Immigrants Built This Country—It’s Time Our Laws Reflected That

By Ria Claassen

In 1974 I got married and came to the United States of America. Left my whole family behind and landed in Seattle.

What an adventure for a young person. It was exciting, but over the years as you mature you realize that you don’t get to see your brother and sisters grow up. And at times that hurt.

So immigration is a subject close to my heart and as a proud immigrant I believethat our country is great because it welcomes people from all over the world. America is a place where people come to build better lives—and that’s something we should protect and celebrate.

Our history shows that immigrants have always helped make this country better. They’ve worked hard, started families, and given back to their communities. This country is made up of many cultures, races, and languages—and that’s what makes it strong.

But right now, our immigration system is unfair and broken. There are millions of undocumented people living in fear, many of whom came here as children. Thesekids grew up here. They go to school here. They play sports, volunteer, and have big dreams, relationships and friendships here. They are productive members of our community and they are Americans in every way—except on paper.

We need to create a clear and fair path to citizenship. They deserve the chance to stay here and thrive. That’s not just the right thing to do— it’s good policy to keep our society thriving. We also must make sure every immigrant is treated fairly. That means giving them due process—a chance to be heard in court and to have a lawyer. No one should be deported without a fair hearing. Justice should apply to everyone, not just citizens.

We can’t talk about immigration without talking about racism. Let’s be honest: too many immigrants—especially those who are Black or Brown—face hate and unfair treatment just because of who they are. That’s not the America I believe in.

We need to stand up against racism in all its forms, especially in our laws. As a Democrat, I believe families belong together. I believe that everyone should have a chance to succeed—no matter where they were born. A rising tide does lift all boats.

If we want to live up to our values, we must reform our immigration system. We must treat immigrants with compassion and respect. And we must speak out against hate.

America’s strength is in its diversity. Let’s keep building a country that welcomes everyone and gives them a real chance to belong.