8 Tips for Having Better Conversations About Immigration

Immigration is at the heart of the American story. The rich cultural diversity and open society that defines our nation has fueled creativity, innovation, and economic growth throughout our history.  

Unfortunately, U.S. immigration policy has also always been contentious. In times of change, immigration opponents often scapegoat newcomers, tapping into people’s fears of losing their social status to perceived outsiders, and loss of order and control. 

If you find that discussing immigration with the people in your life too often becomes heated and unproductive, you aren’t alone – but it doesn’t have to be that way. The framing and language we use can make a real difference in helping to move past fears, foster empathy, and remind us of our shared values.  

Here are eight tips on what to avoid and where to focus when talking about immigration with your friends and neighbors. 

1. Avoid: “us vs. them” narratives. Focus on: similarities and connections. 

Immigrants are simply the most recent people to join our communities—a very diverse group of families and individuals who share our values of fairness, opportunity, hard work, and social mobility, and who quickly become our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and friends. Most of us have immigration stories in our family histories. Welcoming immigrants is about keeping the opportunity from which our families have benefitted alive for newcomers today—and benefiting from their contributions when they arrive. It’s also about reuniting American families (use “family reunification,” not “chain migration”) and keeping American families together. “Birthright citizenship” is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution for a reason—we believe in fairness and families. 

2. Avoid: discussing “right and wrong” ways to immigrate. Focus on: the need for more order and fairness.

It’s important to remember that immigrants to the U.S., often driven by similar dreams and goals, have not always had access to the same immigration pathways. Our immigration system is highly politicized and always in flux. People fleeing life-or-death situations beyond their control have to navigate unfair restrictions and dangerous backlogs. We should be able to agree on the need for equitable, efficient, and humane immigration reform that maximizes obtainable pathways to citizenship for newcomers who want to contribute to our country.

3. Focus on: how moral leadership and defense of freedom requires welcoming those in need.

The U.S. is a “superpower” with outsized influence on the world’s economy, culture, and environment. As the “Leader of the Free World,” we’re responsible for leading alliances and setting precedents.  This obligates us to welcome and protect people fleeing persecution, lawlessness, violence, and climate disasters. It’s why we offer visas to refugees, asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, and unaccompanied children seeking to reunite with family members. It’s why we offer immigration pathways to people whose home countries have become destabilized, and issue special visas to those who have risked their lives to support our military or government abroad. It’s important to note that gaining this type of U.S. protection is a rigorous and carefully controlled process. People spend years in refugee camps waiting for their opportunity to join our nation. These people must not be abandoned.

4. Avoid: dehumanizing labels. Focus on: the practical and factual. 

No human is “illegal”, and the word “alien,” while never positive, has taken on sci-fi connotations.  Some immigrants, while contributing their labor and tax money to the U.S., are “undocumented” and “awaiting status.” Avoid describing the process of securing the legal documentation needed to fully participate in society as “coming out of the shadows,” which evokes hiding and secret-keeping.  Similarly, when describing an increase in immigration, reject language that sounds militaristic or destructive. Using terms like “flood,” “surge” or “onslaught,” when there’s an influx not only produces a false sense of threat but also obscures a fundamental truth – that immigrants are humans with individual stories, hardships, and dreams.

5. Avoid: the language of impermanence. Focus on: the desire to make the U.S. home.

When describing people who are planning to rebuild their lives in the U.S., use the term “immigrant,” rather than “migrant,” which wrongly implies that these individuals aren’t planning to stay and put down roots. Emphasize their long-term commitment to becoming part of the community, contributing to the economy, and enriching U.S. culture, reinforcing that they seek long-term stability and belonging.

6. Avoid: labeling immigration as a “crisis.” Focus on: fixing the issues that makes welcoming immigrants unnecessarily challenging.

When an unexpectedly large number of immigrants come at once, a crisis can occur if there isn’t adequate coordination and support between federal, state, and local governments, and/or if there isn’t sufficient infrastructure to support people who don’t yet have a family-sustaining income. This is all the more reason to invest in smart, humane, and equitable immigration reform, and public support for all low-income residents, regardless of national origin.

7. Focus on: The tremendously positive impact of immigration on our economy and culture. 

“The U.S. economy is completely dependent on immigrants, including both the laborers and essential workers who keep industry running, shelves stocked, and vital services delivered, and the high-skilled tech workers, innovators, and educators who keep the U.S. competitive. Immigrants are also consumers and taxpayers—integral to our economy as our country continues to lose population. Beyond economics, it’s our blending of cultural influences that has created the unique arts and popular culture that is admired and imitated throughout the world.

8. Focus on: countering misinformation with both facts and stories.

It’s important to appeal to both the head and the heart. Learn the facts that counter the most common falsehoods about immigrants—studies show that newcomers are overwhelmingly law-abiding, tremendously benefit the economy, and improve their new communities. Complement these arguments by sharing stories of immigrants overcoming adversity and making positive contributions (you’ll find many on IINE’s blog and in our newsletter!). People who leave all they have known behind to find safety, freedom and opportunity in the U.S. are driven, resilient, resourceful and eager to give back. 

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U.S. immigration policy is an increasingly central focus of national debate. How well do you know the facts? Test your knowledge with our immigration quiz.