‘Had to run’: Vasquez flees border wall question during press briefing

Far-left Democrat U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez is once again refusing to answer whether he supports extending the southern border wall near Sunland Park—this time around Mount Cristo Rey, a revered religious site known for its iconic 29-foot statue of Jesus.

The area has been labeled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as “a major human smuggling infiltration site for the cartels,” highlighting growing concern over national security and human trafficking. But Vasquez—who has long opposed border enforcement efforts—won’t say where he stands.

According to a recent Source New Mexico article, Vasquez declined to comment when first asked about the wall extension. Then, during a subsequent virtual press briefing with New Mexico’s congressional delegation, Vasquez abruptly left before addressing a question submitted by The Santa Fe New Mexican asking if he supported or opposed the Cristo Rey wall extension.

Vasquez excused his departure by saying he “had to run,” deferring to his communications director Delaney Wehn, who was “on the chat” to field further questions. However, when the newspaper followed up, Wehn did not respond. Even after a second attempt this week, Wehn simply replied: “Thanks for following up here. Apologies, no answers for you at this time.”

The silence is deafening—especially from a congressman representing a border district during a time of record-breaking illegal crossings and cartel violence.

Vasquez’s refusal to answer isn’t surprising given his radical record on border security. In 2022, Vasquez called the existing U.S.-Mexico border wall a “racist political stunt” and said it was “not who we are as a country.” He has previously argued that “barriers and walls” only serve to “divide communities and perpetuate racism,” even as Border Patrol agents in his district struggle to contain daily waves of illegal crossings, drug smuggling, and human trafficking.

He has also openly opposed Title 42, the Trump-era policy that allowed for swift deportation of illegal immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Vasquez has advocated for expanded “pathways to citizenship” and broader asylum protections, aligning himself with the most extreme elements of the open-borders left.

Now, even as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—a comprehensive legislative package that includes border security investments and increased funding for immigration enforcement agents—is under national debate, Vasquez won’t say whether he supports any of its border provisions.

Vasquez’s unwillingness to take a stand—on either the Cristo Rey wall extension or the broader border funding—shows a troubling pattern of dodging responsibility while his constituents face the real consequences of his inaction. But since Vasquez’s previous statements speak volumes, it’s a sure bet Vasquez remains as radically open-borders as before.

With New Mexico communities overwhelmed by cross-border crime and federal agents stretched thin, Vasquez’s silence speaks volumes.