‘We have to look at it’
On the latest major issues, Gallego said he rejects the “abolish ICE” message. which many Democrats are now adopting.
“If you talk to working-class Latinos, we are unfortunately very experienced in immigration matters. We know that there has to be an immigration force that deports the bad people. We want the bad people out. We want the bad people prevented from coming in illegally,” Gallego said.
“We have to reform it,” he continued. “We need to scale it. We need to circumscribe it to make sure it’s not abusive. But the idea that there won’t be an immigration enforcement mechanism in this country is ridiculous, because that’s never going to happen.”
Regarding Israel, Gallego said he disagreed with those who said they would oppose defensive money for the country, including for the Iron Dome missile defense system.
Gallego said he was not in favor of offering Israel money for offensive capabilities because he disagrees with many aspects of their military operations, including the war in Iran and the nation’s treatment of Lebanon. But money for defense was different.
“Like any other ally in this world, I can’t imagine preventing defensive weapons from being sent to our friends, because in this situation, if they rain bombs, you’re hitting people who, especially in Israel, are Arabs, Christians, Jews, pro-war people, anti-war people. It’s indiscriminate,” said Gallego, who was deployed to Iraq in 2005 and whose unit suffered heavy losses. “I know it’s not a popular thing. I’m sure everyone wants to be on the other side, but I’ve seen civilians get hurt in war on both sides, and that’s not the case, that’s not something you want to be responsible for.”
