Hakeem Jeffries — Democrat Candidate for U.S. House in New York, 2026

Hakeem Jeffries advocates for significant reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He calls for an independent investigation into DHS actions, a ban on the deportation of American citizens, and improved warrant procedures. Jeffries emphasizes that taxpayer funds should not be used to target law-abiding immigrant families or brutalize American citizens, citing the need to protect constitutional rights.

“LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, listen, I think clearly significant reform needs to take place as it relates to the manner in which ICE is conducting itself. ICE is using taxpayer dollars to brutalize American citizens and to unnecessarily and viciously target law abiding immigrant families and communities. [...] So certainly we need massive reform to the way in which ICE and the Department of Homeland Security are currently conducting themselves. - Hakeem Jeffries, on MS NOW, January 14, 2026”

Hakeem Jeffries strongly supports extending Affordable Care Act tax credits to lower healthcare costs and fix the healthcare system. He led a bipartisan discharge petition that resulted in a House vote to extend these subsidies, aiming to prevent dramatically increased premiums, copays, and deductibles for millions of Americans. He urged a "yes" vote on this legislation, emphasizing his commitment to protecting healthcare.

“I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in strong support of this bipartisan effort to protect the healthcare of the American people and ensure that we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits to make sure that tens of millions of Americans do not experience dramatically increased premiums, copays and deductibles. - Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Floor, January 8, 2026.”

Hakeem Jeffries demonstrates a strong record of supporting environmental protections, as evidenced by his 97% lifetime score and 100% score in 2025 from the League of Conservation Voters. He consistently votes against legislation that aims to weaken environmental safeguards, such as the "Homeowner Energy Freedom Act" and the "Don't Mess With My Home Appliances Act" in 2026. He also voted against measures that would limit environmental review or defund energy efficiency programs.

Hakeem Jeffries supports reproductive rights, affirming that individuals should have the freedom to make their own health care decisions. He views the overturning of Roe v. Wade as an assault on freedom and the Constitution, citing the need to protect access to reproductive health care. He has condemned proposals that he describes as attacking abortion coverage and supported House-passed legislation aimed at protecting abortion access nationwide.

““The decision by the runaway, radical, right wing Supreme Court majority to take away the long-held right to have an abortion is an assault on freedom, the Constitution and the values shared by a majority of Americans. House Democrats have acted to stop this Republican scheme and protect the freedom to access reproductive health care because we trust the American people and their doctors to make the best family decision.” — Hakeem Jeffries, jeffries.house.gov, after Roe v. Wade was overturned (2022)”

Hakeem Jeffries has voiced opposition to President Trump's handling of war powers concerning Iran, indicating a desire for congressional oversight in military actions. He also criticized the Department of Defense's potential use of artificial intelligence for mass surveillance of American citizens, asserting that such actions represent a significant invasion of privacy.

“Donald Trump and the Department of Defense want to use powerful artificial intelligence technology to spy on American citizens through mass surveillance. Anthropic, a leading American company, has courageously pushed back against this shocking invasion of privacy scheme. In response, Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth, the […] - Hakeem Jeffries, statement on jeffries.house.gov”

Hakeem Jeffries emphasizes education reform and values a first-rate education, stating that every student must have the opportunity to excel in the classroom for America to compete globally. He views a good education for children as integral to the American dream.

Hakeem Jeffries advocates for policies to reduce gun violence, including closing background check loopholes, banning assault weapons, and funding community violence intervention programs. He supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which included enhanced background checks for those under 21, and also voted to support the Protecting Our Kids Act and H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. He states that addressing gun violence is a high priority for his caucus to keep Americans safe.

“We know there are commonsense solutions to stop the gun violence and keep the American people safe. We can start by closing the gun background loophole that allows dangerous people to buy firearms without background checks. We need to ban assault weapons in the United States of America to prevent these weapons of war from continuing to destroy the lives of everyday Americans. - Hakeem Jeffries (Source: moderatepoliticians.com, January 4, 2026)”