For my family, birthright citizenship is deeply personal. I, my parents and most of my siblings were born in Ecuador and were undocumented after we arrived in the United States. But my youngest sister, Stephanie, was born here and automatically gained citizenship under the 14th Amendment.

Since then, every member of my family, including me, has gained legal status and succeeded. Stephanie is now attending school as a nursing student serving the elderly. As for me, I work at Children’s Defense Fund–New York, having dedicated my life to supporting immigrant families and first-generation children like my sister. It's a path I chose because of my family’s experiences. We worry about the future if the current administration’s efforts to end birthright citizenship succeed. Will stories like those of my sister be erased?

My family knows from experience the stigma that undocumented people in this country face and how it can impact hopes for college and future advancement. Because she was born here, Stephanie didn’t have to fear for her future after high school, as many undocumented children do. She knew she could go to college and pursue her goals. She experienced a certainty and comfort that undocumented children do not have.

In my case, for over two decades, I lacked economic mobility opportunities, emotional well-being and most important: hope! Upon adjusting my immigration status 12 years ago at the age of 35, I enrolled in college. I am now a four-year doctoral student in social welfare at the City University of New York Graduate Center and an adjunct........

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