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 Commission includes three streams of work: grassroots Americans, national leaders, and Congress. The grassroots Americans work is centered around approximately 100 Braver Angels events on immigration including Common Ground Workshops, Local Community Debates and Congress Member and Constituent Conversations. The national leaders work is 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 ground. The Congressional work is centered around on-going conversation with Members of Congress, including invitations to observe or participate in Braver Angels events on immigration.
The Citizens Commission on Immigration encompasses all three streams of work 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.
Questions?
Finding common ground 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!
- Can your Braver Angels Alliance or organization help organize a Common Ground Workshop or Debate on immigration?
- Would you like to participate in a workshop or debate, or help recruit a diverse pool of participants?
- Do you have connections to a Member of Congress (U.S. Representative or Senator) that would be interested in participating in a Congress Member and Constituents Conversation with 7 red constituents and 7 blue constituents?
Timeline
Leadership Team
David (leans red) is a co-founder of Braver Angels and director of the Citizens Commission on Immigration. He lives in South Lebanon, Ohio.
David (leans red) is president and co-founder of Braver Angels. He is the author of In search of Braver Angels. He co-founded the National Fatherhood Initiative in 1995, founded the Institute for American Values in 1988, and has authored or co-edited 14 books. He grew up in Mississippi and now lives with his family in New York City.
Reena (leans blue) 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.
Bio coming soon!
Laura (leans blue) 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 on the Braver Faith leadership team and posts regularly on the Braver Angels Oregon Facebook page. She lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon (near Portland).
Bio coming soon!
Bio coming soon!
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 (leans blue) lives in Decatur GA and helps lead Braver Angels initiatives for workshop development/moderating along with faith engagement
Bio coming soon!
Michelle Tolfa (leans blue) 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 | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Common Ground Workshop | National online workshop to find common ground on immigration | 1733580000 Saturday, December 7, 2024 |
| Common Ground Workshop | National online workshop to find common ground on immigration | 1737900000 Sunday, January 26, 2025 |
| Immigration Initiative Training Camp | For Braver Angels volunteers who are interested in leading immigration events | 1736604000 Saturday, January 11, 2025 |
Completed Events
| Immigration Panel Debate (Online) | 9/28/24 |
| Common Ground Workshop (Online) | 10/26/24 |
| Common Ground Workshop (Washington DC) | 10/26/24 |
