Meet the Pro-Illegal Alien Socialist in the Georgia General Assembly

Georgia’s State Rep. Gabriel Sanchez (D-42) wants to bring Bernie Sanders-style socialism to the Peach State. Backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the 28-year-old Sanchez won a safe Democrat district in suburban Atlanta last year thanks to low primary turnout.

Sanchez has made no secret of his far-left agenda. From his early support of socialist presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to involvement in violent eco-anarchist riots filled with domestic terrorists, to helping criminal illegal aliens evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), he represents the opposite of Georgia values of law and order and free enterprise.

Although his policies are unlikely to gain statewide support, his ability to promote them as a state representative shows the importance for common-sense voters to remain politically aware even in primary elections.

(READ MORE: Mass Immigration Drives Virginia's Rental Crisis)

A Socialist from the Start

Sanchez cast his first vote in 2016 for Sanders but had long held socialist views. A classmate of Trayvon Martin—whose 2012 death at the hands of security guard George Zimmerman helped launch the Black Lives Matter movement—Sanchez says he became convinced the American system was out to oppress black and brown people. Overthrowing that system then became paramount.

Unlike Sanders, whose socialism doesn't extend far beyond healthcare and college, Sanchez wants socialist housing as well. He also supports repealing Georgia's right-to-work law, banning drug screenings, guaranteeing 30-days of paid leave and a four-day work week, and a $20 minimum wage. (The Left used to demand a $15 minimum wage before former President Joe Biden's inflation.)

Sanchez's economic policies would drastically price unskilled workers out of the workforce, increasing crime and dependency, in turn creating more demand on Georgian taxpayers. Like all socialists, he believes the government can defeat market forces and speak a high standard of living for all into being.

Fueling the Violent “Stop Cop City” Movement

Sanchez’s support for the Stop Cop City movement reveals his troubling alignment with anarchic and violent activism.

The movement, aimed at halting a proposed police training facility in Atlanta, devolved into chaos, with activists engaging in revolutionary-style vandalism, arson, and clashes with law enforcement. Protesters hurled Molotov cocktails, set construction equipment on fire, and illegally occupied restricted spaces.

Unlike most leftist movements in the U.S., these riots featured many foreign revolutionaries, including Palestinian activists and Latin American eco-terrorists and communists. Sixty-one protesters were arrested for violation of the of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, with many also charged with domestic terrorism, attempted arson, and money laundering. Only 13 of them came from Georgia.

But Sanchez didn't simply attend. He organized them as the local DSA chapter leader.

Anti-ICE Activism and Open Borders Advocacy

After becoming the first elected socialist in Georgia's history, Sanchez wasted no time in showing his opposition to the legitimacy of America's borders. In February, he began giving tips to illegal aliens on how to avoid detection by ICE on his social media accounts—while wearing his official Georgia House of Representatives badge. He not only encouraged illegal aliens to take his unlawful advice but encouraged legal immigrants to aid and abet their lawbreaking "brothers and sisters."

On June 9, 2025, Sanchez joined a rally outside Atlanta’s ICE field office with activists draped in foreign flags, demanding the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and an end to all apprehensions and deportations of illegal immigrants. One of these protesters was fellow socialist Estevan Hernandez, an organizer for the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL).

His presence at the rally signals a dangerous alignment with policies that undermine national security and the rule of law.

Sanchez Votes in the Georgia House of Representatives Because of a Low-Turnout Primary

Sanchez’s ascent to office is a case study in how radicals exploit low-turnout primaries in safe Democratic districts.

In 2024, Georgia House District 42 saw 26,362 votes in the general election, but only 3,966 in the Democratic primary, where Sanchez ousted incumbent Teri Anulewicz. Although a Democrat, her husband represented Attorney Robert Cheeley, a co-defendant with President Donald Trump in District Attorney Fani Willis's goose chase to prosecute them for the opinion that Biden stole the 2020 election.

There was no excuse for conservative and moderate voters allowing Sanchez to win. Georgia has an open primary system, meaning any registered voter may vote in the primary of their choice. The Republican candidate won 9,673 votes in the general election. It would have only taken 541 votes to defeat Sanchez and keep Anulewicz the nominee in a race no Republican has any chance of winning.

Sanchez’s election to the Georgia House of Representatives underscores the critical need for voter engagement, particularly in low-turnout primaries where extremist candidates can seize safe districts. His socialist, anti-American agenda clashes with Georgia’s core values of law and order and free enterprise. Although his policies will never be popular outside aggrieved constituencies, he understands this and plans to grow those constituencies using the megaphone he gained by getting elected to state government. This should serve as a wake-up call for common-sense Georgians, no matter their registration, to participate in primaries to prevent radicals from exploiting low turnout to undermine the Peach State’s prosperity and security.

(READ MORE: American Workers Are Thriving in Trump's Economy)