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Immigration Reform

Sean knows that we are a nation of immigrants. Our country was founded on the willingness to uproot and resettle by risk-takers, adventurers, and hard workers.

The Trump Administration’s weaponization of the Executive Branch to disregard Constitutional Rights and aggressively pursue a mass deportation agenda endangers both the safety and dignity of our community. Sean believes the Legislative Branch must act as a check on the Administration’s lawlessness and use every oversight power available to protect the rights of all within our country.

Sean supports comprehensive immigration reform and finding pathways to citizenship, but he adamantly opposes the Trump Administration’s cruel and inhumane policies that aim to deport individuals without regard for due process.

Sean firmly opposes Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz” and believes it is an example of the Administration’s authoritarian overreach. Sean has spoken out against the unacceptable conditions at the Broadview ICE Facility and has worked with other members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation to shed light on the ongoing constitutional violations occurring at the detention center.

In Congress, Sean has fought back against President Trump’s policies by:

  • Joining Democrats in the Illinois Congressional Delegation to demand Kristi Noem end the harmful and unlawful immigration operations in Illinois. Sean has condemned these actions for violating due process, being clouded in secrecy, and serving no purpose other than to disrupt Illinois communities.
  • Demanding a meeting with Russell Hott, the Chicago Field Director for ICE, alongside other Illinois Democratic Members to ensure Congress can conduct oversight of the Broadview ICE Facility and Operation Midway Blitz.
  • Demanding President Trump immediately withdraw National Guard troops from Illinois.
  • Using Congressional oversight power to demand answers about the inhumane conditions of detention facilities like “Alligator Alcatraz”.
  • Cosponsoring the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which prohibits immigration enforcement agents within 1,000 feet of places such as schools, health care facilities, and places of worship.
  • Cosponsoring the No Secret Police Act, which prohibits federal officers from using face coverings when conducting arrests and ensures clear identification of officers.

In Congress, Sean has supported immigration reform by:

  • Cosponsoring the American Dream and Promise Act, which would create a pathway to citizenship for DREAMERS and those with Temporary Protected Status because they cannot safely return to their country of origin.
  • Cosponsoring the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act, which would require the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to enact safety and hygiene standards for individuals in their care.
  • Voting for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act which establishes a program for agricultural workers in the U.S., along with their spouses and children, to earn permanent legal status through continued agricultural employment and ensuring the stabilization and preservation of our agricultural and rural heritage”
  • Cosponsoring a resolution to express that the U.S. House of Representatives is committed to keeping the United States open to those lawfully seeking refuge and asylum regardless of their race or country of origin and condemning white supremacy.
  • Cosponsoring the U.S. Citizenship Act which establishes a new, modernized immigration system and provides pathways to citizenship for immigrants who contribute to our economy.

Sean believes Ronald Reagan was right when he said that the day America stops welcoming immigrants is the day we stop being Americans. The United States has always stood as a beacon of hope, and we must always seek basic human rights protections, advocate for freedom, and pursue democracy. Sean will continue to oppose the Trump Administration’s assault on American immigrant communities.

Those who immigrate to the United States overwhelmingly do so with the idea that they will have more opportunity in this country than they do at home. Immigrants strengthen our country, and we shouldn’t shut our door to those who believe in the American dream.