Op-Ed – Immigration Has a Public Image Crisis
by Ilon Rincon Portas, Immigration Equality Board Member
Posted:
This Op-Ed was originally published in The Advocate on February 11, 2025.
As a queer, non-binary refugee from Venezuela, I experienced the desperation of seeking asylum. I lived in constant terror, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. I struggled to envision a better future. However, my experience is not unique: it is the reality for LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide fleeing violence, prison time, and the death penalty for simply existing.
When President Trump retook office, he crushed the hopes and dreams of queer people worldwide seeking safe haven in the United States. I’m talking about refugees about to board a plane to safety, queer people at the southern border ready to present themselves for asylum. President Trump effectively shut down all pathways to safety in the U.S. for LGBTQ refugees. My heart breaks for them because they will have to wait years, or perhaps never know, what it feels like to be safe and free. For me, gaining asylum and eventually U.S. citizenship changed everything.
Living in Venezuela as a queer, non-binary individual, I was harassed and targeted more times than I can count. I faced a very real threat of violence, not just from strangers but from the people meant to protect me. Despite the relative safety my profession as a doctor afforded me, leading a double life carried a heavy emotional strain. I was forced to suppress a core part of my identity and to maintain an exhausting hypervigilance of my words and actions. The overwhelming fear of being exposed was a suffocating existence, and it is one–though it pains me to write–that many still endure.
Immigration in the U.S. has an image problem fueled by Trump and right-wing extremists. Fear-mongering talking points create a distorted image of immigrants and foster an atmosphere of hostility and suspicion. Many people are still grappling with post-pandemic financial hardship and are stuck in a scarcity mindset. When economic struggles intersect with a barrage of anti-immigrant messaging, people will inevitably develop negative emotions and misplaced blame toward immigrants.
As a queer medical educator, a first responder, and a U.S. citizen, I see a very different side of the immigrant experience—because I have lived it. Working on the front lines of one of the first COVID testing sites in NYC, I saw the extraordinary courage and relentless work that many immigrants displayed during the height of the pandemic. These individuals were on the front lines, risking their lives to keep essential services running, yet their contributions are often overlooked. Where is the media showcasing those stories?
This isn’t about politics or policy. It’s about recognizing—or rejecting—the humanity of LGBTQ+ and other asylum seekers. And I’m not just referring to President Trump and right-wing conservatives. I’m talking about everyone. I’m talking about the LGBTQ+ community. It is this unwavering commitment to equality—ensuring that no one is persecuted for their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status—that defines our community, too. This fight is far from over, but together, we will continue to stand for justice, dignity, and the right to live freely and safely. Now is the time to unite and to remember that all of us deserve to live in safety. Now is the time to come together and to raise our voices in protest and in solidarity to protect asylum seekers. Now is the time to act. The hard truth is, if we do not move to protect ourselves right now, no one will.