Democrat Ruben Gallego downplays border ‘expertise’ in call with donors

EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) minimized to Democratic donors the role he would play in crafting federal immigration policy if he wins his Arizona Senate race against Republican Kari Lake.

In video obtained by the Washington Examiner, Gallego fielded an immigration question from a donor Tuesday evening during a private virtual fundraiser, in which the border-state lawmaker said it was unlikely he’d be placed “on the committee of jurisdiction” and noted his experience in foreign affairs and the armed services.

Gallego advocated a series of proposals crafted by a bipartisan group roughly a decade ago that did not become law, and he stated immigration is an arena he focuses on “once in a while” and that it’s “not my expertise.”

The episode offered a window into how Gallego, who frequently offers public remarks and legislation dealing with immigration, engages in private with party donors on a contentious subject that Democrats have been dogged by in competitive races this cycle. Once a progressive figure, the fifth-term congressman has bolted toward the middle as he seeks to replace retiring centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ).

In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Gallego’s campaign said he was working to secure the southern border on multiple fronts and whacked his Republican opponent as a “power-hungry liar.”

“Ruben Gallego is a Marine combat veteran whose number one priority is securing our border and keeping Arizonans safe, which is why he is fighting tirelessly to hire more border patrol agents, fix our broken asylum system, crack down on fentanyl trafficking, and invest in proven technology — all to increase our border security,” Gallego spokeswoman Hannah Goss said. “Meanwhile, Kari Lake is a power-hungry liar who will do or say anything to gain power, even if it means opposing a bipartisan, border-patrol backed bill to finally address the border crisis.”

During the virtual fundraiser, a donor asked participating Democratic Senate hopefuls, including Gallego, how they “envision a new immigration framework to look like, and how it would be possible to move forward” in a divided Congress.

Gallego responded: “I probably won’t be on the committee of jurisdiction. That’s the Department of [inaudible]. I’ve largely focused on national security issues. That’s my background. I have a degree from Harvard in foreign affairs, as well as had been on the Armed Services [Committee] for 10 years and started some of the Baltic Caucus.”

He continued, “But I guess from my general point of view, since I do immigration stuff once in a while, it would be something that harkens back to some of the Gang of Eight legislation that focuses on border security, as well as, of course, having some level of very secure and flexible visas for work permits, as well as, of course, rectifying and making sure people in the United States that have been here — have illegally been working but don’t have access to fix their status — have an opportunity to do that by paying a fine, making sure they go through a background check and getting in line behind people that have legally gone through the process here. Of course, taking care of the status of Dreamers. That’s probably what I would be looking at. Again, not my expertise, though.”

Gallego’s district includes Phoenix, and he currently serves on the House Armed Services and Natural Resources committees.

The fundraiser included Democratic Senate candidates in four other states: Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland, Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) in Texas, former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL) in Florida, and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) in Michigan.

The money raised was split evenly between all five candidates, according to the virtual event’s invitation. Donors had the option of contributing six different amounts ranging from $100 to $10,000.

Gallego has crossed party lines on some recent immigration bills, a move critics say is driven by his Senate bid.

This year, he voted for the GOP-led Laken Riley Act to detain any migrant accused of burglary or theft, and he supported a bipartisan border security measure to crack down on illegal crossings. The proposal, which failed after a Trump-fueled GOP revolt, was criticized by Lake as insufficiently conservative.

The Republican House on Wednesday passed Trump-backed legislation to ban noncitizens from voting in federal elections and expand proof-of-citizenship requirements, which Gallego voted against out of a stated fear that it was too expansive and could inadvertently prevent Americans from casting ballots.

“Of course, only U.S. citizens should vote,” Gallego said. “But this bill isn’t about that, it’s about making it harder for Arizonans to vote, including married women, servicemembers, Native Arizonans, seniors, and people with disabilities.”

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Lake said Gallego “spat in the face of every law-abiding American when he voted to allow illegal immigrants to vote in our elections.”

In May, Gallego and dozens of other Democrats voted with Republicans in favor of overturning a Washington, D.C., law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. In 2023, he voted against a similar measure, which he recently described as a “half-baked proposal with dangerous implications, including the inability for American citizens living in D.C. to access our judicial system.”