The Federation for American Immigration Reform Launches New Immigration Council

Top National Experts to Help Advance 'Critical Mission'

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is pleased to announce the formation of its new advisory Immigration Council.

FAIR's Immigration Council is a prestigious group of respected and highly accomplished thought leaders who seek reform of America's immigration policy. Members come from a variety of careers and public service backgrounds that include business, finance, government, higher education, and law.

FAIR is humbled and honored to welcome Bob Dane (who serves as Chair of the Council), Dr. Marek Jan Chodakiewicz, Art Del Cueto, the Honorable Steven G. Erwood, Dr. Emilio T. Gonzalez, Sheriff Tom Hodgson (Ret.), Douglas Kent, John Ladd, Sheriff Mark Lamb (Ret.), the Honorable Mark A. Morgan, Randall Pullen, Dr. Carol M. Swain, Mark S. Venezia, Esq., and Ronald W. Woodard as the founding members of its new Immigration Council.

FAIR stands as America's foremost guardian of national sovereignty, the rule of law, and the interests of the American people on the existential issue of immigration policy. To fulfill our mission, FAIR is charting a bold course built on four powerful pillars: Litigation, Legislation, Investigation, and Education. Through these pillars, we are leading the charge to ensure that immigration policy serves the national interest—not corporate greed, not lawless bureaucrats, and certainly not those who seek to erase our borders.

The esteemed members of FAIR's Immigration Council will provide ad hoc advice to the FAIR Board of Directors and FAIR's staff leadership team, in order to ensure FAIR's long-term impact and success.

Dale M. Herder, Ph.D., who serves as the Chairman of FAIR's Board of Directors, welcomed and congratulated this elite working group:

"We are proud to welcome the founding members of FAIR's new Immigration Council and are excited to utilize their vital expertise to help FAIR advance its critical mission of fighting for immigration policy that serves America's best interests. They are a superb addition to FAIR's dedicated and dynamic Team."

FAIR's Executive Director and General Counsel, Dale L. Wilcox, added:

"Positioning and adding top talent to our FAIR Team is an important part of the success to come. We are delighted to announce the formation of FAIR's new Immigration Council and we welcome their wisdom and experience. It is an honor for us to work with such an esteemed group of highly respected and accomplished professionals."

Information about FAIR's Immigration Council members can be found below:

Bob Dane, who serves as Chair of the Council, has been affiliated with FAIR for over 20 years as press secretary, communications director, and then as the organization's executive director - a position from which he is now retired. Prior to joining FAIR, he worked in media and marketing and served as a policy and budget analyst within the Reagan administration. Bob holds a B.S. in Public Administration from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Marek Jan Chodakiewicz, PhD., is a professor of history, Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies holder, and the head of the Center for Intermarium Studies at the Institute of World Politics. He attended college in California and graduate school in New York. He has authored a score of books and hundreds of scholarly and popular articles. Dr. Chodakiewicz specializes in Russian and European history, as well as Western Civilization and extremist movements. Born in Poland, he was granted political asylum and was naturalized as a citizen in the U.S., where he has lived since 1982. He staunchly supports legal immigration.

Art Del Cueto served with the United States Border Patrol from 2003 to 2024, spending most of his career patrolling the Tohono O'odham reservation and assisting in major drug and smuggling investigations. A fluent Spanish speaker, he frequently led interviews with apprehended individuals and responded to critical incidents throughout the Tucson Sector. Beyond his patrol duties, Mr. Del Cueto held elected leadership roles for more than a decade, serving as a spokesperson and advocate for agents at both the sector and national levels. He has testified before Congress, spoken at the White House, and addressed national audiences on border security issues. Mr. Del Cueto has been featured on Fox News, CNN, Telemundo, Univision, Al Jazeera, and HBO's VICE. He also serves as the Border Security Advisor to the Federation for American Immigration Reform and is on the board of advisors for Law Enforcement Today.

The Honorable Steven G. Erwood is a retired administrative law judge. He has long-standing interests in conservation, land use, and population growth. He previously served on FAIR's national Board of Advisors and has been an active member of FAIR since 1997.

Dr. Emilio T. Gonzalez is a retired U.S. intelligence officer who has served in senior positions in the U.S. Army, on the National Security Council, and in the Department of Homeland Security. He has served as Military/Political Advisor to the Commanding General of the United States Southern Command. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College and taught at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Sheriff Tom Hodgson served as the Sheriff of Bristol County, Massachusetts, for over 25 years. He worked closely with sheriffs across the country and the Trump administration on effective immigration enforcement initiatives. He has served on FAIR's Board of Advisors, lectured on border security issues at numerous FAIR Border Schools, and worked closely with FAIR leadership, staff and activists on immigration reform for nearly 20 years.

Douglas Kent grew up in California, where he saw firsthand the devastating impact of unbridled immigration on the environment and also on the quality of local public education. After getting a Master's in International Affairs, he joined the U.S. Department of State's Foreign Service, serving 28 years as an American diplomat, mostly in the former Soviet Union and West Africa. After retiring, he served as a State Department re-employed annuitant in Tunisia, Afghanistan and Iraq. During his first assignment in the Foreign Service in Jamaica, he witnessed the lengths people would go to obtain a U.S. tourist visa, so they could enter the United States, unlawfully obtain employment, then overstay their authorized period of admission. He has been an active member of FAIR since the 1980s.

John Ladd is a fourth-generation cattle rancher in southeastern Arizona. His ranch's 10.5-mile southern boundary sits on the U.S.-Mexico border. He has been active in showing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), political leaders and the media just how out of control the border has been over the last five decades. Over the last 30 years, CBP has apprehended over 500,000 illegals on his ranch. Mr. Ladd has been featured in FAIR's media broadcasts to expose the dangers of anti-borders policies; he and his wife, JoBeth, have traveled to Washington, D.C., numerous times to share their firsthand experiences with border security. He and his wife have three sons and two grandsons who are involved with the ranch.

Sheriff Mark Lamb (Ret.), author of American Sheriff: Traditional Values in a Modern World, is a nationally respected leader known for his bold leadership, resilience, and community trust. Twice elected as Pinal County Sheriff in Arizona, he blends patriotism, transparency, and innovation to inspire others with his motto: Fear Not, Do Right. Sheriff Lamb serves as FAIR's Law Enforcement Advisor.

The Honorable Mark A. Morgan has served as the Acting Director of both U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Prior to these assignments, he served as Chief of the Border Patrol, had a lengthy and distinguished career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. He began his lifelong public service as an enlisted member in the United States Marine Corps. He holds a law degree from the University of Missouri. In addition, he served as a Senior Fellow and spokesperson for FAIR for several years and is now an active leader in the Mass Deportation Coalition.

Randall Pullen was formerly an audit and consulting partner with Deloitte and Touche, where he was recognized nationally as a firm expert on financial accounting and auditing issues. Mr. Pullen is an Audit Committee Financial Expert under the provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Section 401 H of Regulation S-K. Mr. Pullen served as the Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party from 2007 to 2011 and was Treasurer of the Republican National Committee from 2009 to 2011. He was also the adviser to the Arizona Senate during the audit of the Maricopa County 2020 election in 2021.

Dr. Carol Swain achieved early tenure at Princeton University and was a tenured professor at Vanderbilt University, where she held dual appointments as a professor of political science and professor of law. Her areas of expertise include American politics, race relations, and immigration. She has been cited three times by the U.S. Supreme Court. Her 14 books include two editions of Debating Immigration (Cambridge University Press, 2004 and 2018). 

Mark S. Venezia, Esq., is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the Virginia and D.C. Bar. He earned his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Illinois, and B.A. in Economics from Stanford. After a career in investment management, he earned his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. In his third year of law school, he moved to the D.C. area to finish his studies at the Antonin Scalia Law School. During his nearly 30 years as Director of Global Fixed Income at Boston-based Eaton Vance, he visited over 40 countries, his group traded the foreign exchange and securities of nearly twice as many countries, and he developed interests in foreign political systems and immigration. In addition, he served as staff counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) for several years, and most recently as a member of its board of directors.

Ronald W. Woodard is a graduate of UNC at Chapel Hill and has worked for a Fortune 200 corporation for 40 years in sales and sales management. He served as the Volunteer Director of NC LISTEN, an immigration reform organization based in North Carolina from 2002-2024. In 2013, he received FAIR's "We the People" Immigration Reform Leadership Award (also referred to as the Eileen Facciola Award). Ron has studied immigration and been an activist in the immigration reform issue for over 35 years.

To schedule an interview with one of FAIR's spokespersons, please contact Hayley Hill at [email protected].

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)