When you look at the political landscape in Ohio lately, things have changed. A lot. Sherrod Brown, the man who held a Senate seat for three terms by leaning into his "dignity of work" mantra, finally hit a wall in late 2024. And if you ask anyone who followed that race closely, they’ll tell you that the Sherrod Brown voting record on immigration was the central battlefield.
It wasn’t just about the economy or even abortion rights, which usually dominate the headlines. It was about a series of votes that critics called "radical" and supporters called "principled." But for most Ohioans, the truth was buried under layers of campaign ads and 30-second soundbites. Honestly, it's a bit of a mess to untangle, but if you want to understand why Ohio shifted the way it did, you have to look at the actual roll calls.
The Border Act of 2024 and the Fentanyl Fight
In May 2024, the Senate took up S. 4361. You might know it as the Border Act of 2024. This was a massive bill designed to dump emergency funding into border security and, perhaps more importantly for Ohio, combatting the fentanyl crisis.
Sherrod Brown voted Yea.
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He wasn't just a quiet "yes" either. He was out there touting his support for this bipartisan package, which included funds for more border agents and better scanning technology. He often pointed to the INTERDICT Act, a law he helped pass years prior during the Trump administration, to prove he was serious about stopping drugs.
But here is where it gets tricky. His opponent, Bernie Moreno, and groups like Americans for Prosperity (AFP) weren't looking at 2024. They were looking back at 2021 and 2022. They pointed out that in August 2022, Brown voted against an amendment that would have sent $500 million to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection specifically for fentanyl scanning equipment.
Why the flip? Well, if you ask Brown’s team, they’ll say those were "poison pill" amendments—political stunts designed to fail during a "vote-a-rama." To his critics, though, a "no" vote is a "no" vote. They saw it as him choosing party loyalty over Ohio’s safety until the election year pressure got too high.
What About the "Checks for Illegals" Claim?
You probably saw the ads. They were everywhere. The claim was that the Sherrod Brown voting record on immigration showed he voted to give "illegals" taxpayer-funded stimulus checks and Social Security.
Is it true? Kinda, but mostly no.
In March 2021, Brown voted against an amendment from Senator Ted Cruz. Cruz wanted to close a loophole that he argued could allow people who overstayed visas to use their Social Security numbers to grab stimulus checks from the American Rescue Plan. Brown and most Democrats voted it down.
However, PolitiFact and other watchdogs noted that the Rescue Plan already required Social Security numbers and excluded nonresident aliens. Brown also voted for a different amendment by Senator Bob Menendez that same day, which reaffirmed that undocumented immigrants couldn't get these benefits.
So, did he vote for the checks? Not directly. Did he vote against a specific GOP attempt to tighten the rules? Yes. It's the kind of nuance that gets lost when people are screaming at each other on cable news.
The Walls and the Mass Deportation Act
Brown has never been a fan of the wall. He’s been pretty vocal about it since 2019, calling it an "ineffective security resource." He famously told CNN that the country doesn't need a "long wall" and that technology and helicopters were better.
This stance has been remarkably consistent. Back in 2013, he voted against an amendment that would have delayed legal status for immigrants until a 700-mile double-layered fence was built. For Brown, the focus was always on the "dignity of work" for those already here, rather than physical barriers.
In 2019, he co-sponsored the End Mass Deportation Act. This was a direct shot at a Trump executive order. It would have:
- Stopped the prioritization of removing certain criminal immigrants.
- Prevented the DHS from withholding funds from "sanctuary jurisdictions."
- Essentially protected the status quo for cities that refused to cooperate with ICE.
For a state like Ohio, which has seen its share of manufacturing jobs vanish, this "sanctuary" support became a major liability in the 2024 election. Voters in places like the Mahoning Valley, who used to be Brown’s base, started seeing these votes as a betrayal of the American worker.
The Reality of 2025 and 2026
As of early 2026, the data shows a shifting tide. An Emerson College poll from December 2025 found that 53% of Ohio voters now support mass deportations. That’s a huge number. It explains why Brown's attempts to "play defense" on immigration in late 2024 didn't quite land.
He tried to talk about the bipartisan bill he supported. He tried to focus on fentanyl. But the years of voting against border wall funding and for policies that protected sanctuary cities created a paper trail that was too long to ignore.
Key Takeaways from the Record
If you're trying to figure out where he actually stands, it's best to look at these three pillars:
- Enforcement vs. Tech: Brown consistently votes for technology (drones, scanners) and more agents but almost always votes against physical walls or fences.
- Pathways to Citizenship: He is a staunch supporter of DACA and "Dreamers." He believes in a legal path for those who have been working in the U.S. for years.
- The "Poison Pill" Defense: Many of his "no" votes on border security were actually votes against Republican-led amendments during budget reconciliations. He argues these were political games; his opponents argue they were missed opportunities.
What You Should Do Next
Understanding a senator's voting record isn't just about reading a list of "yeas" and "nays." It's about context. If you want to dive deeper into how these votes affect your local community, here’s how to get the real story:
- Check the Roll Calls: Don't trust a campaign ad. Go to Senate.gov and search for "Sherrod Brown" under the "Votes" tab. You can see the exact text of every amendment he rejected.
- Look at the Bill Sponsors: Often, a "no" vote is more about who wrote the bill than what's in it. See if the bill had any bipartisan support or if it was a "party-line" vote.
- Monitor Local Impact: Keep an eye on reports from the Ohio Department of Health regarding fentanyl seizures. This is the real-world metric that voters are using to judge these immigration policies.
The Sherrod Brown voting record on immigration tells a story of a politician caught between a changing national party and a state that was moving rapidly to the right. Whether you think he was a principled advocate for human rights or a politician who was "weak on the border," the numbers don't lie. They just need to be read carefully.
Actionable Insight: To verify any specific claim made in a political ad, always cross-reference the "Vote Number" (e.g., Vote No. 182) with the official Congress.gov summary. This prevents you from being misled by selective quoting or "poison pill" narratives that both sides use to manipulate public perception.