‘Just come here the right way!’

By Julie Avila

[This is the first in an occasional series of immigration stories from Church of the Brethren members and attendees. Look for more stories to be featured in upcoming issues of Newsline. To submit an immigration story for this series, email cobnews@brethren.org.]

Last May, my husband became a US citizen.

Both of us received comments around that time from well-intentioned people along the lines of, “I’m glad he did it the right way!” When I explained to someone that the only way he was able to become a US citizen was because he married me, a US citizen, she was taken aback. “There aren’t education courses he could take or something?” she asked.

Many don’t understand there are very few avenues to gain legal permanent residency and then citizenship, and that the immigration processes take many years and thousands of dollars.

The unfortunate irony is that some who are here legally, or who are in the process of obtaining legal status, still end up targeted by immigration enforcement and are sent to ICE detention; the “right way” is disregarded altogether. (1) But I’d like to address two other reasons this phrase is problematic:

There are few pathways to come to the US “the right way” and for the most vulnerable, like refugees and asylum seekers who are fleeing dangerous situations, it is nearly impossible.

The primary pathways to legal residency are through family or employment sponsorship, or protection based on unsafe conditions in one’s home country. (2) Currently, those seeking safety are the least prioritized. This administration has set the lowest cap on refugees admitted since the US refugee resettlement program began in 1980, going from 125,000 down to 7,500 as of earlier this year, while prioritizing white South Africans over others fleeing real danger. (3) Recently, it was decided that an additional 10,000 white South Africans be admitted, while more than 120,000 refugees already conditionally approved have been waiting for a safe home. (4) Effectively, there is an indefinite refugee ban, along with refugees currently here who are undergoing further restrictions and needless re-vetting. (5) Furthermore, our Haitian sisters and brothers who received Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to ongoing natural disasters and humanitarian crises, lost that protection this summer. (6) Those from other countries also have lost TPS, and those seeking asylum have faced pauses in processing, denials, or even the closing of their case before a full hearing. (7) Ultimately, most who are able to “come the right way” are those with family and work connections in the US and with access to financial and legal resources.

The assumption is that people who “come here the right way” should be treated with more dignity, while those who are desperate, without resources or a legal pathway, or awaiting documentation should be incarcerated, abused, deported, and separated from their families.

As Christians we all should agree that every human being is made in the image of God. Therefore, there is absolutely no justification for the harsh treatment of human beings across the country, from getting arrested outside of immigration court as they are trying to do things “the right way,” (8) to many reports from detention centers of physical abuse and extreme medical neglect that have led to multiple deaths. (9) Scholars have argued ICE detention centers meet the criteria for concentration camps. (10)

This should appall us.

As followers of Jesus, we should be leading the fight for human rights in this country, championing the dignity of all people. No one, with or without legal status, should be subject to the horrors the US immigration system has created.

So whenever someone says that immigrants should “just come here the right way,” please correct them. Use your voice to speak out, support the Deportation Defense Response Legal and Mutual Aid Fund, join a local campaign or protest, accompany someone to court, organize a vigil, and pray for justice, in Jesus’ name.

— Julie Avila is an educator and organizer for the Church of the Brethren Deportation Defense Response (DDR) Team.

Bibliography

(1) Morley E. NILC. 2025. ICE is detaining indiscriminately. And releasing almost no one. https://www.nilc.org/articles/ice-is-detaining-indiscriminately-and-releasing-almost-no-one/

(2) Welcome.us. 2026 [cited June 22, 2026]. Who qualifies for citizenship? https://welcome.us/explainers/who-qualifies-for-citizenship

(3) Walker J. Axios. 2025. Trump sets lowest-ever refugee cap. See how other presidents compare. https://www.axios.com/2025/10/30/trump-refugee-record-humanitarian-aid-south-africans

(4) Refugeerights.org. International Refugee Assistance Project; 2026 [cited June 22, 2026]. IRAP Decries Expansion of Refugee Ceiling Exclusively for White Afrikaners. https://refugeerights.org/news-resources/irap-decries-expansion-of-refugee-ceiling-exclusively-for-white-afrikaners

(5) Church World Service. Oct. 15, 2026 [cited Oct. 21, 2026]. Daily State of Play: Trump’s Indefinite Refugee Ban and Funding Halt. https://cwsglobal.org/blog/daily-state-of-play-trumps-indefinite-refugee-ban-and-funding-halt/

(6) USCIS. 2026 [cited Aug. 25, 2026]. Update on Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti (Release: July 29, 2026). https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-related-news/update-on-termination-of-temporary-protected-status-for-haiti-release-july-29-2026

(7) ASAP Together. 2025. How are laws changing for asylum seekers? https://asaptogether.org/en/law-changes-jan-2025/

(8) Presa L.R., Mahr J. Chicago Tribune. 2026 [cited June 22, 2026]. ICE arrests shift to courthouses and immigration check-ins as enforcement intensifies in Chicago area. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/06/19/chicago-ice-arrests-uptick/

(9) Wright K. NPR. 2026. Immigrant detainees sue over “horrific” conditions at Texas ICE facility. https://www.npr.org/2026/05/30/nx-s1-5841359/immigrant-detainees-sue-texas-camp-east-montana

(10) Braithwaite A. Van Nostrand R.D. When immigration detention becomes a system of concentration: Lessons from research on 150 historical cases. The Conversation. May 1, 2026 [cited Oct. 21, 2026]. https://theconversation.com/when-immigration-detention-becomes-a-system-of-concentration-lessons-from-research-on-150-historical-cases-277728 doi:10.64628/AAI.ruq6nquwe

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