Rep. Vasquez Leads Democratic Party Forward with New Commonsense Plan on Immigration and Border Security

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On August 25, 2025, the New Democrat Coalition Immigration & Border Security Working Group, led by Chair Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), unveiled the New Dem Immigration & Border Security Framework — a new vision for the Democratic Party’s path forward on border security and immigration. With 115 members, the New Democrat Coalition is the largest ideological caucus in the Democratic party. 

Through the Framework, New Dems propose a new blueprint to invest in smart border security, fix the outdated and broken immigration system to ensure fast, fair, and final enforcement, use commonsense reforms to grow the economy by growing the labor force, and expand legal avenues to citizenship for long-time residents living in legal limbo. This framework will guide Democratic and bipartisan legislation on immigration issues for years to come. 

“As someone from a border community, I’ve seen firsthand how both parties have mishandled immigration for far too long,” said Working Group Chair Gabe Vasquez. “It’s time for change, and I’m proud to be leading the Democratic party forward with new commonsense policies to secure our borders, boost local economies, and expand legal pathways in a humane, cost-effective way. Democrats may not have had a plan on immigration, but that changes today.”

The Immigration & Border Security Framework includes several proposals distinct to prior frameworks, including — 

• Funding scanning technology to inspect 100% of cargo at U.S. ports of entry, supporting efforts to dismantle cartels and combat smuggling, providing resources for the removal of violent offenders, and ensuring DHS oversight with humane detention conditions.
• Ensuring humane detention conditions and oversight of immigration enforcement to prioritize the detention and removal of individuals convicted of violent crimes.
• Ensuring workforce visa programs protect American workers and their wages, creating a caregiver visa to expand access to child and elder care, safeguarding high-skilled worker and investor programs, and incentivizing research in emerging fields like Quantum and AI. 
• Establishing legal pathways for critical workers, legal residents, and those with U.S. citizen spousal or parental ties.
• Supporting international efforts to dismantle cartels and combat drug and human trafficking across U.S. borders.
• Upgrading ports of entry, modernizing immigration agencies and visa processing, and directing federal agencies to develop a national strategy to connect immigrants’ skills with local labor needs.

The document also outlines next steps to put the Framework into action, calling on lawmakers from across the political spectrum to put an end to partisan gridlock  and finally enact meaningful legislation to help every American prosper with a modernized, pro-safety immigration system.

"As the Trump administration abuses the president's broad executive authority on immigration in ways that put politics ahead of public safety, it is encouraging to see Democrats step up with a serious plan for order at the border and well-managed immigration. The New Dem Immigration & Border Security Framework lays out that vision with clarity and purpose," said Sarah Pierce, Director of Social Policy at Third Way. "By pairing practical solutions on border security and interior enforcement with strategies to strengthen the U.S. workforce and responsibly address legalization, the Framework underscores a commitment to the rule of law and the prosperity immigration brings to our nation."

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