
Citizens Commission on Immigration
The goal of the Citizens Commission on Immigration is to demonstrate to Congress and the nation that Americans with differing views on immigration can find common ground. The Commission works in a red/blue balanced way and includes Americans from all sides of the issue. It was launched after a red/blue balanced group of about 750 delegates at the 2024 Braver Angels National Convention gathered and voted to establish immigration as a Braver Angels priority issue. This is following in the footsteps of our successful Trustworthy Elections Campaign.
The Citizens Commission on Immigration encompasses focus on Grassroots Americans, National Leaders, and Congress and culminates in a Report to the Nation, outlining key policy recommendations on immigration that reflect red/blue common ground from the grassroots and national work.
Planning an immigration event?
Please contact Laura at lkramer@braverangels.org so we can support you and include your results in the CCI project!
Finding common ground on immigration
Focus Areas
Grassroots Americans
Centered around approximately 100 Braver Angels events on immigration including Common Ground Workshops, Local Community Debates and Congress Member and Constituent Conversations.
National Leaders
Centered around the Immigration Policy Roundtable, a small group of nationally prominent experts and advocates representing all sides of the issue and committed to seeking common ground.
Congress
Centered around on-going conversation with Members of Congress, including invitations to observe or participate in Braver Angels events on immigration.
Ways to Help

We need members from across the country to participate in this effort.
Our goal is to have at least one event in every state!
EDUCATE YOURSELF
Watch Immigration 101: A short intro to the U.S. Immigration System, led by two experts who differ on immigration policies but agree on the facts.
DO SOMETHING
Help to organize or participate in an event in your local area to find common ground on immigration.
Congressional Outreach
Help us reach all 50 states and key congressional districts!
Our goal is to hold a Braver Angels immigration event in every state and in as many as possible congressional districts of Problem Solvers Caucus members. (Problem Solvers Caucus is a group of Members of Congress–split between Republicans and Democrats–committed to solving problems and bipartisanship.) Click here for more resources on taking our citizens’ work to Congress.
Timeline
Leadership Team
David is a co-founder of Braver Angels and director of the Citizens Commission on Immigration. He lives in South Lebanon, Ohio.
Reena is a Braver Angels moderator and national leader, and was the Project Lead of the BA Trustworthy Elections Campaign. She created the “Common Ground Workshop” so Reds and Blues can address issues constructively. The workshops do a deep dive into a single issue for the purpose of finding unanimous points of agreement on values, concerns and solutions/policies. Common Ground Workshops have tackled such issues as abortion, teaching about race and racism in public schools, antisemitism, addressing climate change – and in ensuring trustworthy elections. Reena is a marriage and family therapist in the DC area.
Since 1988, Harry Heintzelman has gained extensive foreign policy experience through various legal positions, beginning as Chief of the International Law Division at Ninth Air Force/USCENTAF, where he addressed legal issues during U.S. operations in Southwest Asia. He was the first judge advocate deployed to Desert Shield, contributing to the development of Rules of Engagement for coalition air operations and reviewing attack plans for Desert Storm. From 1991 to 1992, he served as a legal advisor in the National Security Agency protecting sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure. Since 1993, he has served in a variety of leadership roles on the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1992-1996), in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (1996-2002), and the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control and Verification (2002-2019), helping to shape U.S. nuclear arms control and counter-proliferation policy. In these positions, he participated in direct U.S. negotiations with foreign governments regarding the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (iNF) Treaty, the Strategic Arms Control Treaty (START I), START II, the START II Protocol, the Moscow Treaty, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). He also participated in key counter-proliferation efforts such as the U.S.-Russian HEU Purchase Agreement, Project Sapphire (the removal of HEU from Kazakhstan), the elimination of Libya’s WMD programs, and the North Korean denuclearization effort. He also has edited and coordinated the President’s Annual Compliance Report to Congress.
Brooks Hilliard is a computer industry professional and a Braver Angels member since 2022. In addition to being the Constituent Conversations on Immigration coordinator, he is also an experienced Braver Angels workshop moderator, a member of the DEV team and Blue Co-Chair of the Phoenix Alliance. With more than 45 years of IT experience, Brooks has worked as a software developer, IT industry executive, management consultant, professional speaker, and an expert witness in IT-related litigation. He has an Engineering degree from MIT, an MBA from Harvard, and is one of fewer than 15 consultants worldwide to have achieved both the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and a Certified Computing Professional (CCP) designations. He is also a veteran, having served as an officer in the US Coast Guard. Mr. Hilliard and his wife live in Paradise Valley, Arizona and, being semi-retired, he now spends the majority of his time working with Braver Angels, and a few other not-for-profit organizations.
Laura is the outreach coordinator for this initiative. She is a retired engineer and project manager from Hewlett Packard and 3D Systems. In her work for Braver Angels she is also the engagement coordinator for the Braver Faith leadership team. She lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon (near Portland).
Bio coming soon!
Scott is a graduate student at the University of Indianapolis, studying U.S. History with a concentration in immigration and labor. He serves as co-chair of Braver Angels’ We The People leadership team and resides in Martinsville, Indiana.
Bio coming soon!
Jim Robb is Vice-President of Alliances at NumbersUSA, the nation’s largest-member immigration policy group. He has served on the staff since the organization’s founding in 1996. He has authored a book on Hispanics voting trends, Political Migrants: Hispanic Voters on the Move, 2022. He lives with his wife Kim in Falls Church, Virginia.
Diego Sanchez is the Director of Policy and Strategy at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, an alliance representing over 550 campus leaders dedicated to advancing forward-looking immigration policies and practices at the federal, state, and campus levels. A former immigration attorney, DACA recipient, and community organizer, Diego draws on more than a decade of lived experience as an undocumented individual. He is a passionate advocate for expanding immigration opportunities and advancing bipartisan solutions, working across the aisle to promote policies that benefit students, campuses, and the nation.
John Schwenkler lives in Decatur GA and helps lead Braver Angels initiatives for workshop development/moderating along with faith engagement
Bio coming soon!
Michelle Tolfa is the Data Coordinator for the initiative. She is a software engineer and lives in Seattle, WA with her husband Alex and their elderly chihuahua Charlie. When she’s not helping to support and organize Braver Angels events, she enjoys bike rides through the city and cooking.
Upcoming Events
| Event Description (click to sign up) | Date |
|---|---|
| In person Common Ground Workshop in Petaluma, California | 1769860800 Saturday, January 31, 2026 |
| National Common Ground Workshop (online) | 1771070400 Saturday, February 14, 2026 |
| In person discussion in Stanford, California. "Beyond the Headlines: Real Conversations on Immigration" | 1768651200 Saturday, January 17, 2026 |
| In person Common Ground Workshop in Camas, Washington | 1776513600 Saturday, April 18, 2026 |
Completed Events
Counters updated 10-28-25
Event | Date |
|---|---|
Constituents Conversation with Tom Suozzi (NY district 3) | Oct 24th, 2025 |
National Common Ground Workshop (Deportation Policy Focus) | Oct 18th, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in Long Island, NY | Oct 18th, 2025 |
Debate in Long Island, NY | Oct 16th, 2025 |
Oct 6th, 2025 | |
Debate in Lampeter, PA | Oct 4th, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in Michigan (online) | Sept 28th, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in South Lebanon, OH | Sept 27th, 2025 |
Debate in Albuquerque, NM | Sept 26th, 2025 |
Immigration Policy roundtable | Sept 25th, 2025 |
Debate in Strafford, PA | Sept 6th, 2025 |
Sept 5th, 2025 | |
Common Ground Workshop in New Braunfels, TX | Aug 30th, 2025 |
National Common Ground Workshop (Deportation Policy focus) | Aug 23rd, 2025 |
National Common Ground Workshop | July 19th, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in Washington, DC | June 26th, 2025 |
Debate in Philomath, Oregon | June 25th, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in Long Island, NY | June 22nd, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in Waltham, MA | May 28th, 2025 |
Debate in Durham, North Carolina | May 21st, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in White Plains, New York | May 18th, 2025 |
May 13th, 2025 | |
Common Ground Workshop in Montana/Wyoming (online) | April 26th, 2025 |
Immigration Policy Roundtable | April 24th, 2025 |
National Common Ground Workshop | April 19th, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in Minnesota | April 1st, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in Utah | March 29th, 2025 |
March 20th, 2025 | |
Debate in Montana/Wyoming (online) | March 20th, 2025 |
Debate in Oregon City, Oregon | March 16th, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in Los Angeles, CA | March 1st, 2025 |
February 25th, 2025 | |
Common Ground Workshop in Wenatchee, WA | February 8th, 2025 |
Common Ground Workshop in Atlanta | February 8th, 2025 |
National Common Ground Workshop | January, 26th, 2025 |
January 11th, 2025 | |
National Common Ground Workshop | December 7th, 2024 |
National Common Ground Workshop | November 16th, 2024 |
Common Ground Workshop in Washington DC | October 26th, 2024 |
National Common Ground Workshop | October 26th, 2024 |
National Common Ground Workshop | October 12th, 2024 |
September 28th, 2024 |
