Seven years ago, my opponent Ruben Gallego wrote an op-ed in the Arizona Republic titled, “Why We Should Not Build Trump’s Border Wall (Ever).” Thankfully, President Trump didn’t take Ruben’s advice, and Arizona was much safer for it during his administration. Over his four years in the White House, 458 miles of the wall were built around our Southern border. When combined with Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum claimants, it led to the largest reduction in illegal immigration in history.
Those gains didn’t come without obstacles. Radical Democrats like Ruben Gallego obstructed the construction of that wall at every turn, delaying the completion of the project and keeping the path open for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to throw the border wide open again. And for the last three and a half years, we have watched Ruben Gallego vote 100% of the time with the Biden/Harris open-borders agenda. We have watched Ruben take to the floor of Congress to call the most effective piece of border security in our nation’s history, “A Stupid, Dumb Border Wall.” Ruben Gallego has made Arizona a more dangerous place to live.
I had the privilege of covering the state of Arizona as a fair and honest journalist for nearly three decades, and I have NEVER seen our southern border more secure than it was under President Trump. Conversely, I have never seen it worse than it is today. Illegal immigrants caught crossing the border increased from just over 300,000 under Trump, to more than 2.2 million at the peak under Biden. Even more staggering, 425,431 Convicted Criminals — including 13,099 Murderers and 15,811 Rapists – have been allowed to enter America on Biden, Harris & Gallego’s watch.
So many families in Arizona have dealt with tragedy as a result of the border crisis. Recently, I met with Gustavo and Vanessa Ayala. In March this year, they tragically lost their 17-year-old son Noah to a fentanyl overdose. As a mother of two, their story broke my heart and reminded me why I got into this fight. Enough is enough; the border madness needs to stop now.
This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a parents issue. Gustavo and Vanessa are both registered Democrats who plan on voting for me in November because they understand—more than most—how serious, and life-shattering this crisis can be. They know we need to protect our kids.
My promise to voters is this: I will NEVER stop fighting to secure our borders, clean up our streets, and work to prevent tragedies like this from happening ever again.
We can’t lose our next generation to a synthetic opioid crisis created by a wide-open border.
We are in this together, and I want every Arizonan—regardless of political affiliation—to know that I will fight to put them first, and that starts with securing our border.
When elected, my priority will be to complete President Trump’s border wall. The Biden administration halted the progress we made, but under my watch, the wall will be fully funded and finished. This is just the first step in my 10-point plan to restore order at the border and protect the people of Arizona:
Finish the Wall. We will complete the construction of the wall, particularly in high-traffic areas that have been left vulnerable under Biden.
Enhance Surveillance and Monitoring. By using advanced technology—drones, infrared cameras, and motion sensors—we will empower Border Patrol to effectively monitor and intercept illegal crossings in real-time.
Enforce Existing Laws. We already have many laws on the books that, if enforced properly, would drastically reduce illegal immigration. I will ensure that these laws are upheld to protect our sovereignty.
But we cannot stop there. To truly secure the border and prevent future waves of uncontrolled mass migration, we must take additional actions:
Remove the Asylum Loophole. The Biden administration has allowed asylum seekers to claim violent crime as a reason to flee their home countries. Many U.S. cities suffer from higher crime rates than those countries. We must close this loophole and only grant asylum for legitimate, legally defined reasons.
Immediate Deportation for Illegal Crossings. Individuals caught crossing outside legal points of entry will be deported immediately. We will end the practice of releasing individuals into the U.S. to await court dates they never intend to attend.
Expand the Judiciary for Asylum Claims. The backlog of asylum cases is overwhelming the system. By hiring hundreds of additional judges, we will speed up the process and ensure that claims are heard quickly and fairly.
Build More Facilities for Asylum Claimants. We will construct additional border facilities to house claimants while their cases are processed, preventing them from disappearing into the U.S. before a decision is made.
Enforce E-Verify. Employers must be held accountable. Expanding E-Verify will help stop the illegal hiring of individuals who are in the country unlawfully, ensuring that job opportunities remain for legal residents.
Withhold Foreign Aid. Countries that refuse to cooperate with the U.S. on preventing illegal immigration should not benefit from our financial aid. We will use this leverage to ensure their compliance.
Support Partner Nations in Fighting Cartels. The cartels are the driving force behind much of the illegal activity at our border. I will work with international allies to provide the resources needed to dismantle these criminal organizations at their source.
This is the comprehensive, no-nonsense approach we need to secure our borders once and for all. Arizona deserves leadership that will act decisively, not someone like Ruben Gallego, who has voted with Biden 100 percent of the time. Together we can and will stop the flow of criminals and illegal drugs at the border, protect the next generation of Arizonans, and Americans, and put an end to this crisis.