Texas Senate race: Warmup speaker calls for abolishing ICE

A Democratic candidate for the Texas state legislature called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a warmup speech at a Lubbock rally for U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico. The candidate, Malik Williams, delivered these remarks on Tuesday before introducing Talarico to the audience.

Williams told the crowd, "We can legalize and tax THC and cannabis. We're gonna abolish ICE, we're gonna tax the rich and we're going to get my friend, the next United States Senator from the state of Texas, James Talarico, elected!" The statement drew loud applause from attendees.

Talarico has publicly distanced himself from that specific proposal. During a joint town hall with CNN and Jubilee, he stated, "No, and I never have," when asked if he supported abolishing the agency. He explained, "we need Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this country, but that's not what we're seeing." He characterized the agency's recent actions as resembling "a secret police force, and that's what we don't want in this country."

This stance differs from comments Talarico made in January during a primary debate with Rep. Jasmine Crockett. At that time, Talarico said it was time to "tear down" ICE. He cited incidents including a mother shot in the face, a five-year-old boy kidnapped, and a man executed on a street that morning. He proposed replacing the agency with one focused on public safety and supported calling agents before Congress to testify.

Public opinion on the issue remains split. A July poll by YouGov and The Economist found that 48% of Americans support abolishing ICE. Among Republicans, 67% strongly oppose the idea. In Texas, a February poll from The Texas Politics Project showed that 42% of voters view the agency favorably, while 47% view it unfavorably.

Williams also advocated for policies favored by the Democratic Socialists of America, including guaranteed childcare, expanded healthcare, and increased funding for public education. He criticized President Donald Trump and Talarico's Republican opponent, Ken Paxton. Williams stated, "When we have embarrassing loser representatives that support a fascist, racist, rapist, war criminal, I say we deserve better!" He also argued that ranchers and farmers do not want data centers imposed on their communities.

The campaigns for Talarico, Williams, and Paxton did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the discrepancy in messaging.