Theresa Brown serves as Fellow, Immigration at the George W. Bush Institute.
A recognized authority in immigration and homeland security, Theresa Cardinal Brown brings three decades of multifaceted expertise spanning legal practice, government service, policy advocacy, and consulting. Her distinguished career includes pivotal roles at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as senior advisory positions within the Department of Homeland Security under both the Bush and Obama administrations. Theresa’s international experience is significant, having contributed to global migration policy at the Chamber of Commerce and DHS, and she is widely sought after for her insight on North American migration issues.
Theresa currently serves as a senior advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and holds appointments as a Non-Resident Fellow and Immigration Scholar at Cornell Law School, a Fellow with the National Immigration Forum, and a Leader of the Council on National Security and Immigration. She extends her expertise to clients through her consultancy, Cardinal North Strategies, LLC.
A prolific writer and commentator, Theresa has authored numerous reports and publications on immigration and border policy. Her expertise is frequently cited in leading outlets such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. She is a sought-after voice in broadcast media, appearing regularly on Fox News, PBS News Hour, CBS’s “60 Minutes,” CNN, and various local news programs. On radio, her commentary features on the SiriusXM P.O.T.U.S. channel, NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “1A,” as well as other nationally syndicated radio shows and podcasts. Notably, Theresa is the creator, executive producer, and regular host of the “This Week in Immigration” podcast, delivering timely analysis on immigration policy developments.
In 2025, she was honored as one of “Washington’s Top 500 Influencers in Policy” by Washingtonian Magazine, a testament to her significant impact and leadership across the field of immigration policy.