Event Announcement: The Forgotten Family Separation Crisis with Ashley DeAzevedo and Anna Lekas Miller
Join me this Thursday, October 2, at 1:00 PM eastern for a virtual conversation with Ashley and Anna. Registration is required.
Imagine being a U.S. citizen unable to build a life with your spouse in your own country. Imagine facing impossible choices about where to live based solely on citizenship status rather than where you can best raise your children, pursue your career, or care for aging parents. For mixed-status families, where one partner is a U.S. citizen and the other faces potential deportation, these aren’t hypotheticals. These are daily realities that affect millions of couples who are often overlooked in our divisive national discourse about immigration.
Join me for an essential conversation about what life truly looks like for mixed-status couples and families navigating an immigration system that too often forces them to choose between love and legal status, between staying together and staying in the country they call home.
This discussion will dispel common myths about mixed-status families and illuminate the contributions that undocumented spouses and parents make every day: providing for their families, showing up for their children, working essential jobs, and serving as active members and leaders in their communities. We’ll explore how current immigration policies impact not only immigrants but U.S. citizens themselves, and why reform is both urgent and overdue.
I’m honored to be joined by two remarkable guests—and personal friends—who bring both deep expertise and personal insight to this critical issue.
Ashley DeAzevedo is Executive Director of American Families United, a national nonprofit dedicated to keeping mixed-status families together. Since 2017, she has led advocacy efforts and built a grassroots network of members across the country who are working to amplify their stories and advocate for congressional action. DeAzevedo is driven by a belief in the sacred bond of family and the power of everyday people to create extraordinary change. Follow Ashley’s new accounts on Bluesky, Instagram, and X — and share often.
Anna Lekas Miller is an award-winning journalist and author whose work has appeared in The Daily Beast, The Intercept, CNN, and other publications. Her book Love Across Borders (2023) tells the stories of couples navigating immigration systems at the risk of being kept apart because they carry different passports. Miller brings both rigorous research and personal experience to understanding the human cost of immigration policy. I highly recommended Anna’s book last year. Read Anna’s work here on Substack:
This conversation aims to educate the public and policymakers about the urgent need for immigration reform that honors both love and justice. We’ll explore how mixed-status families navigate daily life under constant threat of separation, the legal obstacles that prevent families from staying together even when one partner is a U.S. citizen, and what meaningful reform could look like.
Whether you’re directly affected by these issues, work in immigration advocacy or policy, or simply want to understand this crucial aspect of America’s immigration system, this conversation will provide valuable insights and highlight stories that deserve to be heard.
Event Details
The virtual event will take place on Zoom on October 2, 2025 (this Thursday) at 1:00 PM Eastern US time. Registration is required at the link below.
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I want to hear this but it begins at the same time I drop my wife off for work. Is it ok if I connect and listen while I drive, until I get home? I think we are all muted anyway.
I have extra empathy for couples in these situations. We’re not in one but my spouse’s green card is still conditional, even after three years of waiting for the permanent one to be approved. So sometimes we feel anxiety and wonder what if that becomes us.
Good, thanks!