First-Time Voters With Immigrant Ties See Ballot as Protection for Family

Nicole Solis-Sison is 34 years old and voting in her first election in New York City. She arrived in the United States from the Philippines at age seven when her family fled a government that sought to deport them. An immigration agent from the former INS agency, now ICE, recommended her family file for asylum. That legal step allowed them to stay. She became a citizen earlier this year after more than two decades in the immigration system.

Solis-Sison describes her first vote as a milestone. She created a personal voter guide and diary to track her choices. She said she feels a weight to protect people currently navigating the process who are getting left behind. She noted that she only escaped the uncertainty of her family’s status with a sliver of hope.

Juan Escalante, 37, will vote in his first general election in California. He moved from Venezuela to South Florida at age 11. He learned he was undocumented during his junior year of high school. His parents had hired a lawyer who mishandled their immigration case, leaving the family out of the line for a refile. He gained status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and became a citizen in 2025. He was the first person in his family to graduate college.

Escalante received his mail-in ballot with mixed emotions. He was thrilled but overwhelmed by the size of the California ballot. He researched every proposition and candidate meticulously. He said he never took the process for granted. He wants his vote to reflect his values as an immigrant, a first-time voter, and a Latino. He aims to translate those values into his ballot to support his family and community.

Deisy España, 24, is a U.S. citizen from a mixed-status family in Wisconsin. Her parents are from Mexico and were undocumented when she was growing up. She said her mother would pray when they were pulled over by police, a fear España understood later as a worry about ICE detention. Her mother recently obtained a green card, but the fear persists. España said she is voting for her parents because they cannot vote themselves. She told other young voters with immigrant families to vote for their parents.

Leydi Gonzalez, 23, is a citizen in Texas whose parents are from El Salvador. She said the first thing she wanted to do when she turned 21 was petition her parents for legal status. Thanks to her sponsorship, they now have authorization to be in the U.S. and are waiting for residency approval. Her family has discussed who would care for her siblings if her parents were detained or deported. She said these conversations became necessary after the first Trump administration.

Gonzalez’s community was affected by the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent in Texas. She believes the stakes are high if control of Congress changes. A high-profile U.S. Senate race is taking place in Texas. Democrat James Talarico is polling ahead of Republican nominee and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Gonzalez said she is voting for her best interest, but primarily for her family’s security.

These voters cite specific personal histories as drivers for their participation. Solis-Sison remembers the INS agent’s suggestion to file for asylum. Escalante recalls the bad legal advice that complicated his family’s case. España remembers the fear in her mother’s eyes during traffic stops. Gonzalez remembers the plan to petition her parents immediately after turning 21. Their votes are cast with the knowledge that their family members’ legal status remains tied to the outcome of the election.