New Report Reveals U.S. Citizens Married to Immigrants Are Living in Constant Fear, Heartbreak, and Forced Separation

A new report from American Families United (AFU) paints a devastating picture of life for U.S. citizens married to immigrants: families living every day in fear, parents raising children alone, and couples torn apart not by choice, but by a system that gives them no path to stay together.

According to the survey, 80% of U.S. spouses say they wake up each day afraid their family could be separated, while 12% have already been split across borders and 8% have gone into exile just to remain with the person they love. More than half say that if forced apart, they would leave the United States behind because staying without their spouse is unthinkable.

Behind each statistic is a family fighting to hold itself together.

Amanda Ribeiro, a U.S. citizen, nurse, and mom, shared the heartbreak of watching her husband be forced out of the country. “My family’s separation was not inevitable — it was a policy choice. And no one benefits from American children growing up without their father.”

Many others reported emotional distress, financial instability, and even worsening medical conditions tied directly to their family’s immigration barriers. Some have lived apart from their spouse for more than five years, and nearly a third for over a decade.

Most families have done everything they can—hiring attorneys, filing paperwork, appearing in court, and even seeking help from members of Congress—yet remain stuck in limbo with no resolution in sight.

AFU says the findings highlight a crisis the nation can no longer ignore. “The families we represent are doing everything right, and still they’re punished,” said AFU Executive Director Ashley DeAzevedo. “No American family should have to choose between their spouse and their country. Inaction is no longer acceptable.”