James Talarico says Biden admin. told by advocacy groups that border security is ‘racist’
Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, said the Biden administration allowed “chaos” along the southern border after advocacy groups persuaded officials that strong border enforcement was "racist."
Speaking during a live recording of “The Bulwark” podcast, Talarico said advocacy organizations convinced the previous administration that stricter enforcement measures, including detentions and limits on asylum entry, unfairly targeted migrants and minority communities.
“In recent years, there have been a series of advocacy groups that claim to represent the interests of different communities, like here in Texas, but actually have no real connection to the actual people on the ground,” he said. “And those groups convinced the administration that it was racist to support border security. And nothing could be further from the truth.”
Talarico said his colleagues who represent border communities in Texas have told him about the “chaos” as a result of Biden's policies, particularly in South Texas and El Paso, where high migrant arrivals put pressure on shelters, local services and law enforcement.
He said Democratic lawmakers representing border communities had warned him that federal policy was failing the people living there, adding that “chaos is not compassionate.”
“And we, as Democrats, we’re the party that’s supposed to make the government work for people,” he said. “And this was a prime example of government not working for people.”
The remarks place Talarico in an unusual position for a Democratic candidate.
Talarico said the southern border should be handled like a front porch, with “a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door,” arguing that the country can welcome immigrants who want to contribute while also keeping out people who intend harm.
The comments came as Talarico campaigns for a Senate seat after defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary on March 3, a victory that has brought scrutiny to both his political platform and his public religious language.
After the primary win, older clips of Talarico speaking about Christianity, gender and abortion circulated online, drawing criticism from conservatives and prompting President Trump to accuse him in a Fox News interview of being “whacked out” and “an insult to Jesus.”
Trump made the remarks while discussing the Republican primary runoff scheduled for May 26 between Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Talarico responded to Trump’s criticism in a video posted on X, saying policies such as removing people from healthcare programs, deporting migrants and separating families at the border insult Jesus. He added that there has been only one perfect Christian and referred to Jesus being crucified 2,000 years ago.
The speech also cited the biblical instruction to “love our neighbors as ourselves” and “on Earth as it is in Heaven.” He asked whether war, bigotry or poverty would exist in Heaven and questioned why those conditions are tolerated on Earth.
Video clips circulating after his primary victory showed him making theological statements, including that God is “non-binary,” that Jesus was a feminist and that the Bible supports abortion.
Another resurfaced video showed him saying that if Trump or Vice President JD Vance met Jesus today, they would ridicule him as “a single, childless hippie.”
Talarico has also discussed abortion policy.
In a podcast interview with Joe Rogan, he said the biblical story of the Annunciation in Luke suggests the Bible supports the idea that one must be allowed to consent if they have a child.
In a 2022 sermon, he said abortion rights also relate to trans-identified people and referred to “neighbors with a uterus.”
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Talarico wrote to Biden proposing federal steps to bypass state abortion restrictions. His proposals included leasing federal property to abortion clinics, using the Food and Drug Administration to block restrictions on abortion drugs and making abortion providers federal employees to shield them from lawsuits.
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, where Talarico attended as a child, has been designated a “Reproductive Freedom Congregation” by the Texas Freedom Network’s Just Texas Project.
Talarico, a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), holds a Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Talarico was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018 at age 29, representing the Austin area.
