On December 11, 2025, I joined Ashley DeAzevedo and Allyson Batista of American Families United for a public event that showcased never-before-seen data on mixed-status couples in the United States. Mixed-status couples are those where one spouse is a US citizen and the other is an immigrant—often an immigrant who is facing, or could face, arrest, detention, and deportation.
Contrary to popular misconception, marrying a US citizen does not automatically give the immigrant partner a path to legal status and citizenship. This means that many spouses of US citizens, and parents of US citizen children, spend their marriages navigating tremendous hardships without the promise of a secure future. Mixed-status couples are often forced into family separation because there is no clear pathway to citizenship for spouses of US citizens. This means that the immigrant spouse may be forced to leave the United States alone, or the US citizen may be forced to live in exile abroad just to be with their spouse.
Despite these severe consequences for U.S. citizens, very little is understood about mixed-status couples because the government unfortunately does not keep good data on these families. In response, I worked with American Families United to launch their own survey of mixed-status couples in the fall of 2025, and we presented the initial findings of this survey to give the public a first look at what we know about these families.
As part of the public briefing on our findings, American Families United invited Amanda Ribeiro to share her story about her husband’s deportation back to Brazil, her family’s move to Brazil and back, and her medical challenges. I am sharing Amanda’s segment of the event with permission so that more people can understand the true scale of hardship that US citizens face because our leaders refuse to act to support their own citizens. Her story touches on several sensitive topics so please be aware that it may prompt strong emotional reactions.
Amanda’s part begins after I discussed the data on hardships that US citizens face, so you’ll hear my brief introduction of Amanda. Please listen to Amanda’s story and honor her courage by sharing it with others. I am grateful to Amanda and American Families United for allowing me to share this with you.
Amanda is interested in sharing her story widely so that more people can learn about how our immigration system is hurting American citizens. If you are a reporter and would like to speak with Amanda, please reach out to American Families United at [email protected].
You can watch the entire video of the event online. To stay informed about what mixed-status families are going through, visit the American Families United website and consider signing up for their emails.
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