It’s a crowded primary for the 15th Congressional District, which covers a large swath of western and central Illinois.
Republican Mary Miller, who has held the seat since 2021, has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Miller ran unopposed in the 2024 election – but that’s not the case this time.
In addition to Miller facing two Republican primary challengers, four Democrats are running in the primary for the 15th Congressional District.
All four Democratic candidates — Paul Davis, Kyle Nudo, Randy Raley, and Jennifer Todd — are from the Metro-East region.
TSPR asked the candidates why they’re running, how they can help small businesses succeed, what they think of ICE, and more.
Information about the candidates and their answers are listed below in alphabetical order.
Paul Davis
Age as of March 17, 2026: 58
Education: Bachelor of Science, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Community involvement: Practicing Veterinary Medicine in Madison County for over 33 years.
My wife Karin Crocker, DVM and I founded Davis Pet Hospital in Collinsville. We are currently a 5 veterinarian general small animal hospital. Karin and I are still Managing veterinarians in the practice. Davis Pet Hospital was recently ranked one of the top 100 animal hospitals in the nation in a USA Today poll.
Karin and I founded an endowed scholarship at the University of Illinois for Veterinary students from Southern Illinois. We donate to our local Faith in Action Chapter, our local food pantry, Got Your Six Support Dogs, Kiwanis and other local causes.
Campaign website: https://www.pauldavisforcongress.com/
Kyle Nudo
Age as of March 17, 2026: 54
Education: MFA Creative Producing (with Distinction): Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London. BFA Musical Theatre: Millikin University. AA & AS: Lewis & Clark Community College. Certificate in Arts Management – University of California, Paul Merage School of Business, Irvine CA. Certificate in Arts Management – DeVos Institute of Arts Management, University of Maryland, College Park.
Community involvement: Card-carrying member of three AFL-CIO bannered labor unions (SAG-AFTRA, AEA and AGVA)
Campaign website: https://kyleforillinois.com/
Randy Raley
Age, as of March 17, 2026: 70
Education: Graduate of the Academy of Radio and Television, Meramec St. Louis Community College.
Community involvement: Randy has received the most gratification from his work leading fundraising campaigns for Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, the Traveling Vietnam War Memorial, and Downs syndrome children's charities. He has also served as a board member of the Kirkwood, MO YMCA, is a co-founder and former board member of the St. Louis Classic Rock Preservation Society, founder and President of Planet Radio, and he served as head lector at St. Peter Catholic Church in Kirkwood, Mo.
Campaign website: https://electraley.com/
Jennifer Todd
Age as of March 17, 2026: 56
Education: ADN, Kaskaskia College, BS in Healthcare Management SIUC, and BSN SIUE
Community involvement: This is starting to grow
Campaign website: https://www.jentodd2026.us/
Why are you running?
Davis: I am running because I am very concerned about the divisions that exist in our nation and our district and the way those divisions are stoked by the current administration and the incumbent in the 15th District. I’m very concerned about the anti-science movement. I am also very concerned about the affordability crisis that many face —especially with respect to healthcare.
Nudo: I have watched with dismay as Mary Miller and her kind have violated every value I learned in my upbringing in Illinois’ 15th Congressional District.
I deeply believe in economic freedom, economic justice and economic prosperity. This means a return to a life many people living today cannot even remember: a restoration of the American Dream where a single income can provide for a family, where a world-class education is free, and debt-free college is a reality. America will truly prosper when healthcare is a human right, where healthy food, clean water, a home and a family are once again protected through affordability. Without all this, there is no freedom in America.
Add to that, I can't stand to see what's become of too many parts of my home today. Unregulated multinational consolidation means our steel plants, our meat-packing industry, our family farms are forced to wither and fade away. Life in the Heartland has become too expensive, resources to make life better have been either denied or squandered, and building either a business or a healthy, happy home has become unsustainable.
Incumbent Mary Miller has denied and cut off funding that Illinois deserves. She and her career politician husband cheat Illinois by dodging the taxes her mega farm owes to Illinois. Illinois revoked her business license in 2022 because she’s a tax cheat — she moved her business' incorporation to Delaware to avoid paying the very people she’s supposed to serve our due for her profits in Illinois. I call that immoral. I call that corruption. Miller has used her seat in Congress to triple her net worth — every day she’s working for her best interests, not the interests of Illinois voters. That’s not what I call patriotism.
In short, I've had enough. I am a proud, working-class union member rooted in Illinois farming. My organizing work has resulted in MILLIONS in new wages for working people. I’ve taken on deeply vested interests who profit on exploitation and illegal business practices. I’ve taken the blows and fought off the bosses personally to protect working families from retaliation, intimidation and harassment. I think I have something unique to offer our neighbors unlike what politicians have offered in my lifetime. It’s time we return to the needs of the working class and restore the American Dream. I've heard the call and want to do what I can to serve and make a difference.
Raley: I’m running because our current representative has not effectively served this district. For years, she refused to use federal tax dollars for local projects, even though people here pay into the system just like everyone else. As a result, many communities, and their residents, were forced to cover the cost of infrastructure and public investments that should have been federally supported. That position only changed recently, and only after a primary challenge appeared.
Too many communities were left behind because of those choices. My goal is to make sure that stops. I want to bring our fair share of federal resources back to the district and put them to work strengthening infrastructure, schools, and healthcare. I want to support family farmers and help create real opportunities so young people can build a future here instead of feeling like they have to leave.
I’m also running for my grandchildren and for future generations. I’m worried about the kind of future they’re inheriting, and I believe we have a responsibility to leave them a district and a country that is more stable, more affordable, and full of opportunity. If people can’t earn a living where they live, nothing else works.
Todd: At the time of the 2024 election, I found out that Mary Miller ran unopposed for the IL-15. I knew that it couldn’t happen again. At that time, I began my research and found that Miller had completely abandoned the district by failing to meet the needs of those she is supposed to represent.
Then, when the Budget Bill passed, and Mary Miller voted to cut BILLIONS from our healthcare and schools, while fully funding tax cuts to billionaires. I knew the path we were heading. Our rural hospitals and nursing homes will start to close due to non-payment from Medicaid and Medicare. This will devastate Central Illinois families, seniors, and our local economies by allowing the area to become healthcare and pharmacy deserts.
As our next member of Congress, I will fully fund our kids' schools. I will fully fund Medicare and Medicaid. And I will lift up our local jobs and economy
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the congressional district? How would you address that issue if reelected to office?
Davis: The biggest challenge is limited economic opportunity. This is worsened by declining population and crumbling infrastructure.
I would work initially to bring Federal funds back to the district for infrastructure improvements and broadband.
Nudo: First, I will end the neglect Illinois has suffered under Mary Miller. I have spent over 30 years fighting for ‘the little guy’ and protecting those who can’t always protect themselves. I’ve worked across 47 of our 50 states and have served as union deputy or union steward in almost every job I’ve ever had. I believe in bringing home the tax dollars we spend, I’ll make sure we restore our crumbling infrastructure and relight the engines of growth and job prosperity — and importantly, I will focus on breaking apart the monopoly control that’s destroyed American competition across our state.
I am a proud, working-class union member rooted in Illinois farming. I’m the only card-carrying member of three AFL-CIO bannered labor union — and I’m honored to be endorsed by the AFL-CIO. My organizing work has resulted in MILLIONS in new wages for working people. I’ve taken on deeply vested interests who profit on exploitation and illegal business practices. I’ve taken the blows and fought off the bosses personally to protect working families from retaliation, intimidation and harassment. I have spearheaded labor initiatives against bad faith vested interests resulting in new state legislation and millions of dollars in new wages for working people — I bring experience to protect YOU in Washington.
I was raised in Alton, Illinois. My mother, Carol Wike Nudo, a single mom, was Executive Director of Southwestern Illinois Easter Seals here in Alton, serving disabled children and families across every county south of Springfield. Mom was a force of nature — she even took on Phyllis Schlafly! Everything I am, I owe to my mother — my personal moral strength, the determination to stand up and serve people with compassion. I think I have something unique to offer our neighbors unlike what politicians have offered in my lifetime: a lifetime of service.
Raley: The biggest challenge facing the district is that many of its problems are interconnected and reinforce each other. Economic pressures, infrastructure gaps, challenges in agriculture, limited healthcare access, and the loss of young people are not separate issues. They feed into one another.
When jobs disappear or wages stagnate, it becomes harder for communities to sustain schools, hospitals, and local businesses. When roads, broadband, and public facilities fall behind, it’s harder to attract employers or keep workers. Agriculture, which is central to much of the district, is under pressure from rising costs, volatile markets, and consolidation, and those stresses ripple through local economies.
Healthcare access is another piece of the puzzle. When rural hospitals and clinics struggle or close, people have to travel farther for care, which affects quality of life and makes it harder to attract families and employers. All of this contributes to young people leaving, shrinking the workforce and tax base and making every other challenge harder to solve.
The first step is treating these challenges as connected, because they are. You can’t fix the economy without addressing infrastructure, healthcare, and agriculture at the same time.
I would focus on bringing federal investment back to the district to rebuild roads, expand broadband, and modernize public facilities. Strong infrastructure helps businesses operate, workers commute, and students learn locally, while making the region more competitive for new investment.
Supporting agriculture is essential. Family farmers rely on infrastructure, broadband, and fair markets, and when they’re under pressure, surrounding communities feel it. Policies that stabilize farm income and reduce costs help entire local economies.
Healthcare has to be part of the solution as well. Keeping rural hospitals and clinics open and staffed supports workers, families, and employers. When people can access care close to home, they are more likely to stay and build their lives here.
When communities have jobs, infrastructure, healthcare, and a sense of stability, young people are more likely to stay. Addressing these issues together is how we move forward with growth, instead of managing decline.
Todd: The primary issues facing the district include:
· Protecting Family Farms and Agriculture
· Infrastructure and the Digital Divide
· Economic Decline, inflation, and affordability
· Healthcare Access
What would you like to do to help small businesses succeed?
Davis: I would advocate for targeted grants and low interest loans.
I would also seek to invest in vocational training and community college programs targeting local industries. So that younger residents could be equipped with skills needed for emerging jobs. Encouraging them to remain in the district.
Nudo: I believe helping small businesses succeed starts with taking huge, structural costs off their backs while strengthening the people who actually make those businesses run. Adopting single-payer healthcare would be one of the biggest small-business wins imaginable. Right now, small employers are forced to navigate expensive, complex insurance markets that large corporations can absorb but mom-and-pop shops cannot. A universal, publicly funded healthcare system would free small businesses from unpredictable premiums, level the playing field with big firms, and give workers healthcare that isn’t tied to staying in a bad job. That’s good for entrepreneurship and worker mobility.
Access to capital is the other major pillar. Small businesses — especially union-friendly shops, worker cooperatives, and businesses owned by women and people of color — are often locked out of affordable credit. The federal government can expand public banking, strengthen SBA lending, and support community development financial institutions that prioritize long-term stability over short-term extraction. Capital should help businesses grow sustainably, not trap them in debt to predatory lenders.
Being pro-union is also part of helping small businesses succeed in the long run. Unions raise wages, reduce turnover, improve training, and create more stable workplaces… all of which lower hidden costs for employers. The government should protect the right to organize, encourage sectoral bargaining, and support labor-management partnerships so small businesses aren’t forced into a race to the bottom just to survive.
Finally, fair competition matters. Enforcing antitrust laws, enforcing wage theft, cracking down on monopolies, and stopping dominant corporations from undercutting small businesses with unfair pricing or control over supply chains would give local businesses room to breathe.
Raley: Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but federal policy too often treats them the same as massive corporations. That puts small employers at a disadvantage.
The issue I hear about most often is payroll taxes. I support a progressive payroll tax that lowers the employer rate on the first portion of wages, keeps the current rate for mid-range payrolls, and applies a higher rate to the largest payrolls. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees would also receive a significant FICA tax credit on the first $50,000 of wages per employee, with added incentives for wellness and preventive care. This helps small businesses grow while strengthening Social Security over the long term.
I also believe that moving to a single-payer healthcare system would help businesses of all sizes, especially small businesses. Employers shouldn’t have to worry about navigating health insurance for themselves or their employees. Taking healthcare off the backs of employers would lower costs, simplify operations, and make it easier to start and grow a business.
Small businesses depend on strong infrastructure and broadband, and many are increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. Federal grants can help with modernization and digital security. Regulatory compliance should be simpler for businesses below certain size thresholds, with streamlined reporting and easier access through consolidated federal portals. Hiring credits and incentives for training and apprenticeships can support job creation and wage growth.
Fair access to federal contracts and strong antitrust enforcement are critical so small businesses can compete and thrive.
Todd: My plan to support our district's small business owners includes:
· Permanent Tax Relief and Stability: I support efforts to make tax relief permanent for small businesses, including opposing job and service taxes that create financial strain. Protecting the Small Business Deduction is critical to avoid a massive tax hike on Main Street.
· Cutting Burdensome Regulations: Reducing "red tape" and federal overreach is essential for rural businesses. I will advocate for reviewing and sunsetting outdated licensing requirements that act as barriers for entrepreneurs trying to start or grow a business.
· Strengthening Rural Infrastructure: Closing the digital divide by expanding affordable, reliable high-speed internet is a top priority to ensure our rural small businesses can compete in a modern economy.
· Access to Affordable Capital: I will work to expand access to capital for underserved and rural entrepreneurs, ensuring that community banks remain a strong source of funding. This includes supporting programs like the USDA Rural Business Development Grants.
· Workforce Development: Addressing the hiring crisis in rural communities is vital. I will support legislation that removes barriers to worker entry and promotes apprenticeship pathways for high-demand occupations in growing industries.
· Addressing High Costs: I will focus on policies that lower the cost of healthcare and energy, which remain the top chronic concerns for small business owners. This includes promoting transparency in insurance rates and expanding clean energy production to lower utility costs.
By focusing on these areas, we can ensure that the 15th District remains a place where small businesses can not only survive but thrive.
What can the federal government do to reduce costs for farmers?
Davis: Increase funding for direct payments and crop insurance.
Invest in agricultural research and technology that could lead to more efficient practices and decreased input costs.
Bringing federal funds back to the district for infrastructure improvements which would reduce logistical challenges and facilitate better access to markets.
Nudo: The federal government can do a lot more to reduce costs for farmers, especially if we are willing to stand up to concentrated corporate power instead of catering to it.
One of the biggest cost drivers right now is the chokehold that agrochemical and ag-biotech companies maintain through bad-faith “proprietary” licensing deals and aggressive patent enforcement. Farmers are forced to pay ever-higher prices for seeds and inputs, locked into restrictive contracts that ban seed saving, limit repair, and punish independent research. These practices don’t reward innovation so much as extract crippling rent from family farmers who have no real alternatives. The federal government should rein in these abuses by strengthening antitrust enforcement, reforming patent law to prevent evergreen monopolies, and protecting farmers’ rights to save seed, repair equipment, and participate in open, competitive markets. If I am lucky enough to earn the trust of Illinoisans, a top personal mission of mine is to become the sharpest thorn in Monsanto-Bayer’s side. Count on that.
Beyond this, the government can reduce costs by investing in public plant breeding, heirloom seeds and agricultural research so farmers aren’t dependent on a handful of corporations for genetics. Expanding support for regional processing, storage, and transportation infrastructure would also lower input and logistics costs, especially for smaller and mid-sized farms. Stronger enforcement of fair competition rules in meatpacking, grain handling, and input markets would help ensure farmers get fair prices instead of being squeezed on both ends.
Finally, smart risk management matters. Stable crop insurance, conservation programs that actually pay farmers for stewardship, and affordable credit through institutions like USDA and the Farm Credit System can reduce volatility and prevent one bad year from becoming a financial catastrophe. Reducing farmers’ costs isn’t about subsidies alone: it’s about restoring fairness, competition, and bargaining power in an agricultural system that’s been tilted against family farmers for far too long. Decades and generations too long, I can tell you. My family has LIVED this sad truth. My namesake, my grandfather, Kyle Wike, was a chemist for Wayne Feeds and Allied Mills throughout his life and I have something of a family mission to unwind the bad faith deals forced on our family farms.
Raley: Farmers are facing high and unpredictable costs, and the federal government can help bring those down. That starts with reducing the cost of key inputs like fuel and fertilizer by supporting domestic production and stabilizing supply chains. Enforcing right-to-repair rules would also save farmers money by allowing them to maintain and fix their own equipment.
Stronger, simpler crop insurance and faster disaster assistance can provide stability when weather, markets, or supply chains turn against farmers. Fixing the broken H-2A labor system and supporting responsible mechanization can reduce uncertainty and help farms keep operating.
Investing in rural infrastructure matters too. Better roads, rail, waterways, and broadband lower transportation costs and allow farmers to use modern technology more efficiently. Grants and tax credits for energy efficiency, renewable power, and conservation practices can cut long-term expenses while protecting land and water.
Finally, farmers need fair markets. Strong antitrust enforcement can push back against consolidation in seed, fertilizer, meatpacking, and equipment industries so farmers are not paying more while earning less. Expanding federal procurement and local food programs helps keep food dollars circulating in rural communities.
Todd: As our next member of Congress, I will fight for financial assistance to offset inflation and trade-related losses, lower long-term operating expenses through green energy investments, and rein in the power of "Big Ag" to ensure fair competition for small and mid-sized producers.
Direct Financial Assistance and Relief
Farmer and Family Relief Act
· Prioritize underserved producers: Target specialty crop growers, sugar beet producers, and foresters who were largely left out of other federal aid packages.
· Provide one-time payments: Deliver relief to row crop producers based on 100% of farm acres, including prevented plantings, to stabilize rural economies.
Protecting the Farm Safety Net: Maintaining robust crop insurance and disaster relief programs that help farms stay afloat during financial downturns and severe weather without "picking winners and losers".
Lowering Long-term Operating Costs
Clean Energy and Efficiency
· Directly reduce utility bills: Lower energy costs for small and mid-sized agricultural operations.
· Modernize infrastructure: Help rural electric cooperatives upgrade to lower-cost, carbon-free energy sources.
Precision Agriculture: Providing incentives and technical assistance for "precision ag" tools that help farmers use less fertilizer and pesticides, potentially saving significant amounts per acre while reducing environmental impact.
Promoting Competition and Fairness
· Antitrust Enforcement: a "whole-of-government" approach to crack down on unfair mergers and price-gouging by large corporations that control the markets for seeds, fertilizer, and equipment.
· Rolling Back Tariffs: Roll back trade barriers that have driven up the cost of farm inputs like fertilizer and equipment.
· Support for New and Local Farmers: Doubling funding to provide the technical assistance and capital needed for the next generation of farmers to start and sustain affordable operations.
Investing in Rural Infrastructure
· Closing the Digital Divide: Investing billions to expand affordable, reliable high-speed internet to ensure rural farms can utilize modern, cost-saving technologies and access global markets.
· Infrastructure Improvements: Allocating record levels of funding for rural roads, bridges, and water systems to reduce the cost of transporting goods and maintaining farm facilities.
What do you think of the tariffs the Trump administration imposed on China and other major trading partners?
Davis: I believe that the tariffs have cost farmers in our district too many markets around the world to be considered anything but a net negative. Many of these markets may be lost forever or at least take years to get back.
Nudo: The tariffs the Trump administration imposed were a missed opportunity wrapped in unnecessary harm. There are real issues with China and other trading partners: labor exploitation, weak environmental standards, and unfair trade practices. We see these same problems here domestically, to be frank. But tariffs were rolled out in a chaotic, unilateral way that ignored both economic reality and human impact.
I grew up working my grandfather’s farm in Pike County. As someone who is rooted in Illinois’ grain farming, and mindful of soybean farmers, it makes the incompetence and failure especially clear. Farmers became frontline casualties in a trade war they didn’t start and couldn’t control. When China retaliated, soybean exports collapsed, prices tanked, and rural communities paid the price. The administration’s answer — ad hoc bailout checks —isn’t a serious plan. It amounted to using taxpayer money to paper over damage caused by bad policy, rather than providing farmers with stable markets and long-term security. What’s worse, the Chinese market may be gone forever. And our farmers will once again suffer the price.
My approach would have looked very different: coordinating with allies, targeting enforcement narrowly, and pairing trade pressure with strong domestic investment in farmers and rural economies. Trade policy should support working people - including farmers - not turn them into leverage chips in political theatrics. Tariffs can be a tool, but without strategy, accountability, and care for those most affected, they end up hurting the very communities that depend on fair and predictable trade to survive.
Raley: The tariffs were aimed at real problems. Unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft, and heavy subsidies by China and other countries have hurt American workers, manufacturers, and farmers for years. Those concerns are legitimate, and the U.S. should enforce trade rules and protect critical industries.
The problem is that the tariffs were applied too broadly and bluntly. Many of the costs were passed on to American businesses, farmers, and consumers through higher prices. Farmers were hit especially hard when retaliatory tariffs closed off export markets, forcing the federal government to step in with emergency aid just to keep farms afloat. Small businesses and manufacturers that rely on imported components also saw costs rise without the same level of support.
Trade policy needs to be targeted and strategic. Working with allies, strengthening supply chains, and pairing trade enforcement with domestic investment does more to protect American jobs than tariff wars.
Todd: As a Democratic candidate for the 15th Congressional District, I view the Trump administration's tariffs as a "reckless scheme" that has made everyday life more expensive for Illinois families.
My stance on the administration's trade policy is rooted in the following concerns:
· Increased Costs for Families: I support the recent efforts by Illinois House Democrats to condemn these tariffs, which have acted as a hidden tax, raising prices at the grocery store and for essential household goods.
· Impact on Rural Affordability: The "totality of Trump's policies" has weakened the administrative state and created economic instability. I believe the federal government should instead focus on direct relief, such as the proposed $2,000 payments to households earning under $250,000 to offset losses from the tariff scheme.
· Trade Policy with Purpose: While trade policy can be used to promote clean energy and empower workers, the problem with the current administration's approach is its broad scope, which fails to distinguish between clean and dirty energy.
· Retaliatory Damage to Agriculture: Tariffs often "compound the damage done" to our local economy, as trade partners frequently retaliate against the very agricultural products our district depends on. If elected, I will join my colleagues in demanding that the U.S. Treasury and Congress hold the administration accountable for these "lawless and out-of-touch" economic policies that prioritize political stunts over the affordability of American life.
What could the federal government do to make higher education more affordable?
Davis: 1. Increase funding for need based financial aid like Pell Grants. 2. Increase the availability of low-interest student loans. 3. Expand loan forgiveness programs for post graduate employment in underserved communities. 4. Invest in community colleges and vocational training programs.
Nudo: We deserve a public education system that treats every American’s education as a public good and understands that education is the foundation of our national infrastructure. I believe the path to true American exceptionalism will be in front of us when we as a people recognize that America deserves to be the #1 best in the world in education. A world-class education should be free, and debt-free college should be a reality. This isn’t difficult, or even expensive. Pay for schooling through 12th grade, through college, through graduate school, through post-graduate school. If you’re someone who wants to learn a trade? We should pay for that. If you’re in need of re-training or decide to change careers, or if you’re re-entering the workforce years later — the public school system should support all of those potentials, because we ALL benefit from a well-educated society that doesn’t enter the workforce or stumble along through life with crippling education debt. Frankly, we’re already smart enough to know this. Imagine the problems we could solve as a nation, when our education is tended and cared for throughout our entire lives.
Raley: The federal government can make higher education more affordable by lowering upfront costs, reducing student debt, holding institutions accountable, and using technology responsibly.
Tuition pressures can be eased by expanding and indexing Pell Grants and rebuilding state-federal partnerships that encourage reinvestment in public colleges and universities. Tuition-free or debt-free pathways at community colleges and public institutions can provide affordable entry points to degrees and credentials.
Student debt relief should also be tied to public service needs. In addition to lowering interest rates, allowing refinancing, and simplifying income-driven repayment, I support loan forgiveness for teachers, nurses, and other community-service occupations who commit to spending three to five years working in a rural community. This approach reduces debt while strengthening essential services where they’re needed most.
Colleges must be held accountable for both cost and outcomes, with transparency around tuition, graduation rates, and job placement. Artificial intelligence can help lower costs if used carefully, particularly in administration, advising, and reducing textbook expenses, but it must support education rather than undermine it.
Federal investment should also strengthen community colleges, technical schools, apprenticeships, and healthcare training pipelines. College should open doors, not create lifelong debt.
Todd: The federal government should focus on reducing the financial burden of higher education through a combination of increased grants, loan reforms, and systemic changes to lower tuition costs.
· Expanding Pell Grants: Doubling or significantly increasing the maximum Pell Grant award to help low- and middle-income students cover a larger share of their tuition and living expenses. Student Loan Reform: Income-Driven Repayment: Strengthening plans that cap monthly payments at a small percentage of a borrower's discretionary income and ensuring that on-time payments prevent interest from ballooning.
· Community College and Vocational Training: Supporting "free community college" initiatives or expanding federal aid to include non-traditional career and technical education programs to provide affordable alternatives to four-year degrees.
· Institutional Accountability: Holding colleges and universities accountable for student outcomes through risk-sharing models, where schools would be financially responsible if their graduates are consistently unable to repay their loans.
· Investing in Public Institutions: Increasing federal funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions to ensure they remain affordable hubs for diverse student populations.
· Closing the Digital Divide: Ensuring that all students have access to the affordable, high-speed internet necessary to participate in modern higher education.
What are your views on federal immigration enforcement tactics, and what changes, if any, do you think should Congress consider?
Davis: I think the current federal immigration enforcement tactics are an inhumane disaster for both undocumented immigrants and United States citizens.
While I do believe that we need comprehensive immigration reform, I think we need to reimagine/reinvent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It may require starting from scratch organizationally.
Ultimately investing the some of the money that we currently spend on ICE to hire more immigration judges and lawyers to speed up the asylum process.
Nudo: It’s clear that federal immigration enforcement has drifted far from its stated mission and too often operates in ways that are ineffective, cruel, and corrosive to civil rights. Agencies like ICE have demonstrated a pattern of incompetence; wasting tax-payer resources on chaotic raids and sloppy investigations while also fostering a culture that appears openly hostile to immigrants and communities of color, and to anyone who dares disagree or demand accountability. When enforcement is driven by fear, spectacle, and dehumanization rather than evidence and due process, it doesn’t make anyone safer; it undermines trust in government and the rule of law itself.
Congress should take a hard look at this failure and pursue serious structural change. That starts with strict oversight, enforceable standards, and real consequences. Leadership that has overseen or encouraged systemic abuses should face impeachment and, where the law supports it, criminal accountability. Individual agents who violate people’s constitutional and civil rights should be investigated, charged, and convicted when warranted just like anyone else who abuses state power.
Beyond accountability, Congress should shift resources away from punitive enforcement toward humane, effective alternatives: modernizing the asylum system, expanding legal pathways to status, investing in case management instead of detention, and clearly separating local communities from federal immigration dragnet tactics. Immigration policy should be grounded in human dignity, equal protection under the law, an understanding of the root causes of migration and basic competence. Until Congress confronts the ineptitude and animus embedded in current enforcement practices, the system will remain both unjust and broken.
Raley: Current enforcement practices are unlawful. Immigrants are being targeted not based on criminal conduct, but on the color of their skin or the language they speak. The Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem decision effectively legalized racial profiling, which runs directly counter to constitutional protections.
The Constitution requires probable cause and a judicial warrant, not an administrative one, and those basic requirements are routinely ignored. Militarized enforcement does not belong on the streets of American cities, and reports raise serious questions about training, vetting, and accountability.
ICE and Border Patrol agents should be required to clearly identify themselves, wear body cameras, present valid judicial warrants, and focus on de-escalation. Enforcement should target individuals who pose a genuine danger to the community, not indiscriminate actions based on appearance, language, or the targeting of peaceful protesters.
Finally, no agency should be responsible for investigating its own misconduct. Independent oversight is essential to accountability and the rule of law.
Todd: The current federal immigration enforcement tactics under the Trump administration are viewed as "unleashed without guardrails" and a threat to both public safety and constitutional rights. The recent fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis have intensified these concerns, leading to a unified demand for systemic reforms as a condition for further agency funding.
As a new member of Congress, the following "common-sense" legislative changes are being prioritized to restore accountability and order:
1. Mandatory Transparency and Identification
· End "Masked" Operations: Prohibit agents from wearing face-covering masks that conceal their identity during public enforcement actions.
· Mandate Identification: Require all federal agents to wear uniforms that clearly identify their agency and display a visible badge number or personal identifier.
· Body-Worn Cameras: Mandate the use of body-worn and vehicle dashboard cameras during all enforcement operations to ensure a transparent record of encounters.
2. Operational Guardrails and Local Coordination
· End "Roving Patrols": Require federal agents to obtain warrants for most patrols and prohibit them from entering private homes or vehicles without a clear legal basis.
· Mandatory Local Coordination: Require ICE to coordinate and share information with state and local law enforcement before conducting operations within their jurisdictions.
· Protect Sensitive Locations: Explicitly prohibit enforcement actions at locations like schools, hospitals, places of worship, and courthouses.
3. Professional Standards and Accountability
· Uniform Code of Conduct: Establish a statutory code of conduct for federal agents, enforced by independent oversight bodies, to ensure they are held to the same standards as state and local police.
· Enhanced Training: Mandate rigorous training in de-escalation, constitutional search and seizure, and appropriate conduct during public protests.
· Investigate Use of Force: Empower the DHS Inspector General to deploy criminal investigators to review all major use-of-force incidents that have occurred since early 2025.
4. Policy and Funding Reforms
· Eliminate Arrest Quotas: Terminate arbitrary arrest quotas (currently around 3,000 per day), which Democrats argue drive agents to target law-abiding residents rather than dangerous criminals.
· Reporting Requirements: Require monthly public reports on detailed arrest data, including locations, the citizenship status of those detained, and outcomes of asylum claims.
· Budgetary Limits: Block "blank check" funding for ICE detention and removal operations until these meaningful guardrails are enacted into law. These reforms aim to move immigration enforcement away from "shock and awe" tactics toward a system that is professional, lawful, and accountable to the American people.
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