Immigrants are people. They seek to move from one place to another, attempting to temporarily or permanently rebuild their lives. Immigrants belong to and come from families. They have names, feelings, values, and skills like anyone else. They are whole people seeking a whole life, just like anyone else. Immigrants are not nameless enemies. They are determined, hopeful people who put everything on the line to build a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

Fears and anxiety around immigration are often misdirected at the individuals who have chosen to uproot their lives in ways some of us would never dare. The problem is not the men, women, and children who spend their savings, leave everything they’ve ever known behind, or risk their lives to arrive at the border to obtain a chance to start a new life. Our anxieties are caused by a dysfunctional immigration system and growing global challenges, not the individuals themselves. 

America remains a metaphorical city on a hill because of its seemingly endless possibilities for all people. As other nations struggle to cultivate an imagination of possibility and create conditions for innovation and prosperity, the world continues to change at a rapid pace. For those suffering from poverty, corruption, oppression, and war, and lacking representation or the power to create change, reasonable people naturally seek out more immediate solutions for themselves. 

It took over 200 years to build and shape the United States as it exists in the eyes of others today. However, our fast-paced, modernized, and energy-consuming world continues to accelerate change. Other nations cannot afford 200 years of trial, error, conflict, and success to create a hopeful tomorrow for themselves. We cannot endure it either.

The world benefits when everyone belongs and partners together. Immigration is a complex web of ever-changing, inconsistent rules and laws. Naturally, people find loopholes to achieve their dreams and aspirations. Shutting down borders, threatening global neighbors, revoking temporary residency, and deporting non-citizens are not viable or humane solutions, and do not make the nation safer.

America is a land of possibility because of our shared values that uphold and protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These are the essential rights of every living person. Those who build the future must learn to share it equitably. The sign of a maturing society is not isolation but greater collaboration with a holistic perspective. Seeing the world as interconnected and dependent on one another will motivate us to ensure pathways for success for all people. In the short term, those who desire and have the means to travel should have the rights and freedoms to do so. In the long run, elevating others—not dominating, controlling, or threatening them—is in everyone’s best interest.

When we see ourselves as part of an integrated global community, we will begin focusing on real solutions that benefit everyone.