STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego was in that hearing and also voted against DHS funding at this time. Senators then left town, so we can expect a partial shutdown tonight. Senator Gallego is at the Munich Security Conference. Welcome to the program.
RUBEN GALLEGO: Thanks for having me.
INSKEEP: What happens tonight to the Coast Guard, to the TSA at the airports, the cybersecurity agency, among other things?
GALLEGO: Nothing right now. Many are still fully funded for a couple weeks, and they'll continue doing their work. And in the meantime, we're going to continue trying to find a solution.
INSKEEP: Are you saying, then, that missing this deadline is effectively no big deal?
GALLEGO: Everything is a big deal when you're dealing with uncertainty of funding. But, you know, the one thing that we can't do is to rush to fund a government entity such as ICE and Border Patrol that killed two Americans in 2 1/2 weeks. So we have to do this right, and we have to make sure that, you know, we're doing it in the best interests of this country.
INSKEEP: Well, let's talk that through. This is, of course, a debate over restrictions on immigration agents. There's been a lot of criticism of immigration agents in Minnesota. At the same time, you're in a state, Arizona, where I've talked with voters. People do want immigration enforcement, border enforcement. Do you think that voters are going to sustain you on this issue as you head into the fall elections?
GALLEGO: Yes, because voters, I think, understand the nuanced position that they want. They want border security. They want immigration enforcement. They want professional immigration enforcement. That's not what they're seeing right now. That's not what they're seeing in Los Angeles. That's not what they saw in Minnesota. It's not what they're seeing all the time on TV, where you have ICE agents, border agents, Border Patrol agents acting in a manner that is, you know, unprofessional. You know, people are used to trained, professional law enforcement in their towns, and what they're seeing is quite the opposite. And I think that's why you're seeing people that are, you know, still in the position that they want immigration enforcement but not liking the type of action they're seeing within our cities.
INSKEEP: As I understand it, you're not saying to abolish ICE, but you're calling to tear it down. What do you mean?
GALLEGO: Well, it's pretty simple. You know, at the core, ICE is absolutely rotten right now. It is being run by Stephen Miller, and he is, you know, basically putting some of the worst elements into ICE. And so what does that look like? You know, you're hiring a lot of people that are not properly trained for a mission that is very sensitive. You're hiring more people than the mission requires. You're having them have more rights than most law enforcement has ever needed, such as being able to avoid warrants, being able to detain Americans. You know, they're about to create about eight to 10 massive warehouses to house, you know, tens of thousands of humans in one spot one day. When this period is done with Donald Trump, we can't have that same type of setup.
You know, we're always going to have an immigration enforcement force. Every country has an immigration enforcement force. But it has to be rightsized to the mission that we want that, you know, respects human rights, that is also, you know, really geared to where the country wants to go when it comes to immigration enforcement. That's professional immigration...
INSKEEP: Yeah.
GALLEGO: ...Enforcement and border control, not the suppression that we're seeing in cities right now.
INSKEEP: Senator, I want to ask about another issue here because you represent the state of Arizona, where Nancy Guthrie was apparently kidnapped. We've been following that disappearance, of course - Savannah Guthrie's mom. We've seen doorbell camera video of an armed man on her porch. I'd like to know, are you in touch with the family here or with authorities, and what are you hearing?
GALLEGO: We're in touch with authorities. You know, obviously, this is a horrible situation. We pray for the safe return of the Guthrie mother. And, you know, it is just shocking, obviously, to our community down in Tucson. It's a safe community. It is a community that really does take care of each other. And I really hope that, you know, we have a solution there. And it is my goal to make sure that the federal government is doing everything it can to make sure - and using every leverage they can and every technology they can to make sure that she gets home safely.
INSKEEP: Fox News is alleging, reporting, that the FBI is having a conflict with local authorities over sharing evidence and who gets what part of the investigation. Do you have any understanding of that?
GALLEGO: I don't, but I really hope - yeah, I really don't. But I hope that there is an understanding that this is not the time for turf wars. It's time for - to be professional, share information. And the goal is obviously to get, you know, her safe and to hold the men or women accountable for what they did.
INSKEEP: Senator Ruben Gallego is a Democrat from Arizona. Thanks for your time.
GALLEGO: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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