Here’s how James Talarico would approach border and immigration

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico unveiled a border security plan Monday that is heavy on surveillance technology and beefed up staffing but lighter on physical barriers. 

The plan, which has been embraced by three rural border sheriffs, including one Republican, calls for hiring more border patrol agents to apprehend people crossing without legal authorization and more border-based immigration judges to process the claims of migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Talarico said a physical barrier “makes sense” in more populous border areas, but that said, any plans to construct fencing on the rugged terrain of Texas’ sprawling Big Bend region should be scrapped.

READ MORE:DHS chief says ‘only two miles’ of barrier is planned for Big Bend National Park

“Both parties have failed us on the border,” Talarico said during a campaign stop in rural Terrell County. “I have said that Joe Biden and his administration failed us on our southern border. That is clear and I think these officials would say the same thing. I think what most Texans and most Americans want is a common-sense approach to border security.”

The Democrat, who is facing Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Nov. 3 election, was joined by Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, a Republican who supported Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security crackdown during the Biden administration.

In an interview with Hearst Newspapers, Cleveland said Talarico’s plan makes the most sense for his part of Texas.

“His goals and talking points are no different than mine,” said Cleveland, who previously worked as  a Border Patrol agent for 26 years. “We have what I call God-made barriers out here, cliffs (along the Rio Grande) that are 1,000- 1,500-foot tall. I’m very pro-border security. If there was a need for a barrier, I would be supporting it.”

Also joining Talarico was Democratic state Rep. Eddie Morales of Eagle Pass, as well as Democratic Sheriffs Ronny Dodson of Brewster County and Joe Martinez of Val Verde County.

Talarico said he supports adding more agents to “highly trafficked areas on the border” and bringing in more immigration judges to separate legitimate asylum claims from those without merit. He also said that agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement should prioritize “detaining and deporting drug smugglers, human traffickers, (and) terrorists” instead of targeting low-threat immigrants throughout the country.

The stop in Terrell County was part of a border tour that Talarico’s campaign started over the weekend in El Paso and plans to continue through the week to the Rio Grande Valley. The stop also came one day before Paxton planned to hold a rally in McAllen.

Republicans have zeroed in on Talarico’s previous campaign statement that the border with Mexico “should have a giant welcome mat out front and we should have a lock on the door” as a sign that he would be weak on immigration enforcement. In a statement, Paxton questioned Talarico’s commitment to border security and said he had sided with his party on several votes in the state House on border-related legislation.

“James Talarico is a hypocrite who has taken a page out of the Joe Biden playbook: talks tough but, when it comes down to it, he wants America and Texas to be a place of lawlessness and he wants the American dream dead,” Paxton said.

Last year, as part of President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, Congress provided billions in funding for immigration and border enforcement, $46.5 billion for adding to the border wall and cameras and $51 billion to hire and retain border officers.

In June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection disclosed plans to build 17 miles of vehicle barriers in and around Big Bend National Park, with the intention of blocking traffickers from using off-road trucks to access the Rio Grande. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin later told lawmakers that only two miles were planned in the park.

Cleveland, whose county has about 700 residents, testified before Congress last year seeking more federal assistance for border security but not for additional barriers. He also praised Abbott’s $11 billion, multiyear border security initiative, saying it has helped his small sheriff’s office to hire additional deputies and purchase needed equipment.

In his interview, Cleveland noted the irony of a Republican sheriff supporting a Democrat’s border plan. But he said law enforcement should not be a partisan issue. He has not yet made an endorsement in the race.

“Even though I’m a Republican, I’m not one of those who thinks he has to vote with the party up and down the line,” said Cleveland, who will not be up for reelection until 2028. “I’m going to vote for the person, not necessarily the party.”