Senator Gallego’s five-pillar framework details his commitment to securing the Southwest border and enacting lasting immigration reform
WASHINGTON — Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) released his new plan to address the broken state of America’s border and immigration system. The five-pillar framework, “Securing the Border and Fueling Economic Prosperity,” emphasizes the importance of strengthening border security and restoring order to our communities, while also bringing immigrants out of the shadows.
Click here to read the full report.
“We don’t have to choose between border security and immigration reform. We can and should do both. Americans deserve the right to feel safe know their border is secure, but for decades, Congress has tried and failed to take action because politics got in the way. It’s time to push forward and enact a plan that works,” Senator Gallego said.
Senator Gallego’s plan:
- Maintains order at our Southwest border by hiring and retaining Border Patrol agents, investing in port infrastructure, and expanding drug detection technology;
- Reforms the asylum system to end abuse, expedite the asylum process, and treat migrants with dignity and respect;
- Expands legal immigration pathways to grow the economy and protect American workers;
- Provides a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and long-term undocumented residents who contribute to our communities; and
- Addresses the root causes of migration by making sure other countries in the region do their fair share to resettle asylum seekers and refugees and by helping them combat instability, drug cartels, and economic crises.
“I grew up in a home where the American dream was all we had. My mom, an immigrant who raised us on her own, worked hard to provide for me and my three sisters. I saw firsthand what it means to sacrifice, to struggle, and to fight for a better future. It’s a fight that millions of immigrants in this country understand. But many of them live in the shadows. We must do right by these communities by giving them their shot at the American dream so they can prosper in the country that has provided so much to families like mine,” Senator Gallego continued.
As a border state Senator, Senator Gallego intimately understands the nuances of border security and immigration reform. He sees it every day. In Arizona, the border is the beating heart of the state’s economy. In 2024 alone, trade with Mexico surpassed $20 billion, and thousands of workers and tourists cross Arizona’s ports every day to support local businesses.
But at the same time, Arizona families have seen the dysfunction at the border firsthand. As Senator Gallego has consistently noted, our Southwest border communities are under-resourced. While local law enforcement, elected officials, and non-profits work tirelessly to ensure their communities thrive, drug cartels take advantage—flooding our communities with fentanyl and other deadly drugs, while criminals slip through the cracks.
Ultimately, Senator Gallego recognizes any plan—including his own—must ensure our communities are safe while continuing to push for orderly, fair, and humane immigration reform that specifically includes, for example, a pathway to citizenship for the millions of Dreamers and long-term undocumented immigrants that call America home.
That’s why Senator Gallego’s plan, which seeks to combine both commonsense border security measures with smart immigration reform, fuels economic growth for the benefit of Arizonans.
Read the full plan HERE.
5/12/25