Members of the New Democrat Coalition are making the battleground state of Arizona their first stop to discuss immigration and border security as part of efforts to reach voters ahead of the midterms, NOTUS has learned.
The stop in Phoenix on Wednesday is slated to be the first of several the Democratic group is making in the coming weeks to address major issues and figure out how to win back voters ahead of 2026. The New Democrat Coalition, a moderate caucus, is the largest in the House Democratic caucus at more than 100 members. It will play a key role in deciding Democrats’ strategy to win the House in the midterms, which is crucial if they want a check on the Trump administration in Washington.
Members are hoping this tour helps them identify how to reach voters in key battleground districts and on key issues, and immigration has long been seen as a weak issue for Democrats.
“The New Dems, we pride ourselves on doing well-researched, substantive policy proposals,” Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona, who’s leading the working group, told NOTUS. “Hitting the road is really making sure we’re meeting with people that are involved in this, in the key industry, not just in Washington but around the country.”
The on-the-ground event is coming at a time when Democrats are facing pressure from their base on how to navigate the Trump administration. They are trying to decide whether they should moderate to appeal to voters, including on the issue of immigration.
The group will be led by the New Democrat Coalition’s Immigration and Border Security Working Group, with Stanton and Rep. Lou Correa focusing on the economic effects of the Trump administration’s immigration executive actions.
“New Dems on the Road is about reaching out to the American people, essentially meeting folks in their home communities and hearing firsthand about their priorities and concerns,” Rep. Brad Schneider, chair of the New Democrat Coalition, said in a statement to NOTUS.
The roundtable is also set to include representatives from the tech industry, farm workforce and the hospitality industry, as well as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients.
The stop comes as President Donald Trump has taken executive action to accelerate deportations and restart construction of a wall along the southern border. One of Trump’s most high-profile actions has been his use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to fast-track the removal of Venezuelan in the U.S. without due process to an El Salvador prison that has been alleged to mistreat inmates.
“What I think is unique about this is that it is solutions driven,” said Rep. Nikki Budzinski, who is the New Democrat Coalition’s vice chair for policy. “We know some of the bigger problems and the challenges that our country is facing, but the New Democratic Coalition wants to put forward proposals that are pragmatic and something that we’re really hoping we can move.”
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Daniella Diaz is a reporter at NOTUS.