Kat Abughazaleh: 2026 candidate for 9th Congressional District

Bio

Office sought: 9th Congressional District

City: Chicago

Age: 26

Occupation: Journalist and Researcher

Previous offices held: N/A

Q&A

What is your top issue and how do you propose to address it?

This is a “break glass in case of emergency moment” for our nation. ICE and CBP are executing people in the streets, Americans and undocumented neighbors alike. DHS is shipping people off to internment camps on military bases, or torture dungeons in foreign countries. I am disgusted by the lack of action from our elected officials, and I will fight just as hard to defeat ICE and CBP in the House as I do on the streets. I want to be exceedingly clear. I will obstruct ICE and CBP’s efforts with every power of my office. I firmly oppose the continued existence of not only ICE and CBP, but DHS as a cabinet department. I understand that the 21st century comes with unique security challenges. That does not mean that building a police state is, or ever was the answer. The Bush-era consolidation of our security apparatuses under the guise of “homeland security” has resulted in the situation we find ourselves in today. My goal is a return of the security services currently under DHS (Coast Guard, CBP, USCIS, etc …) to their original departments, while preserving the resilience, emergency preparedness, and recovery components in a new Department of Emergency Management.

Do you support the unilateral foreign policy course President Trump has taken with such actions as the bombing of Iran, assaults on Venezuelan ships and the seizure of the Venezuelan president?

No. I do not support the unilateral foreign policy course President Trump has taken. Bombing inside a sovereign nation, assaulting foreign vessels, or attempting to seize a sitting head of state is not law enforcement. It is an act of war. Under the Constitution, the president does not have the authority to take such actions without congressional authorization. If there were a genuine national security threat, Trump was required to come to Congress. He did not.

Instead, these actions relied on unsubstantiated claims, bypassed Congress, and violated both Article I of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution. Presidents are not allowed to launch wars by fiat.

I would have supported War Powers legislation to block this escalation. When a president ignores Congress and the Constitution to carry out unauthorized military action, impeachment must be on the table. That is precisely what impeachment is for.

This pattern, from Iran to Venezuela, treats force as the default tool and sovereignty as optional. Congress declares war. The military does not answer to one man. No blank checks. No retroactive approval.

The executive branch has expanded its powers in recent years on foreign policy, economic tariffs, executive orders and more. Are you satisfied with the direction these activities are moving? If so, why? If not, what needs to be done differently?

No. Over recent years, Congress has steadily ceded its constitutional authority to the executive branch on matters of war, trade, and domestic governance. This has fueled the rise of an imperial presidency in which sweeping foreign policy actions, tariffs, and executive orders are issued unilaterally, often with little accountability and minimal democratic oversight.

The Constitution is explicit: Congress is a coequal branch of government, not an advisory body. It declares war, regulates commerce, and provides the checks necessary to prevent the concentration of power in any single office. When legislators fail to assert that authority, they are not merely deferring to the executive, they are undermining the system of checks and balances itself.

What needs to change is political will. Members of Congress must reassert their Article I powers by enforcing the War Powers Resolution, reclaiming authority over tariffs and trade, strengthening oversight, and refusing to grant blank checks to any president, regardless of party.

Democracy cannot survive if Congress governs by abdication. Restoring constitutional balance requires legislators willing to act as lawmakers, not spectators.

What should U.S. border policy be? If elected, what would you do to make it happen?

U.S. border policy must be rooted in human rights, dignity, and the rule of law, not fear. The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, and our policies should reflect that reality rather than criminalizing people for seeking safety and opportunity.

I oppose mass deportations, immigrant detention camps, and policies that treat migration as a crime. Most people arriving at our borders are not simply “migrants,” but refugees fleeing poverty and persecution. Our response should be protection and due process, not cruelty. If elected, I will fight for an immediate pathway to citizenship for DREAMers and undocumented immigrants, while expanding and simplifying legal immigration. That includes reducing visa backlogs, modernizing border processing, and ending arbitrary caps that keep families waiting for years.

I will introduce legislation to remove caps on refugee resettlement and significantly increase funding for communities that welcome newcomers, ensuring access to housing, healthcare, education, and legal support.

Border policy is not about walls. It is about whether we uphold human dignity, international law, and the best ideals of the American experiment — and I intend to do exactly that.

What should be the government’s role in assuring health care for Americans? What should be done regarding the ACA to better perform this function?

Healthcare is a human right. Full stop. In 2026, the status quo is unacceptable. We are the last developed nation in the world to not have some form of guaranteed, comprehensive healthcare, regardless of income. Republicans and corporate Democrats alike will claim, as their donors tell them to, that infringing on the free market is un-American, but you know what’s more un-American? Dying because you had to ration your medication, or declaring bankruptcy to pay for treatments that come free of charge elsewhere. We spend more on the military than the next nine countries on the list combined — we have the money. We can do this, and I will fight every day to build a system that guarantees healthcare for all Americans, not just the wealthy. That’s my healthcare priority on day one, and it will be for the duration of my time in Congress.

What is your vision for a solution to conflicts involving Israel and the Palestinians? What should the United States be doing to advance this position?

As one of the only Palestinian-Americans seeking office in 2026, I have a unique background and understanding of this historical struggle. If elected, I will use my sought position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to force Congress to meaningfully engage on this issue. We are the only nation in the world that possesses the leverage to effect real change on this issue, and yet we squander it. I do not believe in providing any more aid for Israel, unless the government decides to both be compliant with our Leahy Laws and international humanitarian law and allow an impartial, international war crimes investigation and trial to play out. There is no acceptable scenario that envisions a permanent Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, or the West Bank. Any restrictions on access for aid groups, journalistic organizations, or the UN is criminal. There is also no acceptable scenario that leaves Hamas in charge of the Gaza Strip. I firmly believe that both the Israeli and Palestinian people deserve to be on equal footing, and that means having the United States formally recognize the State of Palestine as sovereign and independent, and stop vetoing UN resolutions that do the same.