What If Your Family Arrived Today?
A collection from our Immigrant Hero Stories
Every immigration story begins with a moment of possibility.
A family — maybe yours — stepped into an uncertain future with hope, courage, and nothing guaranteed except the belief that safety and opportunity were worth the leap of faith. At Riverside, we have been collecting some of those extraordinary journeys in our Immigrant Hero Stories, reminders of the grit and imagination that built so many of our communities. Reading them now, it is impossible not to wonder how those same stories would unfold in today’s political climate.
In just days, the current administration has rolled out sweeping shifts that would have reshaped or cut short countless family journeys:
A nationwide freeze on asylum decisions, along with the reopening and re-examination of previously approved asylum cases, putting tens of thousands back in jeopardy.
Sweeping reviews and halts on immigration pathways, including green card reviews for immigrants from 19 largely Middle Eastern and African nations, and an indefinite stop on applications and entry for Afghan nationals.
Escalated enforcement measures, from new efforts to question and potentially revoke naturalized citizenship to the dismissal of dozens of veteran immigration judges, including eight from NYC’s 26 Federal Plaza, stripping the system of expertise and deepening already life-altering delays.
Taken together, these changes raise sobering questions:
If your family had arrived under these rules, would they have been allowed to stay?
Would they have been granted asylum?
Would their status have been questioned?
Would they have dared to hope?
For the 1.5 million people awaiting asylum decisions, the more than 50,000 already granted protection, and the countless others still seeking safety, these issues are not hypothetical. They shape their daily lives.
For Riverside participants, these shifts redraw the path in real time. That’s why we are responding with focus and resolve:
Prioritizing and expanding legal resources and networks to protect those most at risk.
Offering rapid policy briefings so families know exactly what has changed.
Strengthening Know Your Rights education that builds confidence, not fear.
Growing our accompaniment program so no one faces a high-stakes appointment alone.
Launching a new fund covering asylum and work authorization fees, removing barriers designed to block progress.
This is how we honor the courage that shaped our own families’ journeys, and how we stand beside today’s immigrant heroes as they navigate a harsher landscape with the same determination.
Riverside’s role has never been more clear: we provide clarity when systems grow chaotic, stability when policies shift overnight, and community when people refuse to face this moment alone.
Your support today allows us to continue this work with strength and purpose. Please make an end-of-year gift to sustain this vital work.
In solidarity,
The Riverside Team
P.S. These policy changes will define the coming years. Your partnership now ensures Riverside remains a source of truth, protection, and community power.