Take Heart, Migrants. It Gets Better.

UPDATE: This analysis election eve assumed Kamala Harris would win the presidency, which she did not. Sorry, reader. I’ll be less cocky with my election forecasting in the future. Please accept my apology for a job poorly done here.

As this election season draws to a close, it’s easy to feel the weight the most openly xenophobic campaign in recent memory. Politicians eager for cheap gains have once again turned to fear-based rhetoric, painting immigrants—our neighbors, colleagues, and friends—as threats rather than contributors to America’s shared progress. This is a painful reminder of how far migrants still have to go.

But even in this bleak landscape, there’s hope. History tells us that while divisive campaigns can delay progress, they cannot ultimately prevent it. America’s story is written by those who fight through adversity. Immigrant communities have faced similar shitstorms in the past, and each time, they have emerged stronger and more resilient, mobilizing to protect their rights and building coalitions for change.

In the face of political hostility, the power of community organizing cannot be overstated. Across the country, migrant advocates, allies, and supporters have been building networks, registering new voters, and educating communities about their rights. Once reactivated, these grassroots movements are powerful engines for change. In fact, many of the most significant advances in immigration policy have come not from top-down decisions but from sustained pressure by communities demanding justice.

Now, more than ever, is the time for immigrants and their allies to harness this energy, to build connections across city and state lines, turn up at local meetings, and make your voices heard. It’s incumbent upon migrants and allies alike to invest in ambitious organizations and projects (like Migrant Insider) that will boldly confront power and champion migrant rights, to ceaselessly reiterate that immigration policy is about people, not political scapegoating.

The new term offers a chance for fresh perspectives and renewed efforts toward humane immigration reform. With persistent organizing, migrants can help usher in the relief policies migrants deserve—policies that value families, workers, and dreamers, rather than excluding them. We can’t allow the rhetoric of this election to become the reality of the next legislative term.

To all migrants: take heart and keep pushing. With dedication and unity, you will shape a better future for our country.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As stated above this analysis election eve assumed Kamala Harris would win the presidency, which she did not. Sorry, reader. I’ll be less cocky with my election forecasting in the future. Please accept my apology for a job poorly done here.