National Forum on America’s Deportation Policy

A conversation on what America’s deportation policy should be.

Join us for a thoughtful, searching conversation with members of Congress, national leaders, and Americans with direct experience of the U.S. immigration system. They disagree on America’s immigration policies, but are working together—including through Braver Angels—to find agreement on updating and improving the nation’s immigration and deportation policies.

They’ll discuss:

What’s at the heart of America’s immigration enforcement and deportation policies for you?

What policies or remedies do you support to improve America’s immigration enforcement and deportation system?

Panelists will include:

Members of Congress:

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1) is the Republican co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress. Before entering public office, he served for 15 years as an FBI Special Agent and Federal Prosecutor, and was embedded with U.S. Special Forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY-3) is the Democratic co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress. In late 2025, he became the first member of Congress to participate in the Braver Angels “Common Ground Constituents Conversation,” meeting with an even number of red and blue constituents who had recently participated in a Common Ground Workshop on Immigration.

Americans with direct experience of the U.S. immigration system:

David Izquierdo is a retired Border Patrol Agent with more than 24 years of service, having worked across a wide range of assignments, from the remote stretches of the U.S./Mexico and U.S./Canada borders to the dense, urban environments of South Florida. David played a key role in the planning and development of Operation Streamline. He has participated in several Braver Angel Common Ground Workshops on Immigration.

Jorge Pineda was raised by a naturalized citizen and watched his biological father be deported in September 2025 for the third and final time. Jorge participated in a Braver Angels Common Ground Workshop on Immigration in November 2025.

National leaders working together through Braver Angels’ Immigration Policy Roundtable:

Theresa Cardinal Brown has been working in the immigration policy space for over 30 years. Her work includes stints in the Department of Homeland Security (in both the George W. Bush administration and the Barack Obama administration), as a policy advisor to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (in the George W. Bush administration), and as a director for immigration and cross-border policy for the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Gaby Pacheco is President and CEO of TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college and career success program for undocumented immigrant youth. Born in Ecuador, Gaby moved to America as a child at a time when her parents did not have legal status. Her activism, beginning in 2001 as a college student, spearheaded the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Jim Robb is Vice President of Alliances at NumbersUSA, the largest membership-based immigration group in the world and an organization that advocates for less immigration. Jim has been working on immigration issues for 30 years and was instrumental in the defeat of the 2013/2014 Senate \”Gang of Eight\” immigration bill. He is the author of Political Migrants: Hispanic Voters on the Move.

Peter Skerry is Professor of Political Science at Boston College, and has been researching and writing about immigration issues for more than 30 years. His work on immigration includes stints at the American Enterprise Institute and at the Brookings Institution, where he co-authored Breaking the Immigration Stalemate: From Deep Disagreements to Constructive Proposal.

This National Forum is part of the Braver Angels Citizens Commission on Immigration, an initiative bringing together grassroots Americans, national leaders, and members of Congress who disagree to find common ground on immigration.

** This event is open to the media upon approval. Send requests to press@braverangels.org