Westchester residents bridge political divide on immigration

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - While Congress remains gridlocked on immigration policy, a group of eleven Westchester residents from across the political spectrum demonstrated that meaningful dialogue—and even consensus—is possible.

On May 18, the Westchester Alliance of Braver Angels hosted a Common Ground Workshop in White Plains. Participants engaged in civil, structured conversation aimed at understanding opposing viewpoints and identifying shared values, concerns and ideas for policy changes. 

The workshop’s design included listening exercises to foster empathy, brainstorming to generate ideas from each side, and collaborative discussions to find mutually acceptable language. Through this process, participants discovered common values, shared concerns, and policy ideas. The outcome was a list of 15 areas of agreement, ranging from foundational principles to specific policy suggestions. 

The workshop is part of Braver Angels’ Citizens Commission on Immigration, which was launched after a red/blue balanced group of about 750 delegates voted to make immigration a top national priority.

According to the organization, “The goal of the Citizens Commission on Immigration is to demonstrate to Congress and the nation that Americans with differing views on immigration can find common ground.” 

The event was led by Randy Freeman of Somers, the New York State Coordinator for Braver Angels, and Sara Silver of White Plains, a co-chair of the Westchester Alliance.

More About Braver Angels

Braver Angels is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the partisan divide in the United States. The group brings together Americans from across the political spectrum-- “reds” and “blues,” as they call them—to depolarize conversations, promote mutual understanding, and rebuild civic trust. Braver Angels creates structured opportunities for respectful dialogue through workshops, debates, alliances, and citizen commissions.

Building Consensus

These local findings will now be submitted to Braver Angels’ national leadership, contributing to a broader report based on workshops held across the country. That report will be delivered to state and federal legislators and thought leaders as a demonstration that bipartisan cooperation is not only possible, but also already happening among ordinary citizens. 

In an era of increasing political division, Braver Angels and its Westchester Alliance offer a powerful example of how Americans can come together—not in spite of their differences, but because they are willing to talk about them. 

Upcoming Event 

The Westchester Alliance of Braver Angels will host its next event, a Depolarizing Ourselves Workshop, on Thursday, June 19 at the Bedford Playhouse. This workshop helps individuals identify their own internal biases and develop skills for engaging more constructively across political divides. For more information, visit www.braverangels.org or contact Randy Freeman at rfreeman@braverangels.org.  Sara Silver at saralukose5@yahoo.com , or Don Scott at dbScott@gmail.com.