Democrats are turning to Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) as one of their messengers on immigration and border security at the Democratic National Convention, Axios has learned.

• Suozzi is set to speak on Wednesday along with other Democratic lawmakers for a section focused on immigration, according to two sources familiar with the plans.

Why it matters: Suozzi famously won a high-profile special election in February by breaking with his party to tack to the center on the border, a playbook other Democrats have since scrambled to adopt.

• The Long Islander’s selection to speak on the topic at the DNC signals just how widely Democrats have embraced his hawkish approach.

What we’re hearing: Souzzi’s message will be similar to what he said on the campaign trail, including going after Republicans for killing a bipartisan border deal, one of the sources said.

• Punchbowl News was first to report that Suozzi was scheduled to speak Wednesday, but the topic of his remarks has not been previously reported.

What they’re saying: In an Axios House interview on Monday, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) singled out Suozzi’s border strategy in February for praise.

• “Tom Suozzi addressed it head on, he called Republicans out for walking away from a bipartisan deal … and that was critical,” DelBene said.

• “Voters voted for him because he actually talked about what he would do,” she added. “He took it head on. He did not avoid the issue.”

Zoom out: Democrats have further codified their shift to the right on immigration in their 2024 platform.

• The document’s preamble talks about “securing our border in the face of Republican inaction,” and includes a chapter on “Securing our Border & Fixing the Broken Immigration System.”
• In addition to expanding pathways to legal immigration and asylum, the chapter pledges to fund additional border patrol agents and new technology at the southern border