Hundreds showed up at the Rockingham County Commissioners meeting on Thursday to speak out against a proposed contract with ICE to use the county jail to house immigrants detained by ICE. Meanwhile, 75 miles from Rockingham County, in Maine, ICE agents recently detained a Cumberland County Corrections recruit. They literally yanked him out of his car and left it running in the street. Incidents like this are happening all across the country as ICE terrorizes entire communities, tramples on our rights, and kills people.

People have gotten used to seeing me not just in front of the room, but in the back rows and on the picnic benches- listening, learning, and connecting with the people that many politicians walk right past without even saying hello. 

Many of these same people are now leading the charge--showing up for their neighbors in the street when Trump’s goon squads descend upon their city, testifying passionately at their county commissioners meeting to stop ICE from turning the county jail into a detention center, and lugging clothes by the bagful to keep foster kids warm through the winter.

The morning after watching Alex Pretti die, I woke up heavy with grief—the emotional hangover that follows witnessing injustice layered on top of old wounds. Then I read a public statement by Carleigh Beriont, a New Hampshire leader and congressional candidate. It was titled simply: This Is Wrong.

For the first time in a long while, I took a deep breath.

We must be clear: there will be consequences for the people who terrorize immigrant communities and trample our human rights.

I will not rest until every person and organization responsible, from the federal government to the state and local officials that collaborate with them, are held accountable. We will not forget and we cannot relent in the pursuit of truth and justice.

Congress should not approve a penny of funding for any agency, ICE, CBP, or otherwise, that violates the rights of the people. For those politicians who do vote to fund ICE, CBP, and other lawless agencies, this violence should weigh on your conscience, and you will have to answer for your complicity.

I call on everyone to stand up in our communities and demand that our local and state officials refuse to collaborate with ICE.

Can our democracy survive social media? Our democracy has survived slavery, segregation, and war. Of course, this democracy can survive social media. But whether our democracy survives social media is up to us.

That’s why I invited my fellow candidates here in NH-01 to join me for a month offline. It’s an invitation to look up from our phones and into the eyes of the people we want to represent. It’s an opportunity to connect what we’re fighting for with who we’re fighting alongside. It’s a chance to break out of this connection-starved era and build a new one where real connections and progress are possible. I hope you’ll join me.

Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community is a society grounded in justice, equal opportunity, and love for all people. It’s not merely about the absence of hatred or violence, but the presence of compassion, fairness, and respectful relationships across differences. In the Beloved Community, we work together to dismantle systems of racism, poverty, and exclusion and honor everyone's dignity.

Every month, I join faith leaders and immigration activists to sing, pray, and walk seven times around the Norris Cotton Federal Building in Manchester, where ICE has its New Hampshire office. As in the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho from the Hebrew Bible, those who walk this path each month know that the aspiring Americans we’re walking for face long odds. Still, we walk undeterred.

On Monday, I invited my fellow candidates for Congress in NH-01 to join me for a “Social Media-Free February.” Campaigning for six months without social media has given me the opportunity to slow down and connect with people throughout the district without feeling the pressure to capture and create content for the internet. Going direct to the people also offers a chance to break the stranglehold these platforms and their right-wing billionaire owners have on our political system.

I’ll be talking more about my decision and what I’ve learned at the Wolfeboro Public Library on Saturday, January 17th. Click here to signup for the event!

A recent study led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that living closer to a nuclear power plant is associated with higher cancer rates, with risk increasing with age and decreasing the farther from these plants people live. The study examined data from seven nuclear power plants located within 120km of Massachusetts zip codes, including Seabrook Station in New Hampshire. 

President Trump’s immigration policies are dangerous. 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025, and on Wednesday, an ICE agent shot a woman to death in Minneapolis. These policies and actions undermine our democracy, and they do nothing to fix our immigration system. That’s why I voted Monday to recommend a warrant article advising the Hampton Police Department against entering an immigration enforcement agreement with ICE.

"When it comes to Trump's invasion of Venezuela, his abduction of Maduro, his promise to “run” Venezuela, and his newly coined “Don-roe Doctrine,” we’re seeing nakedly imperial ambition premised on the idea that “might makes right.” It is emblematic of the very worst moments in the history of the U.S. empire, and it weakens the power and potential of democracy both here and abroad."

Term limits alone won’t address the corruption crisis plaguing American politics. We also need to restore campaign finance laws that limit the pernicious impact of big money on our political system and close the revolving door that allows former legislators to make millions lobbying their former colleagues.

Donald Trump’s attack on Venezuela does not make the United States safer and it sets a dangerous precedent for dictators and aspiring autocrats around the world. As Mark Twain wrote: "America cannot have an empire abroad and a Republic at home." 

The more I learn about Carleigh, the more I identify with her. You see, Carleigh listens she really listens, and she always makes sure to ask how other people feel about things. Carleigh knows how to serve people, in local government and here in our neighborhood. Carleigh is caring, and kind, and those adjectives are sorely lacking in our politicians. I like that she is focused on the kinds of things that matter to people like me—people who care. She cares about the climate, she cares about children and their schools and families.

If we can reshape the institutions that give shape to our activism and organizing, then we will be better equipped to build that same trust and respect with voters, not just in the next cycle, but for years to come.

Federal laws like the Clean Air Act have driven major improvements by setting tough vehicle emissions standards, encouraging cleaner technologies, and holding states accountable. Real progress depends on electing leaders who will stand up for these protections.

When I get to Washington, I will:

• fight to defend and strengthen our air quality and emissions standards,

• advocate for policies that address the public health problems stemming from air pollution,

• hold auto companies accountable,

• and keep the public informed. 

Last week, I toured a childcare facility in Rochester with its Executive Director, Cora-Lynn Hoppe, and Family Service Coordinator, Anne Grassie—wife of Rochester’s new mayor, Chuck. It was a beautiful day, and it reminded me of why I first ran for office in Hampton: without real support from our elected leaders, the everyday costs of living are harming our families and communities who need it most.