The border crisis is quickly becoming a significant issue in the contest for the House seat in New York’s 17th District, particularly given the prior extreme left-wing stances on this matter by Dem ex-Congressman Mondaire Jones. His earlier support for lenient border policies and amnesty for criminal migrants might come back to haunt him as he seeks to unseat first-term Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a district covering parts of Westchester and Rockland counties, according to records.
While serving in Congress previously, Jones co-signed a letter advocating for the “No Border Wall Coalition,” which called for the removal of military personnel from the US-Mexico border area and demanded the dismantling of physical barriers such as razor wire. In a March 8, 2021, letter sent to President Biden and co-signed by Jones, it was stated that the continued presence of troops at the border poses a threat to “your vow to restore America’s moral and strategic standing on the international plane.
Furthermore, in a Facebook post dating back just weeks earlier, Jones criticized the US Supreme Court for permitting former President Trump to construct a wall aimed at enhancing border security, as well as impose a ban on immigration from predominantly Muslim nations. He also voted against Republican-sponsored amendments designed to deny gang members and sex offenders a pathway to citizenship – including those linked to the Tren de Aragua gang currently terrorizing New York residents.
Jones has previously denounced funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), referring to it as a “racist institution” whose agents engage in “unimaginable cruelty” along the border. In a statement he made on June 6, 2019, while first running for Congress, Jones lambasted the House of Representatives, which was controlled by Democrats at the time, for approving $1.4 billion in funding to ICE. We have got to do better as a party,” he emphasized.
On February 3, 2021, Jones, who is black, stated: “We’re just three days into #BlackHistoryMonth and ICE has already sent planes full of Black people to Cameroon and Haiti in defiance of @POTUS ’ executive order. ICE is a racist institution.
He also advocated for legislation aimed at limiting deportations and providing immigration judges with greater discretion in their proceedings, which critics argue encourages “catch and release” policies.
On his website, Jones now supports the “bipartisan” Senate border security deal, which would bolster border security and increase the number of border agents employed. However, Lawler’s campaign alleges that Jones is altering his political stance in an attempt to conceal his pro-open borders, pro-amnesty record.
Mondaire Jones was ranked as one of the most radical politicians in the entire 117th Congress because of his extreme record. Mondaire supports Sanctuary Cities and amnesty for sex offenders and gang members while opposing border wall funding,” said Chris Russell, a spokesman for Lawler’s campaign. Mondaire’s votes and rhetoric created the current mess at our border, and he’d make it even worse should he get back to Congress,” the Lawler rep added.
Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On his website, Jones criticized Lawler for opposing a proposed border deal that never made it past the House and didn’t reach a vote in the full Senate. Jones is hoping to make a comeback to Congress after two years spent out of politics. Following redistricting in 2022, Jones decided to relocate and ran for the House seat in the 10th District, which encompasses lower Manhattan and brownstone Brooklyn. He lost in the Democratic primary to now-Rep. Dan Goldman.
Jones then shifted back to the 17th District this year in an attempt to challenge Lawler, who defeated ex-Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, former chair of the House Democrats’ campaign arm.
This year’s outcome in the 17th District could play a crucial role in determining which political party will control the House of Representatives next year. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up.
