Immigration

Brendan has a proven track-record of pushing back against federal overreach, protecting New Jersey families, and advocating for common sense immigration reforms. In Congress, he will carry that same pragmatic, value-driven approach to protect our most vulnerable residents, ensure that ICE and MAGA extremists are held to account, continue to oppose family separation, and provide the necessary oversight to fight against the weaponization of our immigration system.

Previous Accomplishments

As County Commissioner, Brendan has implemented and supported legislation to defend civil rights, expand transparency, and put families first. Brendan has been a steadfast opponent to the Trump administration’s policy of family separation, and has consistently condemned ICE’s illegal raids and mass deportation tactics.

Essex County Correctional Facility Reforms – In 2019, Brendan pushed hard for critical reforms to Essex County’s correction facilities, mandating that outdoor space be provided for detainees – as required by federal inspectors – and, in step with the ACLU of New Jersey, that the jail be overseen by a community review board. Thanks to Brendan’s efforts, that community review board – comprised of formerly incarcerated people, advocates, experts, and members of the public – holds the County Correctional Facility accountable.

Legal Services for Undocumented Immigrants – Brendan also helped pass a resolution allocating $750,000 for legal services to be provided to undocumented detainees at the Essex County Correctional Facility. Those funds went to support detainees’ legal services in bond hearings, asylum/relief applications, and other immigration hearings where detainees would otherwise have had no access to legal representation.

Ending Contracts With ICE – In 2021, Brendan was successful in pushing Essex County to end its agreement with ICE and prevent the County from holding non-violent undocumented immigrants who were simply awaiting court hearings.

Supporting the Immigrant Trust Act – In 2025, Brendan helped pass a County resolution supporting the Immigrant Trust Act – which would help insulate immigrants from federal enforcement, curb the use of local law enforcement for federal immigration purposes, and protect access to public services to New Jersey residents, regardless of immigration status.

Read more about Brendan’s accomplishments here: 

Policy Proposals

Legal immigration is crucial for the United States’ economic growth, as it fills labor gaps (and

therefore boosts GDP) supports innovation by bringing diverse skills and perspectives, aligns with America’s promise to be a land of opportunity and a melting pot, and helps address and limit the flow of illegal crossings into the United States.

Once elected, Brendan will get to work in Washington putting forth and supporting legislation to:

Reign in ICE’s Overreach While Securing the Border Through Investment and Modern Border Infrastructure / Technology – Securing the U.S.’s borders and enforcing immigration law is essential, but doing so does not have to violate basic human rights or decency. The Trump Administration has gone too far, violating the law by deporting U.S. citizens, detaining service members, violating basic rights of due process, terrorizing immigrant communities, and placing people in overcrowded and poorly maintained detention centers. 

To secure our border infrastructure and modernize our enforcement techniques with a focus on more ethical protocols, policies should be enacted that: (1) require ICE Agents to show identification, restrict the use of full face masks and unmarked vehicles, and prioritize ICE’s finite resources on the removal of criminals who actually jeopardize Americans’ safety; (2) strategically build border barriers to efficiently and effectively prevent illegal crossings; (3) hire and retain more Border Patrol Agents by providing additional pay and benefits, allowing collective bargaining, and addressing other mission-related issues such as safety and mental-health challenges; (4) invest in port infrastructure and leverage cutting edge technology to drive efficiency of fentanyl detection and combat human smuggling and drug trafficking; and (5) construct new regional processing centers along the border that may house the relevant agencies involved in processing migrants and reduce processing time.

Expand & Modernize Legal Immigration Pathways – Our immigration system works best when people flow through the proper channels. To ensure that our immigration policies are able to serve our country’s needs, policies should be enacted to: (1) increase the annual number of key visas and Green Cards to enable more individuals to migrate to the U.S. legally; (2) rewrite unnecessarily restrictive quotas limiting the number of individuals immigrating from a particular country, and instead focusing on filling critical labor gaps; (3) expedite military naturalization processing to protect immigrants who have served our county in uniform; (4) boost immigration for foreign students, highly-skilled workers, and entrepreneurs; and (5) improve U.S. refugee resettlement by increasing efficiency and oversight over such programs.

Legislate for a Fairer and More Humane Asylum & Refugee Policy – The situation at our southern border is driven and exacerbated by an aging and under-resourced asylum system. In order to make our asylum and refugee policy more fair, policies should be enacted that: (1) expedite the asylum process, giving asylum officers the authority to decide asylum claims – rather than force asylum seekers through a drawn out court process – reducing the asylum adjudication timeline; (2) create a heightened asylum standard and immediately provide work authorization to those who pass to ensure that only those with legitimate claims to asylum receive protection and can contribute to American society; (3) expand due process by providing children and other vulnerable populations with access to legal counsel and legal orientation; and (4) modernize the asylum process to maximize efficiency and address the immigration court backlog.

Provide a Pathway to Citizenship for Dreamers – Undocumented Dreamers – immigrant residents brought to the U.S. as children – have no other home country. Congress can protect Dreamers by: (1) providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented Dreamers and other long-term immigrant residents brought to the U.S. as children; (2) protect Dreamers at risk of “aging out” of the program due to the years long visa backlog; and (3) provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and Green Card holders.

Address the Root Causes of Migration – boosting engagement with our allies in the western hemisphere, promoting refugee and asylum resettlement in other countries, strengthening regional partnerships to combat fentanyl networks, and supporting the economic stability of our neighboring countries are all excellent ways to address migration before it has a chance to reach our borders.