Ruben Gallego’s first act in Congress was not to propose banning the term ‘illegal alien’

Kari Lake, the Republican candidate facing off against Rep. Ruben Gallego in the high-stakes Arizona U.S. Senate race, criticized her Democratic opponent’s border priorities for supporting the prohibition of the term "illegal alien." 

On Sept. 13, Lake posted on X that Gallego proposed the Correcting Hurtful and Alienating Names in Government Expression Act, or CHANGE Act, as soon as he took office. 

"Gallego’s first act in Congress was to propose legislation to BAN the use of the term ‘illegal alien,’" Lake wrote. "My first act in the Senate will be a simple piece of legislation to fund & finish the border wall & put an END to the mass importation of the illegal aliens that Ruben prioritizes over law-abiding Americans."

This claim is misleading, but there is an element of truth in Gallego’s support for the contents of the bill. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas — not Gallego — introduced the CHANGE Act on Oct. 21, 2015, with Gallego and 107 other members co-sponsoring it. 

In a news release, Gallego voiced his support for the CHANGE Act’s purpose to "remove the offensive and arcane language characterizing immigrants as ‘aliens’ from federal law." 

"​​The term ‘alien' is dehumanizing and offensive, and contributes to the prejudice and xenophobia that have become a too-familiar part of the national conversation on immigration," Gallego stated in the release. "Immigrants, with or without status, are human beings and deserve to be treated with respect."

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However, the bill was not Gallego’s first piece of co-sponsored legislation; far from it. Gallego took office in January 2015. He co-sponsored 118 bills, resolutions and amendments before he signed on to co-sponsor the CHANGE Act in October 2015, according to his publicly available congressional record. 

The first bill Gallego proposed in Congress was the Veterans Education Tax Security Act, also known as the VETS Act. The VETS Act, introduced March 24, 2015, would have safeguarded deceased or disabled veterans from tax liability on forgiven student loans. It did not advance.  

Among the 118 bills he co-sponsored before the CHANGE Act was the Border Jobs for Veterans Act, which required the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize hiring veterans. It became law. He also co-sponsored the HEAL for Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2015, which did not pass the House of Representatives. It would have extended health care coverage to immigrants with legal status. (HEAL stands for Health Equity and Access under Law.)

The CHANGE Act did not advance in the House’s 2015-16 term. Castro reintroduced it in 2021 with Gallego’s co-sponsorship, but it stalled again.

Lake said, "Gallego’s first act in Congress was to propose legislation to BAN the use of the term ‘illegal alien.’"  

Lake was trying to draw a contrast with her first-day immigration agenda if elected, but that’s not what Gallego’s record shows. The first bill he sponsored was about shielding deceased or disabled veterans from tax liability on forgiven student loans. Gallego did not sign on to the bill changing references to "alien" or "illegal alien" from federal laws until October 2015, about 10 months into office. He co-sponsored more than 100 bills and resolutions before co-sponsoring the one Lake referred to.

We rate the claim False.