Kicking off his tour of the U.S.-Mexico border as he campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat in November, Democratic candidate James Talarico renewed his call for "comprehensive immigration reform" during a town hall in El Paso, Texas, over the weekend.
Talarico, a Texas state representative, said July 11 that he will continue pushing for a more humane approach to immigration than the one embraced by the Trump administration, arguing it better reflects the values Texans hold dear.
"I'm fighting for comprehensive immigration reform, not only ensuring our border is secure, but allowing those who have been here for years and decades to come out of the shadows and contribute to our communities," Talarico said, as quoted by Border Report. "I think that's what most Texans are hungry for. We want an immigration system that reflects our values, both as a nation of laws and as a nation of immigrants."
The Democratic Senate candidate said many Hispanic communities are living in fear after witnessing violence against immigrants across the country, pointing to the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by federal immigration agents in Houston earlier this month as the latest example.
"I want them to know if we come together, win this (Senate) seat, we can ensure we protect Hispanic Texans, protect our immigrant neighbors and ensure all of us can live safely and contribute to this country, which is what immigrants have done throughout our history," Talarico added.
Talarico is locked in a tight Senate race with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and has planned a 750-mile bus tour of the southern border to reach communities he says have long been ignored by both parties. He is expected to hold town hall meetings from El Paso to the Rio Grande Valley and used his July 11 event to take a jab at Paxton, suggesting his Republican rival is too far removed from the issues facing border communities.
"I don't think Ken Paxton has even visited the border," Talarico said. "He's spent too much time in Europe on his luxury vacation."
Talarico said the purpose of his "Frontera Tour" is to hear directly about the issues Texans living near the border face every day and learn how he could make their lives easier if elected to the Senate in November.
Talarico is facing Paxton in the Nov. 3 general election to replace U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who lost his bid for reelection to Paxton in the Republican primary.
According to a New York Times/Siena poll released at the end of June, Talarico and Paxton are tied at 47 percent among likely voters, with just six percent saying they remain undecided.
The New York Times/Siena poll was conducted by telephone from June 19-27 among a random sample of 656 likely voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
Even longtime Republicans in Texas agree this year's race between Talarico and Paxton could come down to the wire. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said in an interview last week that Talarico has "a real chance" of flipping the seat.
"Unfortunately, I do think he has a real chance," Cruz said during Sean Hannity's radio show on July 8. "I think we're going to win, I think we're going to keep Texas red, but the polling right now shows this is a 1- or 2-point race," he said.
He went on to describe the Democrat as "radical" and "extreme," before adding, "This guy is also charming."
