I’ve spent my life around politics, and I’ve learned that it’s easy to judge a leader by a single headline. It’s much harder, and far more meaningful to look at their entire record, the choices they’ve made over time and the values that guided them when it truly mattered.

That’s why I feel compelled to speak up about Tom Suozzi.

Long before immigration became a national wedge issue, before cable news shouting matches and social media outrage dominated the conversation, Tom Suozzi was doing the work. Quietly. Consistently. He acted because he believed in what was right and what actually made communities stronger. He followed his conscience.

Tom was just 31 when he was elected mayor of Glen Cove. In the 1990s, long before immigration was a political talking point or a cable news obsession, he helped create the first hiring site for immigrant workers on the East Coast. It wasn’t just about connecting people to jobs. While workers waited for employment, they were offered English classes, citizenship preparation, and access to support services that helped them navigate life in a new country.

The message was simple and powerful: we want you to succeed here.

No one talked about the “Latino vote” back then. It happened because Suozzi believed, and still believes, that integration strengthens communities, that dignity matters, and that when people are treated with respect, the entire community benefits. Those values weren’t rhetorical. They were embedded in real policies that improved lives.

When Suozzi became Nassau County executive, those same principles guided his leadership. He has always believed in strong, professional law enforcement. But he also understood that real public safety depends on trust. When communities are afraid of the police, crimes go unreported. Witnesses disappear. Victims stay silent. And we are all less safe as a result.

That’s why his administration made clear that Nassau County police would focus on local public safety, not federal immigration enforcement. This was about protecting the integrity of policing and ensuring that officers could do their jobs effectively, without turning neighbors into targets or undermining cooperation between police and the people they serve. It was about making sure victims of crime felt safe enough to seek help, regardless of where they were born.

The results were real. Victims of real crimes were more willing to come forward. Officers could focus on stopping violence and keeping neighborhoods safe. Trust was preserved, and Nassau County was stronger because of it.

At the same time, while Suozzi was county executive, just next door, in Suffolk County, inflammatory rhetoric and aggressive enforcement were tearing at the fabric of communities. That atmosphere of fear and dehumanization didn’t exist in isolation. It contributed to the climate that led to the murder of Marcelo Lucero, a heartbreaking reminder that words and policies have consequences far beyond politics.

Suozzi chose a different path, one rooted in safety, accountability and humanity. And his commitment to inclusion wasn’t symbolic. It was structural.

When he became county executive, the county had never elected a Hispanic legislator. Suozzi didn’t just talk about representation; he helped make it happen. I know, because he helped me get elected as the first Hispanic legislator in county history. He understood that government should look like the people it serves, and he took concrete steps to make that a reality.

Today, he serves in Congress, where immigration policy is shaped by federal realities and national challenges. He has made real immigration reform a priority, understanding that lasting solutions require serious governing, not slogans, not fear-mongering and not political theater. He has been clear: The border should be secure, and violent criminals should be deported. But immigrants who have lived here for decades, worked hard, paid taxes and raised families deserve a legal path forward, not to be targeted, treated inhumanely or used as political props.

I’ve seen Tom Suozzi lead when it was hard. I’ve seen him take risks when others stayed silent. And I’ve seen him stand with immigrant communities throughout his career, not just when it was convenient.

No person, and no politician, is perfect. But Suozzi has always put himself on the front lines, never shied away from a fight, and never walked away from the people he serves.

That’s the part of his record people should be talking about.

Dave Mejias, an attorney in Glen Cove, served in the Nassau County Legislature from 2004 to 2009.