Our Constitution is essential, including on immigration matters

I’m writing as a constituent who urges your commitment to upholding the Constitution—especially at a time when that commitment feels increasingly rare. There’s growing public anxiety—not just over policy disagreements, but over the breakdown of order, transparency, and fairness in how our government functions. The chaos of the Trump administration didn’t stop at immigration—it impacted the courts, public health, and foreign policy. But immigration is a topic where I understand even some Democrats are questioning whether defending due process is worth the political risk. A piece I once read in "The Atlantic" made a striking point: people tend to support immigration more when it looks orderly and fair. But when the system looks chaotic—families separated, people deported without hearings, long lines for submitting paperwork—support erodes. And the current increase of chaos is a strategy, a fascist plan. Meanwhile, Congress has yet to pass meaningful reforms to fix the ways our immigration system is broken. It might be better to change our messaging to say: that our immigration system needs fixing, not gutting. We need more border agents and updated laws that recognize how much of our economy relies on immigrant labor. We also need to honor our role in offering refuge—especially to those fleeing instability that even our own government and corporations have at times contributed to. Many of us descend from immigrants who came here in ways that disregarded the people and nations already here. The least we can do now is live up to the promise inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: to offer safe haven to the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. But to do that—to help both immigrants and citizens breathe free—we must uphold the foundation of our democracy: our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and especially due process, separation of powers, and checks and balances. Now more than ever, I urge you to remind your colleagues that we cannot let fear or political convenience erode the rule of law. If we abandon those principles, we’re playing right into Trump’s hands—giving up the integrity of our democracy for an arbitrary system that disregards its own laws and values. Please keep speaking the truth: that myths like immigrants lowering wages, stealing jobs, or “invading” our borders are just tools used to stoke fear and advance racism. Keep insisting that everyone is equal under the law. That the Constitution applies to everyone, including undocumented immigrants and people accused of crime. That in this country, we stand up for our people and for those who want to live, work, and travel here. When we uphold the Constitution, we bring clarity, stability, and hope. That’s how we protect democracy—not just from Trump, but from the cynicism that weakens it from within. Stay strong. Long live the Constitution of the United States.