Immigration

Our nation was built on the contributions of immigrants. I am dedicated to ensuring that all immigrants have the opportunity to pursue the American dream. It is a matter of this country’s history and tradition to welcome immigrants, particularly those seeking asylum because their well-being is under threat, and we must stay committed to that effort. I am dedicated to ensuring that all immigrants have the opportunity to pursue the American dream. 

We need a 21st-century immigration system that reflects our values, repairs past harm., heals our communities, rebuilds our economy, and renews our global leadership. Comprehensive immigration reform is long-overdue. I believe our immigration system must treat immigrants humanely, especially children and families; enforce the law against employers who abuse H-2A and H-2B visas; extend rights to DREAMers to legalize their immigration status fully and permanently; establish a pathway to citizenship for immigrants to recognize their contribution to our society; and properly fund the security of our borders.

Trump’s Mass Deportation Policy

President Trump has authorized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to raid our places of worship and public schools and use private data to hunt down taxpaying immigrants. It is shameful that the Trump administration is manipulating these protected spaces to further their MAGA agenda. These practices contradict longstanding ICE policy, and violates the First Amendment right to attend religious services at sacred spaces. The risk of racial profiling makes this unconscionable defiance of basic constitutional protections even worse.

I felt the effects of these immigration policies at home when my constituent, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was wrongfully detained and illegally deported to a mega prison in El Salvador, despite a court order protecting him from such action. When his flight took off, with him and 250 Venezuelan immigrants on board, it was in direct violation of a court order. 

Time and again, the Trump administration has ignored court orders, including Supreme Court rulings, in its pursuit of mass deportations. These violations of due process are not accidental. They are deliberate actions that undermine the rule of law. According to the Cato Institute, dozens of Venezuelan migrants who arrived in the United States legally and never violated immigration laws were still detained, deported, and imprisoned in El Salvador. This is not border enforcement. It is government overreach that punishes people for doing the right thing.

After months of non-stop advocacy, including my my visit to El Salvador with Mr. Abrego Garcia’s lawyer and Service Employees International Union 32BJ representative, Mr. Abrego Garcia has been returned to the United States and now is having his day in court. The Trump administration must follow the rule of law and provide all immigrants and refugees with their day in court before making decisions about their futures. 

Border Security

Last Congress, I supported over $1.4 billion in resources to shore up our border, including funding increases in for the number of border patrol officers and other staff, newer equipment and aircrafts, greater intelligence analysis and targeting, and improved surveillance technology. As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act–passed by House Democrats and signed into law by President Biden–another $430 million was allocated for modernizing our ports of entry to help detect and stem the flow of illegal drugs. In contrast, in the 119th Congress, Republicans have pushed to waste $46.5 billion on Trump's border wall, a project riddled with corruption, environmental damage, and ballooning costs. 

There are real threats at our border that we must not forget: Cartels’ use of drones–and the potential for weaponized drone attacks on our southern border–was a focus of mine as a member of the Homeland Security Committee in the 118th Congress. Extreme, partisan, and misguided positions, like MAGA Republicans’ focus on deporting non-violent immigrants, can distract us from our border’s most pressing problems. As your Congressman, I will continue advocating for our Border Patrol to have the resources they need to get the job done while protecting American citizens and respecting the inalienable human rights of hopeful migrants. 

Relevant Legislation

I am proud to have either sponsored or co-sponsored the following legislation and I will work tirelessly towards passage of this legislation in the 119th Congress. 

H.R.3368, the Born in the USA Act of 2025, which protects birthright citizenship in the United States. 

H.R. 1589, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2025, provides a pathway to permanent and full legal status and citizenship to our DREAMers as well as those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).

H.R. 1869, the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2025, increases the capabilities and capacities of the Department of Justice, U.S. Customs and Border Protections, and other federal agencies to investigate and prosecute trade-related crimes;

H.Res. 378, expressing the need for humanitarian parole for Cameroonian refugees;

Community Engagement and Public Education

I am committed to leveraging my position as the Congressman for Maryland’s Fourth Congressional District to tirelessly advocate for our community and get answers to the tough questions we all have during this tumultuous time. That is why I:

• Fought the Trump Administration’s termination of TPS protections for Afghans fleeing Taliban violence in collaboration with Senators Van Hollen and Klobuchar.
• Tirelessly demand that the Trump Administration respect due process and justice in our immigration system through writing letters to cabinet members, speaking out in news interviews on conservative networks, and a trip to El Salvador in May.
• Joined the pro-democracy advocacy group Alianza Americas to discuss my trip to El Salvador, the collaboration between President Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to imprison deportees in mega-prisons, and the effects of democratic backsliding on civil life and freedoms.
• Hosted an Immigration Casework Inquiry Event in Oxon Hill,  to provide migrant families with the resources they need to stay informed about their ongoing cases.

You can count on me to continue working tirelessly to push back against the Trump administration’s undemocratic immigration policies in Congress.