James Talarico

I'm an eighth-generation Texan, so my family has been in our state since it was Mexico.

My family's from South Texas.

My mom grew up in Laredo, right there on the U.S.-Mexico border.

She got her braces in Mexico because it was cheaper.

And that's in border communities, crossing back and forth on a daily basis is not unusual.

So we just understand this intimately in Texas.

I think both parties have failed us on this issue, and we need to be very honest about that.

The Biden administration's failures on our southern border, I remember talking to my border colleagues, telling me about the utter chaos in their communities because of some of those policies.

That is what opened the door to the extremism we're currently seeing on this issue.

From the other side, masked men in unmarked vehicles kidnapping people off our streets, tearing parents from their children, waiting in school pickup lines.

lurking in hospital waiting rooms.

And so you said this was a hard issue.

Here's my other hot take.

I actually don't think this is that hard because I think most Texans are in the same place here.

They are pro-immigrant and they are pro-public safety, both righteous moral positions to hold and both consistent with our traditions.

So here's the simple analogy that I've used.

I think our Southern border should be like our front porch.

There should be a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door.

Because I'm hospitable.

Texas is the friendly state.