Immigration Records Reveal Divide in Long Island Delegation

Long Island’s four members of Congress have received sharply different immigration grades from NumbersUSA, a nonprofit organization that advocates reducing both legal and illegal immigration and evaluates lawmakers based on their votes, bill sponsorships and cosponsorships on immigration legislation.

The group’s scorecards, updated July 27, gave Rep. Andrew Garbarino the highest grade among Long Island’s delegation with a B- (66%), followed by Rep. Nick LaLota with a D+ (35%). Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen each received failing grades, earning F (7%) and F (9%), respectively.

Statewide, NumbersUSA gave New York’s congressional delegation an average grade of F.

According to NumbersUSA, immigration legislation is scored based on how effectively it reduces illegal immigration and lowers legal immigration levels, with its “Great Solutions” category carrying double weight in the overall calculation. The grades are updated weekly based on lawmakers’ votes, bill sponsorships and cosponsorships.

The difference between Garbarino’s and LaLota’s grades is particularly notable because both Republicans have built their congressional records around border security and immigration enforcement.

Garbarino, who represents New York’s 2nd Congressional District and serves as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, received perfect A+ scores in several key enforcement categories, including stopping amnesty, reducing illegal immigration incentives, securing the border and strengthening interior immigration enforcement. His overall B- reflects strong alignment with NumbersUSA’s immigration priorities while falling short in several categories involving broader reforms and legal immigration policy.

LaLota, who represents the 1st CD, also earned high marks in several enforcement categories, receiving A+ grades for reducing illegal immigration incentives and securing the border, along with a B+ for interior immigration enforcement. His overall score, however, was lowered by an F- in the “Stop Amnesty” category.

A key distinction between the two Republicans is LaLota’s cosponsorship of the bipartisan Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream (DIGNIDAD) Act. The legislation would combine enhanced border security with a conditional pathway to legal status for certain undocumented immigrants already living in the United States who meet eligibility requirements. The bill has not reached the House floor for a vote; Garbarino is not a cosponsor.

The Democratic members of Long Island’s delegation received the lowest overall scores.

Suozzi, who represents the 3rd Congressional District, earned an F (7%). A cosponsor of the DIGNIDAD Act, he received failing marks in most of the categories measured by NumbersUSA, although he received a C for interior immigration enforcement.

Gillen, who represents the 4th, received an F (9%). Like Suozzi, she earned failing grades in most categories evaluated by the organization, while receiving a D for border security and a C for interior immigration enforcement.

The Long Island grades stand in sharp contrast to those of Rep. Andy Biggs, for example, an Arizona Republican representing the state’s 5th Congressional District and a candidate for governor, who received a perfect 100% (A+) score. Biggs represents a border state that experienced a surge in illegal crossings during the Biden administration and has made immigration enforcement a central focus of his political career.

While the scorecards reflect NumbersUSA’s policy priorities, they provide a detailed comparison of lawmakers’ records across a broad range of immigration issues, including border security, interior enforcement, legal immigration, visa programs and proposals offering pathways to legal status. For Long Island’s delegation, the grades highlight not only the partisan divide over immigration policy, but also significant differences between lawmakers within the same party.