For voters from immigrant families and new citizens, voting is bigger than themselves

Ahead of the 3 November 2026 US midterm elections, voters from immigrant families told NPR that immigration policy is shaping their choices alongside concerns about housing, debt and the cost of living. Nicole Solis-Sison, who came to the United States from the Philippines as a child seeking asylum with her family, became a citizen this year after more than two decades navigating the immigration system. Preparing to vote for the first time in New York City, she said she feels responsible for people still going through that process. Juan Escalante, who grew up undocumented after moving from Venezuela, became the first citizen in his family in 2025. He has researched his California ballot closely, with his parents’ immigration status among his priorities.

For US-born citizens Deisy España in Wisconsin and Leydi Gonzalez in Texas, the vote also carries the concerns of relatives who cannot vote. España said her parents’ experience of living without documentation, and her continuing worry about immigration enforcement, influence her decision. Gonzalez has sponsored her parents, who are awaiting a decision on residency, but said her family still worries about detention or deportation. Their accounts describe personal reasons for voting; they do not establish how immigrant families as a whole will vote or what effect their ballots will have on the election.