Will the real America please stand up? An immigrant’s reflection.

As an immigrant from Quito, Ecuador, my dream as a child was to study abroad — a dream that came true in 1999, when I came to Nashville, Tennessee, as a high school exchange student. My host family helped me enroll at their alma mater, a Christian college, and eventually, I earned a Ph.D. focused on public opinion and migration. 

I now serve as director of research at the Public Religion Research Institute, where I study how Americans view immigrants and immigration policy.

Integrating into American society was not easy, but it was enriching. I learned to value democracy, freedom of expression, the rule of law, tolerance and minority rights. I also became an informal ambassador of my own country, sharing my culture while learning about other cultures.

I felt safe studying in the U.S. and never feared deportation. I can’t imagine how international students feel today, with visas increasingly being revoked. I also ache for asylum seekers fleeing criminal violence in their home countries. 

My research shows that crime victimization is a key driver for migration from northern Central America. These individuals don’t have time to wait years for a visa. They either flee or face death.

Recent efforts to reduce both documented and undocumented immigration raise serious questions: Who counts as American? What are our priorities? Do we still value the rule of law?

I see deep polarization along political and religious lines. A majority of Republicans support stricter limits on legal immigration, whereas only one-third of Democrats do. 

Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric resonates strongly among some groups. For example, a disturbing number of Republicans (67 percent) and white evangelical Protestants (62 percent) agree with the idea that undocumented immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of the country.

But even among these groups, not all policies enjoy support. Only a minority, including among Republicans and evangelicals, support the use of internment camps for undocumented immigrants, like the 42 currently being held at Guantanamo Bay.

The Trump administration is also pushing the limits of legal and humane immigration policy. In one striking case, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident, was wrongly deported to El Salvador. Though the Supreme Court unanimously ruled he must be returned, the administration claims it has no obligation to bring him back. This sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the rule of law.

Social science shows that contact with people different from us reduces prejudice. During my exchange experiences, I formed close bonds with people not expected to accept me, like Republicans and white evangelicals. 

These interactions were powerful. But when political leaders frame immigrants as threats, even personal connections can be outweighed.

After 20 years in this country, I ask: Who benefits from this hostility? When immigrant families live in fear, unable to go about their lives, who wins? 

Deportations don’t just break families apart; they erode trust, social cohesion and the economy. Cities report falling sales and labor shortages in industries that rely on immigrants.

My story is just one of millions. Immigrants are not threats. We are students, professors, workers, business owners and neighbors. We enrich the fabric of this country. 

I was fortunate to have the safety and support that many are denied today. But today’s policies dehumanize immigrants and corrode the democratic ideals that drew me here.

When fear and mistrust dominate and legal protections weaken, we all lose. The real question is not just how we treat immigrants, but what kind of society we want to be.

We must demand immigration policies that reflect American values of fairness, dignity and justice. It’s time for each of us — citizens, communities and leaders — to speak out and support humane immigration reforms that strengthen, rather than undermine, our democracy.

Diana Orcés, Ph.D., is the director of research at the Public Religion Research Institute. Originally from Quito, Ecuador, she holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University and teaches graduate-level research design and methods at American University.