Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico used a campaign stop in West Texas to outline a border security proposal that combines increased enforcement resources with criticism of both former President Joe Biden’s border policies and President Donald Trump’s plan to build a border wall through the Big Bend region.
Speaking Monday in Terrell County, Talarico said he supports hiring additional Border Patrol agents, expanding surveillance technology and increasing the number of immigration judges to reduce asylum case backlogs. He also said Immigration and Customs Enforcement should prioritize people who pose serious public-safety threats rather than families, children and longtime residents without serious criminal records.
Talarico, a state representative seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, sharply criticized plans to construct a border wall through the environmentally sensitive Big Bend region, calling the project “a monument to corruption.”
According to Texas Public Radio, Talarico described the proposed wall as “useless” and argued that border barriers should be built only in areas where they are effective.
“That’s the most expensive contract for border wall construction in Texas history, and it’s going to the least-trafficked section of the entire southern border and through one of the most sacred parts of Texas,” Talarico said, according to TPR.
At the same time, Talarico sought to distance himself from the Biden administration’s handling of border security.
“Joe Biden and his administration failed us on our southern border,” Talarico said.
He argued that most Texans favor what he described as a “common-sense” approach that combines enforcement personnel, technology and immigration court resources to create a more orderly immigration process.
Talarico’s comments come as immigration and border security remain among the most prominent issues in Texas politics. During Biden’s presidency, Customs and Border Protection recorded historically high numbers of migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border, making immigration a central issue in national and state elections.
Texas Public Radio reported that Talarico’s opposition to the Big Bend wall project drew support from local officials across party lines. Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, a Republican and retired Border Patrol agent, said barriers may be useful in some urban areas but that technology and additional personnel would be more effective in the Big Bend region. Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez, a Democrat, expressed support for targeted barriers while opposing the broader regional wall project.
Republican Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken a significantly different approach to border security, frequently describing unauthorized border crossings as an “invasion” and supporting aggressive enforcement measures.
As attorney general, Paxton defended Texas’ Operation Lone Star initiative, backed the state’s use of razor wire along portions of the Rio Grande and supported Senate Bill 4, which authorizes local law enforcement to arrest individuals suspected of entering the country illegally.
Responding to Talarico’s proposal, Paxton’s campaign issued a statement criticizing the Democratic candidate.
“James Talarico has a long streak of lying to voters,” Paxton said in the statement, accusing him of supporting Biden-era immigration policies and arguing that his current positions are politically motivated.
Paxton was scheduled to present his own border security agenda Tuesday evening during a campaign event in McAllen.
This article is based on reporting by Texas Public Radio.
