New Study Finds U.S. Immigration Enforcement Is Hurting American Citizens, Identifies the Dignity Act as the Solution

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A newly released national survey finds that current U.S. immigration enforcement policies are increasingly harming American citizens and putting their families at risk.

The report, Collateral Damage: How Immigration Policy Harms U.S. Citizens in Mixed-Status Marriages, released by American Families United, is the first comprehensive, data-driven examination of U.S. citizens married to non-citizens. Based on the 2025 AFU National Survey of Mixed-Status Couples, the study documents widespread emotional, financial, medical, and spiritual hardship caused by an immigration system that offers no viable legal pathway for these families, and explicitly identifies the Dignity Act of 2025 as the solution.

"This report exposes a system that is failing American citizens," said Rep. María Elvira Salazar. "The Dignity Act puts American families first, restores order and common sense to immigration enforcement, and ensures U.S. citizens are no longer separated from their loved ones and treated as collateral damage."

American Families Are Becoming Collateral Damage:

The study finds that long-established, law-abiding mixed-status families are being swept up in an enforcement surge that forces U.S. citizens to choose between separation or leaving the country together. Since January 2025, the share of families discussing departure has jumped from 45% to 81%.

Key Findings:

• Current immigration enforcement is harming American citizens and destabilizing families.
• Most mixed-status families have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, and over half are raising three or more U.S. citizen children.
• Nearly 60% of non-citizen spouses are primary caregivers, meaning deportation would strip families of essential care and stability.
• Hardship is nearly universal: 97.5% reported emotional hardship; 78% reported financial hardship; over half reported medical or spiritual hardship.

Dignity Puts American Families First:

The study makes clear that Congress has a solution. The Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393), which includes the American Families United Act, allows non-citizen spouses to regularize their status without the threat of prolonged separation.

The Dignity Act of 2025 will:

• Protect U.S. citizens first by keeping families together
• Promote family unity while strengthening the rule of law
• Exclude anyone with a criminal record or national security risk

More than 2.6 million Americans live in mixed-status families. The Dignity Act ensures immigration policy works in the best interest of American families-keeping them together, restoring common sense, and putting U.S. citizens first. You can read the full study here.

Dignity Act of 2025 Endorsements:

The Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393) now has support from dozens of Members of Congress and more than 50 national stakeholder groups.

The groups and organizations include:

A-1 Global Holdings, American Business Immigration Council, American Families United, American Legion, Americans for Prosperity, American Seniors Housing Association, Asian American Christian Collaborative, Brick Industry Association, Evangelical Immigration Table, FWD.us, IEEE-USA, Jewish Federation of North America, National Association of Evangelicals, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, National Retail Federation, Niskanen Center, Small Business Majority, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, World Relief, and many others.

Resources:

• One-pager on the Dignity Act - here
• Detailed summary - here
• Section-by-section breakdown - here
• Media kit - here
• Full bill text - here