New citizens and children of immigrants cast ballots with family on the line

Nicole Solis-Sison is 34 years old and casting her first ballot in New York City this week. She arrived in the United States from the Philippines at age seven. Her family fled their home country after the government pursued them in international territory and demanded their return. An agent from the Immigration and Naturalization Service told them to file for asylum. They stayed. Solis-Sison became a citizen earlier this year after navigating the immigration system for more than two decades.

She said she feels a weight to protect people currently moving through the legal process. "I feel like I do have a weight to protect people who are going through this process, who are getting left behind and harmed because when I tell you, I've only gotten out of it with like a sliver of hope," she said.

Juan Escalante, 37, is voting in his first general election as a California resident. He moved to the United States from Venezuela at age 11. He discovered he was undocumented during his junior year of high school. His parents hired a lawyer who mishandled their case, leaving them out of the line for adjustment. He gained status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in the Obama administration. He became a citizen in 2025.

Escalante said receiving his mail-in ballot was emotional. He researched every proposition and candidate. "I do want to make sure that my values as an immigrant, as the first of my family to vote and also as a Latino to make sure that all of that is carried and translated through to my ballot," he said.

Deisy España, 24, lives in Wisconsin. She is a U.S. citizen, but her parents from Mexico were undocumented for years. Her mother recently received a green card. España said she understands the fear of police stops now. "I'm voting for my parents. I have to do it for my parents who can't vote. But even now, more than ever," she said.

Leydi Gonzalez, 23, is a citizen in Texas. Her parents are from El Salvador. She turned 21 and filed a petition to help them gain legal status. They now have authorization to remain in the country while they wait for residency approval. Gonzalez said her family discussed who would care for her siblings if her parents were detained. That conversation happened when Donald Trump was first elected president.

Gonzalez cited the recent death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas at the hands of an ICE agent as a reason the stakes feel higher. She is watching the U.S. Senate race in her state, where Democrat James Talarico is polling ahead of Republican candidate Ken Paxton. "It definitely feels like I'm voting for my family," she said.