Immigration matters to the Armenian community because most of us are here due to immigration. Our families came to the United States to escape hardship, war or instability and to build better lives. That is why current immigration policies should concern us.

Today, the U.S. immigration system is slow and difficult to navigate. People wait years for legal status or asylum. Families are often separated during this process, and many immigrants live in fear even after building lives here. These problems affect workers, students and entire communities.

For Armenians coming from unstable regions, delays and uncertainty can mean real danger. A system that takes years to respond fails the people it is meant to protect. Immigration policy should be fair, clear and focused on keeping families together.

Congress has the power to fix this. Lawmakers should speed up immigration processing, reduce backlogs and create realistic legal pathways for people who already live and work in the United States. 

Ignoring the problem only makes it worse. This issue is not abstract for Armenians. It is personal. Immigration reform deserves serious attention, and our leaders need to act.

Nare Hovsepyan
Glendale, Calif.