Our immigration system is broken. In the face of Washington’s hyper-partisanship, I remain committed to finding a bipartisan pathway towards fixing it. I also believe in building a stronger and more effective response to the security and humanitarian situation at our southern border. And as a former federal agent, I oppose any efforts to create safe havens for violent criminals.

As a federal law enforcement officer, I worked on money laundering and narcotics cases. And as a CIA officer, I worked on counterrorism and international drug trafficking cases — so I recognize the threat posed by cartels and transnational criminal organizations. I am committed to pushing back against their influence, preventing their illicit substances — like fentanyl — from coming to America’s streets, and protecting the vulnerable populations on whom they prey.

I also believe that we must address the root causes of instability and violence in Central America that lead to illegal migration, and during my first year in Congress, the President signed into law my bipartisan legislation to combat narcotics trafficking and human smuggling networks in the region. I understand the security threats we face, and I know we can secure our borders and points of entry without breaking from American values or tearing families apart.

America is a nation founded by and strengthened by immigrants. For so many, America is still the land of opportunity – and I believe we should welcome outsiders to our soil via an earned pathway to legal status as long as they abide by the law, work hard, and pay taxes. I am also an advocate for DACA recipients, the young undocumented migrants who did not make the choice to come to America themselves.

• Cosponsored and voted to pass the Dream and Promise Act.


• Helped introduce and pass a bipartisan bill to reform the current U.S. immigration system for farmworkers and provide certainty to Virginia farmers, agribusinesses, and greenhouses.


• Introduced bipartisan legislation to combat the root causes of instability and illegal migration in Central America that was signed into law by then-President Trump.


• Voted for necessary border security reforms — including additional immigration judges, increased pay for Customs and Border Protection officers, and improved technology to detect drugs at ports of entry.


• Urged the Biden Administration to delay lifting Title 42 until a comprehensive plan is in place to address the security and humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.


• Helped lead legislation to strengthen America’s ability to stop fentanyl from coming across the southern border.


• Visited the southern border with Democrats and Republicans to see the humanitarian situation at the border firsthand.


• Cosponsored legislation to strengthen technologies that identify and intercept illicit drugs coming through America’s ports of entry.