In Ohio, a bipartisan community group seeks common ground on immigration reform

Nick Schifrin:

For years, immigration has been at the forefront of the national debate, but a legislative solution remains elusive.

Judy Woodruff recently met a group of citizens trying to push for bipartisan immigration reform, even in this polarized age. It's part of her series America at a Crossroads.

Man:

We have to stop the bleeding, which means — that means securing the border.

Noha Eyada, Democratic Voter:

I believe that this country is based on immigrants and it thrives on immigrants.

Judy Woodruff:

On a recent Saturday morning, locals gathered at a community center in South Lebanon, Ohio, a small working-class city of about 6,000 residents northeast of Cincinnati, to discuss an issue that has divided families, communities, Congress and the country, and left tens of millions of people in legal limbo for decades.

Julie Castillo, Republican Voter:

My husband came from Mexico to the United States to build a better life and provide for his mom, dad and sisters in Mexico in 2003. All the unknowns put a toll on our family, like not knowing if he's coming home to us each night, fearing immigration, fearing that they're going to take him from his job site.

Scott Pell, Republican Voter:

Some of these issues that have come up on immigration in particular have really hit home for me because I'm sort of that Rust Belt area, where workers and people were getting addicted to drugs and committing suicide and things like that. And so I think that is tied to a larger issue of ignoring workers' welfare.

Judy Woodruff:

The meeting was organized by Braver Angels, a bridging group that brings together regular people from across the political divide to try to turn down the temperature on partisanship and polarization.

Frank Hoffman, Republican Voter:

I think we all, as humans, have a lot more in common than I think our media presents.

Bill Craig, Democratic Voter:

I poured out my most deeply held values around this issue and the red-leaning guy I was with said, "There's not one thing you said that I disagree with."

Judy Woodruff:

This discussion took place in the same room where Braver Angels began nine years ago, following President Trump's first election and a bitter campaign.

David Lapp, Co-Founder, Braver Angels:

The level of stereotyping and the saying, I'm not going to associate with you because of how you voted, that that seemed to be rising.

Judy Woodruff:

South Lebanon resident David Lapp co-founded Braver Angels…

David Lapp:

Linda, I'm going to start with you if that's OK.

Judy Woodruff:

… and continues to moderate sessions like these. He says growing up in an Amish community led him to think there's a better way.

David Lapp:

The Amish have a wonderful genius for trying to live at peace with one another. And so I think that there's an element of just what I grew up with, but I remember a conversation with a neighbor who voted for Trump. And he said: "I don't know if I could talk to somebody from Black Lives Matter. They just seem way too extreme."

And I just remember thinking, no, actually, I think you could.

Judy Woodruff:

A few weeks before our visit, this same group met for five hours and came to unanimous agreement on a list of values, concerns and policy solutions, things like support for a secure border, a legal pathway to residency for those with no criminal histories and treating people humanely and with dignity.

Frank Hoffman:

We have traffic signals for a reason. We have time zones for a reason. We have a tax date for a reason, but around immigration, it just seemed like four years ago, it was like, we're going to suspend all rules and you guys all figured out.

Judy Woodruff:

The point is not to agree on all issues, but to find common ground, learn to disagree in healthier ways and to try to see the people behind the labels.

Brandon Wise, Democratic Voter:

You know, sort of nominally we're balanced like red versus blue, right versus left, but then when people start to talk about their viewpoints, it became obvious that we don't really fit in those boxes like that.

David Lapp:

We have been really able to give people some tools, some skills, some ideas of how to have these conversations in constructive ways. And I think it's inspired hope among people who participate in these things.

Now, the one area where we have not made a difference is, we have greater polarization in this country than we did in 2016. We haven't cracked the code on, OK, how do you take that among just everyday people and how do you connect that to our representatives?

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH):

Most Americans, I think, would agree with this list of values.

Judy Woodruff:

That's what this meeting was all about. Congressman Greg Landsman joined this discussion to hear his constituents' perspectives and to offer his own.

Rep. Greg Landsman:

Most people have found that balance between border security and being human and treating each other decently.

Judy Woodruff:

Since 2023, Landsman has represented Ohio's first district as a Democrat, but it was previously held by a Republican. He's a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan House group dedicated to tackling key issues like immigration.

Rep. Greg Landsman:

Right now we're seeing, I think, too much chaos as it relates to going after folks who we assumed or expect to be criminals. And we're not seeing that play out in the stories or the data. So is this like the border all over again? Like, the border was so hands-off and there wasn't enough structure.

I'm watching this and I'm thinking, this sort of rounding up of people seems also sort of structure-less.

Judy Woodruff:

Following the meeting, I sat down with a few of the participants.

Do you think that meetings like this, where you bring citizens together with different views, do you think this can lead to something that makes a difference?

Linda Allen, Republican Voter:

I think it's a stepping-stone. I think that, if we can get to the right people — and it's all about their constituents too, isn't it, the pressure that your constituents put on your legislation, your politicians.

Kim Durgan, Democratic Voter:

I pray that we make this movement larger than what it is and that we can make a difference.

Rep. Greg Landsman:

In retrospect, now that it's several days later, I realized that it was very motivating.

Judy Woodruff:

A few days later, I spoke with Representative Landsman, who was joined by his Republican colleague from the Problem Solvers Caucus Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, who represents another divided district, Pennsylvania's 1st near Philadelphia.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA):

I would venture to say 80, 85 percent of Americans can agree on what the right thing to do is when it comes to immigration and border security. The challenge is getting something that reflects the will of the people through Congress. That's been the challenge.

It's been tried and failed for many, many years across multiple administrations. And where we see people get frustrated, Judy, is when there is an extreme position taken on one side of the other when it comes to this issue. That's when the public gets rightly upset.

Judy Woodruff:

Trying to understand, Congressman Fitzpatrick, I am, why it is that some members like the two of you and some of your colleagues are able to see your way to some common ground on these issues, while so many of your other colleagues are not.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick:

Yes, that's a great question.

Well, the makeup of the district and the representative go hand in hand, right? We are a reflection of our electorate. And we also have to be a reflection of our electorate. Otherwise, we wouldn't get elected. So, I think, really, it boils down to, Judy, is the districts, which is why gerrymandering is such a horrifically dangerous thing.

We need more districts like Greg and mine, not less.

Judy Woodruff:

And if that's the case, Congressman Landsman, we're seeing a lot of redistricting happening around the country. Does that mean there's going to be less common ground?

Rep. Greg Landsman:

Yes. I mean, it's terrible. And it's both parties. And I understand Democrats will say we got to fight fire with fire and then — but then the Republicans will say, well, then they just did this, so we got to do this state.

And it's just a race to the bottom. And it's terrible for our democracy. It's an affront to voters.

Judy Woodruff:

Back in Ohio, I asked some of those voters whether they think Congress will ultimately move on the issue of immigration.

Frank Hoffman:

My heart wants to say yes. My brain says no.

Judy Woodruff:

Why not?

Frank Hoffman:

Because there's 435 congresspeople. And you might have 150 or 200 that are motivated. That's not even 50 percent. That doesn't move legislation.

But I would hope that what we're seeing with the — how immigration is impacting our society, taxing our social services, our hospitals, our schools, that hopefully there's going to be some desire to face what's happening and to try to bring some resolutions for it.

Noha Eyada:

Can I add to that? I think that workshops like this and groups like this, every one of us is going to go home and talk to his family. And then it's going to get passed on from one person to the other, to a friend, to a neighbor. And this is how you start change.

Judy Woodruff:

People on both sides willing to listen, talk and work together, with clearly a lot more work to do.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Judy Woodruff in South Lebanon, Ohio.