Talarico Faces Senate Scrutiny Over Church Housing 2 Undocumented Migrants as Border Record Draws Fire
Updated
Updated · texasscorecard.com · Aug 10
Talarico Faces Senate Scrutiny Over Church Housing 2 Undocumented Migrants as Border Record Draws Fire
2 articles · Updated · texasscorecard.com · Aug 10
Summary
A 2023 podcast clip resurfaced showing James Talarico saying the church he grew up in housed an undocumented mother and son who were close to ICE deportation.
Talarico framed the episode as part of a progressive Christian tradition that shaped his career, also praising church activism on LGBTQ rights and attacking what he called “Christo-fascism.”
The remarks land as immigration and border security remain central in his Senate race against Republican Ken Paxton, even as Talarico’s campaign says he supports stronger border enforcement.
Paxton has used Talarico’s Texas House record to argue that stance is inconsistent, citing his opposition to state border measures including a border protection unit and arrests of illegal border crossers.
The resurfaced comments add to earlier campaign scrutiny of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, where Talarico attends and preaches, over challenged LGBT-themed books in its library.