U.S. & Immigration: Definitions, Current Events, and Importance
Author: Maria
November 22, 2025
Over the past few months, there has been a lot of political and social turmoil as the new administration has been targeting different domains in the U.S. The topic of immigration, in particular, has been receiving a lot of attention due to all the new policies targeting and attacking it. This paper will explore some of the important definitions regarding immigration, current events, and the impact it has on families and activists.
Definitions
Forcible Confinement
Forcible confinement is a term that refers to the holding of someone in a place against their will and without their permission (Steps to Justice, n.d.). This can be through physical force or with threats and intimidation, and has been done many times by the government in the U.S.’ history. In 1941, the U.S. carried out the forcible confinement of over 120,000 people due to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans in what the government called “relocation centers” (National Archives, n.d.). Of those sent to the concentration camps, two-thirds were American citizens (Japanese American National Museum, n.d.).
Immigration Detention
Immigration detention, specifically, is the holding of individuals for committing immigration violations. It is important to note that immigration violations are civil, so detention policies are different than if it were an actual crime (Sullivan & Mason, 2019). It is a key distinction because civil detention is not meant to be punitive; however, in the U.S., the same facilities are typically used (American Immigration Council, 2023).
"Alligator Alcatraz"
“Alligator Alcatraz” is the colloquial name for a temporary immigration detention facility in Florida. This facility was built in the wake of President Trump’s immigration policies and has held a record high of 59,000 people in a facility that was only meant to house 3,000 (Casserly & House, 2025). Family members of the individuals taken to this facility described completely losing contact with them, and it is common knowledge that people have been “disappearing” into this facility. Recently, a judge ordered a preliminary injunction to shut down “Alligator Alcatraz” due to the government’s failure to follow protocol while building the detention center (Casserly & House, 2025).
Think About This
What might be the long-term psychological effects on families who have ‘lost contact’ with loved ones in detention facilities? Consider both those detained and those left behind.
Denaturalization
Denaturalization is a term that refers to the revocation of a formerly legally granted U.S. citizenship and differs from renunciation or revocation because it is not a voluntary process (American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2025). The processes of naturalization and denaturalization have historically been used as a reward or a punishment all over the world, so it is not something that is limited to the U.S. In the U.S. specifically, denaturalization can only occur through a criminal or civil judicial order; there is no statute of limitations, but the evidentiary standard is beyond a reasonable doubt, as with criminal cases (American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2025).
Denaturalization is a process that can lead to the deportation or detention of immigrants, which has numerous impacts on the families and children of the people being detained. Generally, it can lead to an increased risk of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, or alcohol use, avoidance of communities that either partner with ICE or are a frequent target, and an increased risk for economic instability (American Immigration Council, 2021). In terms of children, there is a potential for placement in the child welfare system. Immigration enforcement can negatively impact parental rights, and parents will need to decide whether or not to bring their children with them (American Immigration Council, 2021). That is, of course, if they are able to keep their parental rights intact, as the lack of coordination between agencies can lead to the termination of parental rights during the detainment or deportation process (American Immigration Council, 2021).
Think About This
If you were a parent facing potential deportation, what factors would influence your decision about whether to bring your children with you or leave them behind? What would make this choice even more difficult?
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Current Events
U.S. Policies
President Trump signed into law a bill he calls the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” This act was indeed big and targeted many different existing programs and policies. In regard to immigration issues, the bill did the following: removed healthcare insurance and nutrition aid access to lawful immigrants, took away access to anti-poverty benefits of the Child Tax Credit from children of immigrants, and provided funding for a huge expansion of the Immigration Detention and Enforcement (ICE) budget (Altman et al., 2025).
Outside of the bill, President Trump has also targeted other aspects of immigration. Most notably, he started mass deportations, fortified the US-Mexico border, and suspended the entry of undocumented migrants and asylum hearings (Yousif, 2025). He has even gone so far as to cancel pre-existing appointments with border patrol agents (Yousif, 2025). Unfortunately, some of these actions are not new and have been carried out by past presidents, regardless of political party.
Recent News
There are hundreds of personal stories from families that have been torn apart by the mass deportations being carried out all over the U.S. Some of these stories are of people who have decided to leave, or self-deport, due to the detention conditions and general physical and emotional pressure. Ramón Rodríguez Vásquez is a 62-year-old man who had been living in the U.S. for 16 years and was taken into custody by immigration officials on February 5th of this year and denied bond (Associated Press, 2025). During his time in custody, Vásquez’s health rapidly declined due to an inconsistent provision of his prescribed medication. After some time, Vásquez appeared before a judge and asked to leave without a formal deportation mark (Associated Press, 2025).. Vásquez left behind his wife of 40 years, children, and grandkids, pushed and intimidated out of the country. And, unfortunately, Vásquez is one of many.
Think About This
Put yourself in the shoes of Ramón’s family. His wife, children, and grandchildren are U.S. citizens. How might his “self-deportation” impact their sense of security, family, and belonging in their own country?
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Importance
Impact on Families
In a research article published in Social Science & Medicine, Dreby (2015) looked at how enforcement and restrictive policies surrounding immigration impact children’s well-being. Dreby (2015) found that these policies lead to changes in the structure of families and that children tend to normalize the absence of fathers more so than mothers due to how often it occurs and social acceptance of it (Dreby, 2015). The separation of families also caused drastic and sudden drops in family income, which led to increased housing insecurity (Dreby, 2015). In regard to the emotional impact on children, Dreby (2015) states that the separation becomes a source of resentment for kids, especially if they think that their parents are not meeting the social expectations of immigration outcomes, loss, and anxiety (Dreby, 2015). There are a few mechanisms that impact these outcomes, such as the success of parental sacrifice, state intervention, and U.S. immigration policies (Dreby, 2015), which means that the current policies have a direct impact on the well-being of kids both in and out of the U.S.
Immigration v. Traditional Confinement
Immigration detention is something that falls under civil law, which means that those people are not afforded the same constitutional protections (i.e. indefinite holding, no legal representation, etc.) (Saadi et al., 2020). However, the actual conditions of the confinement are very similar to criminal confinement (e.g. uniforms, strict control of movements, etc.) and many jails contract space to ICE; there are even private, for-profit detention facilities, as with criminal confinement (Saadi et al., 2020). Though there are legal differentiations between immigration and traditional detention, the impact on children and families is very similar. As mentioned earlier, detention of adult immigrants brings into question issues around custody and their parental rights to their children, who may be put into the foster care system, similar to the children of parents who experience criminal incarceration. Additionally, research supports that both groups of children, and their families, experience similar economic instability, mental health issues, and family communication disruption (DeHart et al., 2018; Dreby, 2015). Ultimately, children of parents detained due to immigration violations experience many of the same hardships as children of incarcerated parents and should be a part of the broader conversation so they can also receive support.
Think About This
Given the documented effects on children, like economic instability, housing insecurity, and resentment, what could be the long-term consequences for a society if a significant number of its youth grow up under these conditions?
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Tool for Political Intimidation
In the current political climate, aside from targeting everyday families and individuals, denaturalization and deportation have become tools for political intimidation against individuals that do not agree with President Trump’s views and political party.
Zohran Mamdani was born in Uganda and obtained U.S. citizenship in 2018. After Mamdani became the Democratic candidate for New York mayor, Republican representative Andy Ogles suggested that Mamdani have his citizenship revoked due to rap lyrics he claimed “suggested support for Hamas” (Hurley, 2025). President Trump has also incorrectly claimed, and without evidence, that Mamdani is an “illegal” immigrant and declared that they will be focusing on denaturalization proceedings for other people.This process has been used in U.S. history, but primarily for terrorism purposes (Hurley, 2025). Many activists and advocates worry that this is something that will be further weaponized by the administration, and there have already been instances of this.
Mahmoud Khalil was born in Syria to Palestinian parents and was a legal U.S. resident attending graduate school at Columbia University. Khalil was arrested by federal immigration officers, which the Department of Homeland Security claimed was a result of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-semitism (Offenhartz & Marcelo, 2025). Khalil is a Palestinian activist and has been involved in leading student protests at Columbia University, but hasn’t yet been charged with any crimes. On social media, President Trump wrote, “We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country – never to return again”, in relation to Khalil’s arrest (Offenhartz & Marcelo, 2025). The rights afforded by the Constitution apply to both citizens and non-citizens. As such, anyone in the U.S. is granted the protection of speech under the First Amendment, which includes protection against punishment or retaliation by the government for the content of the speech (Strum, 2025). In the case of Khalil, the official justification for his detention, and threatened deportation, is his supposed immigration violation, which is false (Strum, 2025). The current administration is outwardly retaliating and threatening people’s right to free speech with deportation and detention, but is using legal loopholes to provide justification for it. These loopholes are only possible because immigration is technically civil, so Constitutional protections such as due process and protection from wrongful and indeterminate imprisonment do not apply (Chowdhry et al., 2023).
The weaponization of immigration seems like a very specific issue, however history shows that it only leads to the further violation of different constitutional rights of American citizens, regardless of political affiliation or legal status (Scott, 2025). Though they may justify it with different legal terms, ultimately, the current administration is punishing people for their political beliefs, which only leads to the inhibition of rights and censorship for everyone in the U.S. (Scott, 2025). If the First Amendment is being circumvented, it is very likely that other constitutional rights could be next.
Think About This
The actions against Khalil are framed as enforcing immigration law, not punishing speech. Why is this bureaucratic framing so effective as a tool for political intimidation? How does it change the public debate?
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Conclusion
Over the past few months, the U.S. has seen the large-scale forcible confinement of people for supposed immigration violations. The difference between immigration detainment and traditional confinement is particularly important because it emphasizes the current abuse of immigration detainment. It is being used against everyday families and as political intimidation and retaliation in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution, which impacts everyone in the U.S.. Immigration violations are being criminalized, both socially and systemically, which leads to the children and families of those individuals experiencing the same adverse impacts as children whose parents are in traditional incarceration. Research continuously shows that these policies and actions have a direct impact on children inside and outside of the U.S., however, they are being lost in the broader conversation of immigration. These detainments do not only impact the people being taken away and these mass deportations are causing even greater harm to families and children.
