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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S Citizen Julie Moreno Returned to the United States Today, Preparing for Years of Separation from Her Husband Now in Mexico

Full press release below.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

Please share this story to that we can raise urgent awareness about this issue. And if you or someone you know is in a situation similar to Julie, please reach out to American Families United for support from people who truly understand what you're going through - and can help.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

AFU is made up of couples just like Julie and Nef. We know what these families go through.

But we’ve never seen anything like this.

Ever.

We desperately need Americans on both sides of the aisle to sit up and pay attention to the harm we are doing to citizens and their spouses.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

Julie is not the only AFU member grappling with this decision. Many of our members are forced to consider family separation like Julie and Nef.

Some are even choosing to leave the country with their spouses and live abroad due to the lack of legal pathways for their husbands and wives.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

All we want is for families in the United States to be together, for our family to be together. I love this country, but I don’t recognize it anymore. I feel like I’m being pushed out, as well. My relationship with this country feels like a one way street.”

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

After landing at Newark Airport, Julie said “I am relieved for his sake. But now that I’m back in the United States, I have no idea what my life will be like without him everyday. I know that we made the right decision, but in my gut I also feel really angry.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

Before Nef relocated to Mexico last week—a process sometimes called self-deportation—the couple had been pursuing ways for Nef, who has no criminal history, to get legal status. But the immigration system left them with no options.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

“Nef is a generous and devoted husband. We’re different in a lot of ways, but we agree on what’s right and wrong. And he always puts me first,” Julie said.

(photo from their goodbye at airport in MX this morning)

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

Contrary to popular myth, marrying a citizen does not guarantee someone a green card or a pathway to citizenship, forcing couples to decide between living in fear or living apart.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

Julie and Nef, who have been married for nearly a decade, are just one of over a million mixed-status couples in the United States—couples where one person is a U.S. citizen and the other person could face sudden deportation.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

“As a citizen, I was living under constant threat by my own government, and I can see the human rights abuses of people like my husband,” Julie said. “I no longer feel free in my own country and I was worried above all about Nef’s safety.”

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

Julie Moreno returned from Mexico today after spending the past week helping her husband, Nef, relocate to Mexico rather than live in constant fear of arrest, prolonged detention, and forced deportation.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

I've never seen anything like this in the history of American Families United. 💔

Please read this heartbreaking story of one of our deeply loved members and leaders, Julie Moreno, who just landed back in New Jersey this afternoon from a trip to Mexico.

Here's her story... 🧵 (Then please amplify.)

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 1d

Because our laws do not provide a straightforward pathway to legal status based on marriage, our US citizen members at AFU thank God every single day that their immigrant spouses come home from work. Please don't forget that arrest, detention, and deportation hurts US citizens in this country, too.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · Jan 19

Each arrest, which may or may not lead to a deportation, will also disrupt the lives of the person, family, and friends. With millions of people in mixed-status families, there will be likely US citizens and green-card holders who see a family member picked up; which can have long-term impacts.

U.S. Citizen Children Impacted by Immigration Enforcement

Deportations of parents and family members have serious consequences that affect children and extend to communities and the country as a whole.

www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 2d

More stories about what our members at American Families United go through on a daily and weekly basis. Listen to "What happens to the kids? Fearing deportation, immigrant parents make contingency plans." on NPR.

www.npr.org/2025/09/22/n...

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 2d

Any immigration folks out there trying to build bridges across the political aisle and change hearts and minds? I'm eager to connect with you. Please introduce yourself or tag someone who is doing this work. We need a new approach to fixing America's division.

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Reposted by Ashley DeAzevedo

Christine Langhoff @clanghoff.bsky.social · 2d

And these effects show up in our public schools, which are steadily being defunded by vouchers and other privatization schemes.

Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 2d

RESEARCH: Family separation, including the separation of children from parents in mixed-status families, is associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, behavioral & emotional issues, sleep disturbances, & stress/distress in children.

updates.apaservices.org/mental-healt...

Mental Health and Immigration FAQ

This FAQ focuses on the mental health impacts of detentions, deportations, and family separations in immigrant communities.

updates.apaservices.org

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 2d

We need to get real about the deep psychological damage that our policies are inflicting on US citizens. Our members and their children should not be treated like second-class citizens just because of who they married. Help us raise awareness and compassion. We can't do this alone!

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 2d

RESEARCH: Family separation, including the separation of children from parents in mixed-status families, is associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, behavioral & emotional issues, sleep disturbances, & stress/distress in children.

updates.apaservices.org/mental-healt...

Mental Health and Immigration FAQ

This FAQ focuses on the mental health impacts of detentions, deportations, and family separations in immigrant communities.

updates.apaservices.org

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 4d

Listen to what our American Families United members go through in my talk with @austinkocher.com & @annalekasmiller.bsky.social. I have to believe that when most Americans see someone suffering, they want to help. So let's get these stories out there!

austinkocher.substack.com/p/listen-to-...

Listen to "The Forgotten Family Separation Crisis", my Discussion with Ashley DeAzevedo and Anna Lekas Miller About Mixed-Status Couples

Due to Congressional inaction and immigration laws that haven’t kept pace with reality, millions of US citizens live in families where at least one person is, or could be, facing deportation.

austinkocher.substack.com

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Reposted by Ashley DeAzevedo

Valor Media Network @valormedianetwork.bsky.social · 6d

Tune in at 1pm ET for an important conversation with @austinkocher.com, veteran & immigration researcher, and @afuashley.bsky.social, Executive Director of American Families United, advocating for families impacted by current immigration policies.

🔗 Register Here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: The Forgotten Family Separation Crisis: A Conversation about Mixed-Status Couples with Ashley DeAzevedo from American Families United and Anna Lekas Miller, author of Love Across Borders. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Join me for an essential conversation about the realities facing mixed-status couples, families where one partner is a U.S. citizen and the other faces potential deportation. This discussion will dispel...

us06web.zoom.us

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 8d

Press Release: AFU Executive Director to Speak at Virtual Event on Mixed-Status Family Separation Crisis. Free public event will highlight stories of U.S. citizens in mixed-status relationships facing family separation due to our outdated immigration laws. us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 8d

And if you or someone you know is in a mixed-status family or couple, American Families United is here for you. Learn more about the work we do at americanfamiliesunited.org and follow me here for more information every week.

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Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 8d

To learn more about the challenges that mixed-status families face, and how they can navigate these complex systems responsibly and safely, take a look at the rest of the article below.

www.lawyer-monthly.com/2025/09/mixe...

Mixed-Status Families: Healthcare, Education & Rights

Mixed-status families face unique challenges in healthcare, education, and legal rights. Learn how to navigate systems and protect your loved ones.

www.lawyer-monthly.com

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