of one’s rights) to be prepared. You can get these cards at an Immigrant Connection or other similar sites. \
Family preparedness planning is important as well, including contingency plans in case of detention and a family care plan. This preparation includes but is not limited to:
finding qualified legal help and scheduling an appointment
locating, copying, and organizing important documents
making back-up arrangements for kids with those you trust
memorizing key phone numbers
saving money for legal expenses
While this is not a complete list of advice of how to prepare, it is a start.
What rights do undocumented immigrants have and not have?
This is where the United States, which is a rule of law nation, can help us gain a little more clarity. In the US it is not merely citizens or even those with documentation who have rights. The US legal system has consistently held for literally hundreds of years that many constitutional rights extend to all individuals within U.S. borders, including undocumented immigrants. We are a nation that intends to be fundamentally built on human rights.
Undocumented immigrants do not have the right to the following government programs:
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Medicaid
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Even green-card holders must often wait for five-years for most federal benefits. I should note that children who are born in this country can indeed benefit from these kinds of programs and more because they are citizens of the United States.(3)
Undocumented persons also do not have the right to Social Security Income (adding to the irony of many objections to undocumented immigrants, in 2022 undocumented immigrants contributed $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes, without being able to benefit from it later.)
Undocumented people also may not vote in U.S. Federal Elections. Non-citizen voting in federal elections was outlawed in 1924, with penalties added in 1996, and there is no evidence of unauthorized immigrants, or other non-citizen immigrants defrauding federal elections by voting in significant numbers, despite some nonfactual claims to the contrary. (Again adding irony, undocumented immigrants contributed $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022 in the U.S., which reminds me of the American Revolutionary slogan: “taxation without representation is tyranny.”)
It is important for me to emphasize that U.S.-born children of undocumented parents do have the above rights. One could imagine how undocumented parents might fear accessing benefits for U.S.-born children because they think their own status disqualifies their children but that is not true.
But what rights do undocumented immigrants have?
The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States give undocumented immigrants due process under the law, which ensures fair legal proceedings and protection against arbitrary government action. And the Sixth Amendment also gives the right to counsel. Now, while this right is applicable to immigration proceedings, many immigrants do not have the resources to secure legal representation, leaving them vulnerable in an amazingly complex system.
Our laws also affirm the right of undocumented children to access public education, with courts recognizing that denying them an education violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.
Undocumented people can assert their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and they may refuse interrogation or document signing without legal counsel. They may, like anyone, demand to know an officer's name and badge number. The best advice if detained is to maintain composure and not provide any false information.
Undocumented persons don’t have many options, by they can explore legal avenues, including asylum applications if eligible which a local DOJ rep can counsel you through.
Finally, there is a significant psychological impact surrounding even the threat of deportation, and it is important to sort through through these anxieties with professional counselors and trained pastors.
What can CONCERNED FRIENDS do to prepare?
If you have immigrant friends who may be very concerned for them these days. There is good reason for concern. The rhetoric we are hearing about mass deportations and the separation of families sounds dark. For those who live in and among immigrant communities it doesn’t take long to hear about significant threats and dangers that many immigrants will face if deported. You will likely hear of life and death struggles.
As noted above the same is true for you: there is a significant psychological impact in caring for those who face these threats, and it will be important for you as well to talk to trained counselors and pastors. This is often called second-hand trauma and some professionals specialize in caring for those who care for others.
The primary thing you can do to prepare is to increase your relational welcome in the lives of immigrants. Having immigrant friends into your home and supporting them in their lives and events is crucial. What’s more, sharing a table with immigrants and even introducing them to friends and family who do not have such a network is helpful. This spreads the welcome of immigrants into more hearts and minds.
A few resources - these can help you learn more and grow your knowledge and heart for immigrants and help you stand with them:
Be sure to take the time to sign up for the Immigrant Connection newsletter to get better informed as more information comes available. Good information will help you answer questions well and direct friends to the right help.
Experience the “At the Table” devotional, designed for both individuals and groups.
Read the book Welcoming the Stranger by Matthew Soerens and Jenny Hwang Yang
Consider giving to IC or other orgs working on the solution side of these problems, rather than making them worse.
Support the Evangelical Immigration Table’s work to find nonpartisan, practical, and common sense solutions.
Adjusting Langauge
Even if you have several immigrant friends you may need to adjust the terms you use and how you speak about immigrants. I think it is helpful to note that The Department of Justice doesn’t use terms like “Alien” or “Illegal” to talk about human beings in its work administering the laws of our land: They always use terms like applicant, petitioner, beneficiary, migrant, noncitizen, unaccompanied child, or undocumented person. These are more neutral legal terms that are not accusatory or inflammatory. We do not need to dehumanize or dishonor people while debating immigration issues—instead we must recognize we are talking about people.
What’s more, the way we talk about immigration itself is important. Immigration expert Zach Szmara says it well…
“The rhetoric of ‘doing it the right way’ or ‘waiting in line like we did”’ reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of how the immigration system actually works and a deep lack of proximity to the lived experiences of immigrants.” - Zach Szmara
In the end it is important for friends of immigrants to be realistic. The reality is the American immigration system is a relic of another era that is fundamentally broken. While social media and other discourse often focuses on narratives about border security and crossings, the deeper dysfunction lies in the system's antiquated design. Conceived nearly eight decades ago (shortly after World War 2) our system has failed to adapt to the evolving realities of a globalized world and the changing demographics of our nation. That’s why once any contemporary person starts looking deeper into our actual immigration laws they discovery they are not only weird but flat out offensive. Rather than a framework for orderly and humane integration, our system functions primarily as a barrier to entry, offering no clear pathways for most aspiring immigrants or for the migrant labor that our country utilized for most of its history. Basically, our system paints nearly everyone in a corner with few solutions.
So, be realistic with your friends, and maybe consider apologizing on behalf of our country for how weird our system is.
What can CHURCHES AND CHURCH LEADERS do to prepare?
Is your church is ready to get more involved? Perhaps you need to know of some options to pursue first if your church is relatively new to this…
Entry Level Options:
Host an “At the Table” small group or class where your church people can learn together and ask questions in a safe environment.
So you can answer questions about “why church people should care about this” read the 2009 National Association of Evangelicals resolution on immigration found here.
For Wesleyans like me (or those who think like us), read the 2008 A Wesleyan View of Immigration found here, which was supported with a more than 90% vote. This statement clarifies that all churches should care about this matter, even if they have few or no immigrants in their worship services.
Repurpose information you learn through the Immigrant Connection newsletter during your worship times, class times, or in church communications sent out.
If you’re ready for more as a church, then start to get people more engaged….
Engagement Level Options:
The first priority is to become a church that truly welcomes immigrants, and do more to show and earnestly give welcome to immigrants directly.
Immigrant Connection has many wonderful resources to help in this effort as a church joins The Welcome Journey. Learn more about that process by clicking here.
Church staff and/or volunteers can also begin coordinating welcome programs such as citizenship classes, english conversation programs, and family resource nights. More information about how to start any of these engaging programs can be found here.
If your people are already engaged and you’re looking to go the distance, perhaps the next level is right for you….
Next Level option:
When surveys are given to immigrants they most often rank “the need for low cost immigration legal help” highest on their needs. Most churches that really get serious about not only welcoming immigrants but also doing life among them and empowering them begin to realize that this need needs to be met, either right at your church or in a partnership with another church in your area, no matter where you are. If this sounds right, then perhaps consider opening up a low-cost immigration legal services clinic at your church. It’s a big step and takes the kind of energy and up front funding you might give to any other significant ministry of your church, but it’s really worth it to make a deep impact. I should add here that the most effective churches are doing many if not most of the above steps in “quick and engagement” levels first before trying to jump to this step. Such work is successful in places where relationship is already deep with immigrants and trust has already been earned. You can’t microwave that process.
While this season is difficult for immigrants and their friends, I hope this more pragmatic article might help you and those you love through these uncertain times. -Dd
I think this needs to update since I am reading this article in late January during the ICE raids.
Thank you, David, for raising my awareness of the complexity of the situation.