A Humanist Approach to Immigration Reform

In 2025, the United States finds itself at a pivotal moment regarding immigration policy. With Donald Trump returning to the presidency, sweeping changes under the administration’s agenda have dramatically reshaped the nation’s approach to immigration. Promising to restore what it describes as “law and order,” the administration has implemented a series of controversial policies aimed at deterrence, enforcement, and deportation. From the perspective of humanism –  a philosophy grounded in reason, compassion, and the intrinsic worth of every person, these policies raise critical ethical concerns. This article explores the current immigration climate and presents a humanist framework for responding to the crisis in a way that upholds justice, dignity, and human rights for all.

The Return of Hardline Enforcement

The Trump administration’s immigration policy in 2025 has been defined by aggressive enforcement tactics. The centerpiece of this effort is “Project 2025,” a multi-pronged initiative designed to consolidate immigration agencies under executive control and expedite removals of undocumented immigrants.

This plan seeks to increase annual deportations to over 1 million, though a recent report from Goldman Sachs estimates the actual pace at closer to 120,000 per year, revealing both logistical and legal constraints. Additionally, military presence at the southern border has expanded significantly. The Department of Defense created a new military zone along the U.S.-Mexico border, enabling active-duty troops to detain migrants until Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can process them. Critics argue this move blurs the line between civil and military authority, fueling concerns about the militarization of immigration enforcement.

Policies previously considered extreme are making a comeback. The “Remain in Mexico” program, which forces asylum seekers to await hearings outside U.S. territory (where they have legally applied for asylum), has been reinstated. Reports from legal aid groups reveal that many migrants face unsafe, unsanitary conditions and lack access to legal representation. Sanctuary cities are under renewed scrutiny, with threats to cut federal funding to jurisdictions that decline to cooperate with ICE.

Among the most controversial components of the administration’s immigration policies is the surveillance and potential re-separation of unaccompanied minors previously placed with sponsors. New rules mandate home inspections and even DNA testing of caregivers. These tactics, framed as protective measures, risk retraumatizing children and stigmatizing immigrant families. Such practices recall the family separation crisis of 2018, which sparked national and international condemnation. Yet in 2025, there appears to be less public outcry, perhaps due to fatigue or the normalization of harsh immigration rhetoric. As humanists, we must ask: how have we become desensitized to these injustices?

The Psychological Toll of Enforcement-Heavy Policies

What often gets lost in the statistics and headlines are the stories of individuals and families navigating life under the threat of deportation; children who wake up wondering if their parents will return home from work, parents who avoid hospitals, schools, or even reporting crimes out of fear of being detained. The emotional toll is immense and enduring. Studies from the American Psychological Association confirm that children in immigrant households under threat of enforcement suffer increased anxiety, depression, and long-term developmental setbacks.

Mental health professionals and educators have sounded the alarm, but these human costs are frequently dismissed in policy debates. A humanist framework insists that these impacts cannot be treated as collateral damage. Dignity, security, and mental well-being are not luxuries; they are foundational to human flourishing. Ignoring these outcomes reflects a failure to see migrants as fully human, with the same fears, hopes, and emotional lives as anyone else.

Humanism champions the dignity and rights of all people, regardless of nationality or legal status. It calls for policies informed by reason and guided by compassion. The Trump administration’s punitive approach obviously runs counter to these values.

Deportation raids and detention often tear apart families and place individuals many of whom fled violence or economic despair into prison-like facilities. Humanists must challenge the narrative that equates undocumented status with criminality. We must reject policies rooted in fear and advocate instead for solutions that prioritize human well-being.

Lessons from Abroad: Alternative Approaches

Other nations provide instructive examples of how immigration can be approached more ethically and effectively. In Canada, for example, immigration policy focuses on long-term integration and economic inclusion. The country invests in language training, community sponsorship programs, and universal access to health care for newcomers.

Sweden and Germany have faced their own refugee crises but continue to prioritize asylum protections and social support even amid political tension. These models are not perfect, but they demonstrate that alternatives exist beyond militarized borders and mass detention. They prove that migration need not be feared, but managed humanely and intelligently. If the U.S. wishes to uphold its self-image as a land of opportunity and freedom, it must be willing to learn from global best practices.

Fortunately, a growing network of secular humanist groups are stepping into the immigration fight not just as commentators, but as active participants in the struggle for justice. Local humanist chapters have organized fundraisers for immigration legal aid, held “know your rights” workshops, and partnered with coalitions like Mijente, RAICES, and the National Immigration Law Center. This activism is more than charity, it is an extension of secular ethics in action. Humanism, after all, is not a passive philosophy. It demands engagement with the world, particularly where injustice flourishes. When humanist values remain confined to theoretical debates and are not applied to pressing social issues, they risk irrelevance.

A Philosophy Rooted in Justice

At its core, secular humanism affirms the equal worth of all people. This belief stands in direct opposition to the racialized hierarchy often baked into immigration systems. From discriminatory visa quotas to differential treatment of asylum claims based on country of origin, U.S. policy has long reflected inequality and implicit bias. Humanism calls us to confront these systems with clarity and courage. It insists that borders are human-made constructs, not divine mandates and that their enforcement should never supersede the basic rights of individuals. It asks us to weigh not only the laws on the books, but the moral cost of those laws.

If we say we value reason, then let us apply evidence-based approaches to immigration policy. If we say we value empathy, then let us center the lived experiences of migrants. If we say we value justice, then let us oppose practices that dehumanize and discard people as threats simply because they crossed a line on the map.

The Future We Choose

The decisions we make in this moment will shape generations to come: will we be a country that builds higher walls, or one that opens more doors? Will we treat immigrants as invaders, or as neighbors with whom we share a common fate?

Advocates of the Trump administration’s hard-line approach have argued that empathy is harming us. But there is nothing naive about compassion. It is, in fact, the most courageous and clear-eyed stance one can take in times of fear and division. A humanist approach to immigration demands not only critique of the status quo, but vision. It asks us to imagine and build a world where migration is not a sentence to suffering, but a journey toward possibility.

Stories Behind the Statistics

Beyond every headline is a human story, a voice often drowned out by numbers and policy jargon. In a makeshift shelter along the Rio Grande, a Honduran mother cradles her infant as helicopters circle overhead. She fled gang violence after refusing to pay extortion fees that threatened her family’s lives. Her husband disappeared months ago. She doesn’t know if he was killed or deported. What she does know is that she’d rather risk a desert crossing than raise her child under the constant threat of violence.

In a Chicago suburb, a high school valedictorian, undocumented since age four, declines a scholarship to her dream university. The fear of exposing her family outweighs her dreams. She deletes college applications from her laptop, one by one, until only silence remains.

These stories, repeated thousands of times across the country, are not outliers; they are the fabric of America’s modern immigration reality. And yet, our discourse remains consumed by abstractions: “illegals,” “surges,” “national security.” Rarely do we ask: What if it were us? What if we were the ones behind the chain-link fences, waiting, hoping, forgotten?

Humanism insists on that empathy. It demands that we see ourselves in the other. In a world where borders are enforced with drones and asylum is processed by algorithms, remembering our shared humanity becomes an act of resistance.

We are a nation not just of laws, but of stories interwoven, imperfect, and evolving. If our policies do not reflect the richness and complexity of those stories, then we are failing not only immigrants but the very ideals we claim to stand for.

Imagining a Humanist Immigration Policy

So, what would a humanist approach to immigration reform look like?

First, it would start by recognizing the shared humanity of migrants. Policies would aim to reduce harm, protect families, and ensure due process. Asylum seekers would have safe and timely access to hearings. Detention would be minimized, especially for children and non-violent individuals.

Second, reform would include pathways to legal status for undocumented residents who have built lives in the U.S. DACA recipients and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) holders deserve protection, not limbo. Comprehensive immigration reform must also address root causes, like U.S. foreign policy and global inequality, that compel people to migrate in the first place.

Third, we need public education that counters xenophobia and fosters empathy. Politicians often use immigrants as scapegoats for our society’s shortcomings. Humanists can challenge these narratives with facts, stories, and solidarity.

Finally, we must invest in community-led solutions. Faith groups, nonprofits, and mutual aid networks have shown remarkable resilience in supporting immigrants. These efforts deserve support and replication.

Immigration policy is not just a legal or political issue – it is a moral one. The choices we make as a nation reflect our values. As humanists, we must speak out against cruelty and indifference. We must advocate for a system that respects the dignity of every person, regardless of where they come from. Our shared humanity demands nothing less.