What James Talarico Says About ICE

James Talarico has made ICE one of the defining issues of his campaign. An eighth-generation Texan with family roots in Laredo, his message is that ICE has drifted from that mission, and it's time to change that.

At rallies in Denton and Plano, Talarico sharpened his message: "This has never been about immigration. This has always been about control." He's called ICE a "secret police force" that should be torn down, and at an Austin rally told supporters, "ICE is terrorizing our country. It's time to stand up and fight back."

Beyond the rhetoric, his platform calls for redirecting ICE toward cartels, gang members, and traffickers — not "moms and babies" or small business owners. He wants ICE agents banned from wearing masks or refusing to identify themselves, a path to legalization for longtime undocumented immigrants and DREAMers, more immigration judges, and modern scanning technology at ports of entry.

After federal agents killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, Talarico said on a debate stage: "ICE shot a mother in the face... It's time to tear down this secret police force." When ICE later shot and killed Houston resident Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Talarico wrote, "Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was murdered by ICE... Lorenzo was our neighbor and fellow Texan. He deserves justice."