As Cornell alumna Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg urged all of us, “Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” Since joining the Cornell Center on Democracy as a Democracy Fellow and undergraduate research assistant, I have seen how ordinary citizens, researchers, and policy experts harness open dialogue to bridge partisan divides and advance meaningful change.
My work with the Center’s non-resident fellow Diego Sánchez, who serves as the VP of Policy and Strategy at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, has specifically illuminated this. Our research focuses on compiling and synthesizing qualitative data from 45 Braver Angels Common Ground Workshops on Immigration, which were held between October 2024 and June 2026. Braver Angels, a national organization founded to address political polarization, launched the Citizens Commission on Immigration to show Congress and the nation that Americans across the ideological spectrum can transcend partisan lines on one of the most contentious issues of our time. The Commission brings together Red- and Blue-leaning individuals in five-hour workshops to find common ground by establishing unanimous points of agreement. By systematically analyzing these grassroots deliberations, our research documents how constituent voices directly inform discussions with Members of Congress and national policy leaders, laying the foundation for a landmark Braver Angels Report to the Nation. Ultimately, the Report will be distributed to congressional offices across Capitol Hill in 2027, presenting lawmakers with a mosaic of constituents’ and national leaders’ priorities on immigration policy.
My research with the Center truly came to life when I traveled to Washington, D.C. on October 26 to observe one of Braver Angels’ quarterly National Leaders Roundtables. Held at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation near Dupont Circle, this convening brought together 24 national immigration policy leaders across the ideological spectrum. Participants were split into small working groups and tasked with drafting policy remedies that achieved unanimous internal consensus, and that they believed the broader assembly would also support. These smaller groups then reconvened to negotiate which proposals would remain in the group’s final policy package.
Consensus did not occur instantaneously. Yet with each passing hour, I watched leaders steadily find common ground on complex issues ranging from the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program to E-Verify. While these conversations were challenging, the combination of skilled moderation and an equal platform for every voice catalyzed progress.
I was amazed by the strides the leaders were able to make during the meeting. However, it was during the evening reception and dinner where I truly began to understand why they succeeded earlier in the day. As laughter filled the room, leaders, who had debated heatedly hours earlier, came together over dinner, asking about one another and checking in on their families.
At that moment, I realized that finding common ground is truly built on human connection and mutual trust. All of the leaders in that room, regardless of their political differences, had established a foundation of respect. They recognized that everyone held a distinct perspective on immigration, coming from vastly different walks of life. Despite this, leaders were united in their goal of creating a meaningful impact.
Braver Angels’ National Leaders Roundtable demonstrated to me the crucial importance of diverse political discourse, and that respectful disagreement is itself a sign of progress. This experience has taught me that human connection remains our most universal vehicle for creating change and a powerful way to “lead others to join you."
