When was the last time you really thought about who immigration enforcement affects, beyond what you scroll past on social media? Maybe you’ve seen a video or post about raids or ICE detaining individuals and felt sadness, anger, or confusion. Or maybe you haven’t seen any of it at all. Even then, it’s easy to assume that this is a distant issue, but in reality it’s closer than we realize. It’s happening all around us, especially in ways that aren’t visible to us. Immigration affects far more people than the snippets we scroll past on social media. We hear so much about immigration online, yet too often we don’t learn about the truths and legalities in class or in everyday conversations. Courts are weighing in, and lives are being disrupted, and families are being affected. Even if immigration enforcement doesn’t touch your life directly, it matters for our communities. Being part of a community means noticing what is happening beyond ourselves. The widespread belief that being undocumented in the United States is a criminal act is both legally inaccurate and socially harmful, as undocumented status is a civil violation rather than a criminal offense.

Immigration is frequently discussed online, but rarely explained clearly, leaving room for misinformation to spread. It’s important to understand the critical misconception surrounding being undocumented in America. Being Undocumented is not a crime. Many people assume that crossing the border without papers, or overstaying a visa automatically makes someone a criminal. Being in the U.S without authorization is considered a civil violation of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA), not a crime. The systems are set up to decide whether a person has violated the INA and to determine the consequences of that violation. These are done in civil institutions, not criminal courts.

What some also fail to understand is that a large percentage of the undocumented population originally came to the U.S legally and didn’t commit a crime, yet they can lose their status due to circumstances beyond their control. Some individuals seek asylum but are denied, while others hold visas that expire or they aren’t able to be renewed. Both situations leave individuals undocumented. The Supreme Court affirmed this distinction in INS v. Lopez-Mendoa (1984), stating “A deportation proceeding is purely a civil action to determine eligibility to remain in this country, not to punish an unlawful entry.” Despite this clarity, immigration enforcement is often discussed in criminal terms, reinforcing the false idea that undocumented individuals are criminals. The assumption that undocumented status is linked to criminal conduct, either in the past or present, needs to be disarticulated.

Many people become undocumented through circumstances that are beyond their control. Some arrived as children and qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which provides temporary protection from deportation for eligible individuals who came to the United States as children, or for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which applies to individuals from countries affected by conflict or natural disasters. However, neither program guarantees permanent legal status, and navigating the immigration system can be extremely complicated, expensive, and time-consuming. People don’t “choose” to break the law, many lose legal status simply because of the complex system that is slow and difficult to navigate. Understanding this

helps us see immigration enforcement not as a question of criminality, but as a civil process that affects real people, our neighbors, classmates, and friends.

Immigration enforcement affects far more people than we see on social media. According to the Pew Research Center, around 14 million people in the United States are undocumented, many of whom are a part of our local communities, classrooms, and workplaces that we interact with everyday. For every video or post we see, countless stories remain unseen. Court hearings we don’t witness, families navigating the complex systems quietly, and decisions made from away from our screens. It’s easy to think that we are informed because we saw a post online, but so much of the realities that people experience never show up on our daily feed. What we don’t see matters just as much as we do.

Being undocumented is not a crime, and treating it as one distorts both the law and the communities that are affected. Recognizing the difference between civil and criminal law is important for building a more informed society. Young people, especially those with access to education and information, have a crucial role in this process. Even if immigration enforcement does not directly affect you or your family, it shapes the communities we all live in. Paying attention, asking questions, and reflecting on these issues is a way to practice empathy and civic responsibility. Awareness is the first step, and informed action can follow. Knowledge matters, and so do our voices.