Immigration reform isn’t just about policy, it’s about humanity

OPINION – I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what happened to Senator Alex Padilla—thrown to the ground and handcuffed like a criminal. For those of us who know Alex, it was horrifying. I’ve known him since 1998. He’s not flashy. He’s not loud. He’s not the kind of politician who grandstands or picks fights. He’s kind. Thoughtful. Steady. He listens more than he talks. That’s the Alex I know—the son of immigrants who worked hard, went to MIT, and built a life of public service rooted in dignity and humility.

What happened to him wasn’t just shocking—it was heartbreaking. I keep thinking about his wife and their boys seeing that image. Can you imagine watching the man you love, your father, and a sitting U.S. Senator being treated like a threat, simply for asking questions? It made me feel sick. It made me feel angry. And it made me realize we’re at a tipping point in this country.

Because this isn’t just about Alex. This is about what’s happening to immigrants in this country every day. I live in California. I see it. I live it. Imagine you’re a 12-year-old child, both your parents taken from their jobs after working in the fields for 20 years, and now you are alone. Alone at 12 years old.

Migrants and immigrants aren’t some abstract political issue—they are our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends, and our family. They help raise our kids, they take care of our parents, they pick our food, and they build our homes. They are the backbone of California. And the truth is, they come here because they believe in America, often more than most Americans do.

People cross the border and risk everything for a shot at a better life. They work harder than anyone else. And yet we vilify them. We call them criminals. We rip their families apart in ICE raids. And then we shrug and say, “That’s the law.” But what law allows this kind of cruelty? What kind of country are we becoming if we treat hardworking families like fugitives and handcuff elected officials who speak up?

I know these families. I’ve tried to help them find a path to citizenship. There isn’t one. We tell people to “do it the right way,” but we’ve made it impossible. Our system is broken. And for decades, politicians from both parties have failed to fix it.

Let me be honest—Biden got it wrong. His approach to the border was a mess. But now, instead of leadership, we see fear tactics and chaos. It’s not just bad politics—it’s bad for our country. Without our immigrant workforce, our economy will not function. And more than that, we don’t want an economy that thrives off exploitation—we want one that honors contribution.

This isn’t just about policies or political parties—it’s about humanity. It’s about what kind of country we are. What kind of people we are. I want to live in an America where people like Senator Padilla are respected, not arrested. Where immigrants—the mothers, fathers, and workers who wake up at 4 a.m. to work two jobs but still make it to their kid’s school play—are celebrated, not hunted.

This country needs to remember who we are—or maybe, more honestly, it needs to decide who we want to be. Do we want to be a place that honors hardworking people, gives them a legal path to citizenship, and keeps families together? Or do we want to live in an America that tears families apart and disappears people off the streets?

The migrants I know, and love are the best of us, and I won’t stop fighting for them. We can’t stop fighting. Join every rally, call your member of Congress, and keep fighting for a better America. It is our right and our responsibility.

Wendy Mitchell is the founder of Empower Her Mentoring and Wendy Mitchell Consulting Inc.