In an exclusive interview with Cactus Politics, Senator Ruben Gallego (D) addressed illegal immigration and border security, discussing the decline in illegal crossings and the challenges the Border Patrol continues to face.
Senator Gallego acknowledged that illegal immigration numbers have gone down, but he credited the executive actions of President Joe Biden (D) as the driving force behind the trend.
“Mostly talking to my border mayors, and they’re the ones that have always kept me informed— a lot of the movement started a while ago with executive orders under President Biden,” he commented.
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While credit has been given to President Donald Trump (R) for the decrease in illegal crossings, Senator Gallego emphasized that President Biden’s policies played a significant role in the shift.
“The numbers have continued to go down, and I think if President Trump wants to take credit for the numbers of illegal crossers at the border, I think that’s good. I think Biden needs to also have some recognition for starting [that trend],” he shared.
However, concerns remain regarding border security.
When asked about Border Patrol’s fears that this could be the “calm before the storm” as cartels allegedly regroup, Senator Gallego warned that while illegal immigration may be down, other criminal activities persist. “I hope that’s not the case. While illegal immigration may have gone down, unfortunately drug running and all of that nature is still going to happen,” he stated.
The Arizona Senator stressed the importance of equipping Border Patrol with the necessary tools to counter these threats. “This is why we do have to give the tools for our Border Patrol to be able to come back and prevent it. This is why we need to be working with Mexico on that. There’s no way I see cartels just giving up a very lucrative business, so we do have to keep Border Patrol definitely prepared for that,” Senator Gallego commented
In conversations with the Border Patrol Union, he noted that while morale remains a concern, the agency is also struggling with outdated equipment in Arizona. “There’s a lot of talk of morale, but in terms of equipment, in Arizona, they’re falling behind,” he concluded.
