Millions of legal immigrants spent years of their lives paying taxes and starting families, only to see the political debate suddenly shift. To Muñoz’s mind, it was as though Congress were telling them, “You’re not us yet.” Muñoz’s parents were already citizens, but when she heard Republicans talk about how noncitizens didn’t “deserve” these protections, she nevertheless thought of her own family. She was reminded of a story her parents had told her about having once been threatened with eviction from an apartment for being overheard “speaking Mexican.”
