diff --git a/parsons/action_network/action_network.py b/parsons/action_network/action_network.py
index 4145a611f3..5a750cab7e 100644
--- a/parsons/action_network/action_network.py
+++ b/parsons/action_network/action_network.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import logging
 import re
 import warnings
-from typing import Dict, List, Union
+from typing import Dict, List, Union, Literal
 from parsons import Table
 from parsons.utilities import check_env
 from parsons.utilities.api_connector import APIConnector
@@ -1127,7 +1127,7 @@ def upsert_person(
         languages_spoken=None,
         postal_addresses=None,
         mobile_number=None,
-        mobile_status="subscribed",
+        mobile_status: Literal["subscribed", "unsubscribed", None] = None,
         background_processing=False,
         **kwargs,
     ):
@@ -1181,7 +1181,10 @@ def upsert_person(
                             - "subscribed"
                             - "unsubscribed"
             mobile_status:
-                'subscribed' or 'unsubscribed'
+                None, 'subscribed' or 'unsubscribed'. If included, will update the SMS opt-in
+                status of the phone in ActionNetwork. If not included, won't update the status.
+                None by default, causes no updates to mobile number status. New numbers are set
+                to "unsubscribed" by default.
             background_request: bool
                 If set `true`, utilize ActionNetwork's "background processing". This will return
                 an immediate success, with an empty JSON body, and send your request to the
@@ -1211,27 +1214,31 @@ def upsert_person(
 
         mobile_numbers_field = None
         if isinstance(mobile_number, str):
-            mobile_numbers_field = [
-                {"number": re.sub("[^0-9]", "", mobile_number), "status": mobile_status}
-            ]
+            mobile_numbers_field = [{"number": re.sub("[^0-9]", "", mobile_number)}]
         elif isinstance(mobile_number, int):
-            mobile_numbers_field = [{"number": str(mobile_number), "status": mobile_status}]
+            mobile_numbers_field = [{"number": str(mobile_number)}]
         elif isinstance(mobile_number, list):
             if len(mobile_number) > 1:
                 raise ("Action Network allows only 1 phone number per activist")
             if isinstance(mobile_number[0], list):
                 mobile_numbers_field = [
-                    {"number": re.sub("[^0-9]", "", cell), "status": mobile_status}
-                    for cell in mobile_number
+                    {"number": re.sub("[^0-9]", "", cell)} for cell in mobile_number
                 ]
                 mobile_numbers_field[0]["primary"] = True
             if isinstance(mobile_number[0], int):
-                mobile_numbers_field = [
-                    {"number": cell, "status": mobile_status} for cell in mobile_number
-                ]
+                mobile_numbers_field = [{"number": cell} for cell in mobile_number]
                 mobile_numbers_field[0]["primary"] = True
-            if isinstance(mobile_number[0], dict):
-                mobile_numbers_field = mobile_number
+
+        # Including status in this field changes the opt-in status in
+        # ActionNetwork. This is not always desireable, so we should
+        # only do so when a status is included.
+        if mobile_status and mobile_numbers_field:
+            for field in mobile_numbers_field:
+                field["status"] = mobile_status
+
+        # If the mobile_number field is passed a list of dictionaries, just use that directly
+        if mobile_number and isinstance(mobile_number, list) and isinstance(mobile_number[0], dict):
+            mobile_numbers_field = mobile_number
 
         if not email_addresses_field and not mobile_numbers_field:
             raise (
@@ -1261,6 +1268,7 @@ def upsert_person(
         url = f"{self.api_url}/people"
         if background_processing:
             url = f"{url}?background_processing=true"
+
         response = self.api.post_request(url, data=json.dumps(data))
 
         identifiers = response["identifiers"]