EAGLE PASS — No border city captured more Republican focus in 2024 than Eagle Pass, where Texas GOP leaders commandeered a public park and deployed thousands of state troopers and Texas National Guard members to monitor the Rio Grande, following a surge in illegal crossings.
Among the notable visitors that year was President Donald Trump, campaigning for a second term, along with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and numerous other Republicans eager to position border security as a central theme of the election. Their strategy proved effective: Trump secured 59% of the vote in Maverick County and won in several other border counties.
However, during a recent visit to Eagle Pass, Democratic state representative and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico found that illegal crossings had remained at historically low levels for months, attributed to strict immigration policies from the Trump administration. Addressing a crowd at a town hall, Talarico expressed his intent to understand local concerns and priorities.
“Typically, when politicians visit the border, they resort to demonization, weaponization, and self-promotion,” Talarico stated at the International Center for Trade. “We aim to take a different approach.”
In the wake of two tragic shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, including one in Houston, Talarico and his Republican rival, Attorney General Ken Paxton, traveled to South Texas to share their early border security proposals. Talarico presented a multi-point plan that he had refined during a weeklong tour, while Paxton reiterated his commitment to adhere to Trump’s “America first” agenda.
At both candidates’ events, interviews with nearly two dozen voters revealed a shift in sentiment among some border residents. Frustrations with the Biden administration’s handling of record crossings have transformed into apprehension over the Trump administration’s aggressive mass deportation tactics, as residents witness neighbors deported and local businesses struggle. Public polling reflects this trend, indicating that many Latino voters who once supported Trump are now expressing discomfort with his immigration policies. One recent survey showed that one in five Hispanic business owners in Texas has had at least one employee deported.
State Representative James Talarico addresses attendees during a town hall meeting at the International Center for Trade in Eagle Pass. Aiden Gonzalez
Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at his “Rally in the Valley” event at a McAllen venue. Aiden Gonzalez
Residents from Del Rio to McAllen, including some Republicans, voiced their hopes that the next senator could assist in modernizing the nation’s immigration system, which has been labeled dysfunctional by members of both parties, despite decades of legislative stalemate on the issue.
Many expressed nuanced views, reflecting the GOP’s enduring support in a region where U.S. Customs and Border Protection jobs are highly sought after and well-compensated. While some acknowledged the need for a tough stance under Trump, they also criticized the untenable circumstances that arose under former President Biden, whose administration oversaw record-high crossings.
Bob Drasner, a 77-year-old Republican who has lived in the Rio Grande Valley for nearly eight years, emphasized the need for a “good filter” regarding immigration. Recognizing the demand for skilled labor, such as doctors and lawyers, he expressed his views while waiting for Paxton to speak at a McAllen rally.
“If I have a heart condition, I don’t care what color you are,” he remarked.
In Del Rio, Rodolfo Garcia, 59, stood outside on a sweltering afternoon with his 16-year-old daughter, Celeste, eager to meet Talarico at a local Mexican restaurant. He supports the Austin Democrat partly because he hopes Congress can create a better path to citizenship.
“He’s moderate,” Garcia said, standing close to Talarico’s bus.
Voters consistently indicated that economic issues and reducing everyday costs were their primary concerns this election cycle, underscoring the evolving landscape surrounding immigration — a topic that significantly boosted Republican victories just two years prior.
Talarico’s listening session in Eagle Pass and his restaurant visit in Del Rio were just two highlights of a comprehensive border tour he completed last week. The day began 175 miles away in Sanderson, where Talarico unveiled what he describes as a “commonsense” border security strategy.
The key elements of this plan include hiring additional Border Patrol agents and immigration judges, while utilizing surveillance technology to monitor illegal crossings and drug trafficking. Talarico also opposes the proposed border wall by the Trump administration that would disrupt Big Bend National Park. He later acknowledged that while a physical barrier may be warranted in some areas, it is not suitable for the remote regions of West Texas.
Accompanying Talarico in Sanderson were local officials who have vocally opposed the Trump administration’s plans for the barrier through Big Bend: Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, Jeff Davis County Judge Curtis Evans — both Republicans — and Alpine Mayor Catherine Eaves, an independent.
Sheriff Cleveland, whose criticisms of the Biden administration have established him as a significant voice from the U.S.-Mexico border, argued that Americans have a misguided belief that a border wall could completely halt illegal crossings. He asserted that an effective approach combines barriers with technology, aligning with Talarico’s plan. He recounted a recent incident where a group attempting to cross the border was detected by a drone, leading to their apprehension in an area devoid of a wall.
“I support barriers. But I support barriers where they work. And a barrier is not gonna work here,” stated Cleveland, who spent decades as a Border Patrol agent before becoming sheriff in his hometown. “His plan that I’ve had the opportunity to review resonates with both parties’ rhetoric in Washington, D.C.”
As Talarico continued his border tour, Paxton’s campaign countered by criticizing Talarico’s voting history on multiple border security-related bills. They highlighted his opposition to two significant recent immigration laws: one from 2023 allowing state police to detain individuals suspected of illegal entry, and another from the previous year mandating collaboration between most sheriffs and ICE.
Paxton’s supporters have also circulated previous statements from Talarico regarding the border, including his reference to individuals without legal status as “undocumented Americans” lacking citizenship documentation, a remark that was recently condemned by the Senate Leadership Fund, a prominent super PAC associated with the Republican leadership.
It remains uncertain how these attacks will resonate with border voters.
Amber Diaz, a 24-year-old breastfeeding counselor in Eagle Pass, shared how her recently naturalized stepfather was once a staunch Trump supporter until he began witnessing the repercussions of the president’s immigration policies. Following the news of the ICE shooting death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, he reached out to express his concerns.
The White House’s deportation initiative is a pressing issue for residents in South Texas. Rumors about ICE potentially collaborating with local Border Patrol agents often circulate, instilling fear that authorities may appear at local grocery stores like HEB, a popular spot for thousands of Mexican nationals crossing the border daily with visas.
In Paxton’s view, immigration is straightforward: “We need a secure border. We need to protect our country. We need to prioritize America first.” In his initial rally after winning the GOP primary, Paxton highlighted his numerous lawsuits against the Biden administration’s immigration policies and celebrated a recent endorsement from the largest union representing Border Patrol agents.
Among the audience at his McAllen rally were Rocely Gomez, 40, and her 19-year-old son, Mario Prado. Like many of Paxton’s supporters, they endorse the president’s mass deportation strategy and identify as “100% Republican.”
Gomez expressed relief that her husband, a Border Patrol agent, feels more secure with Trump back in office. She articulated her frustrations about how discussions on border security often reduce complex issues to binary perspectives. “Some people don’t have a husband who comes home deeply shaken by his day,” she shared, recalling incidents where her husband encountered a vulnerable baby or a young girl who had faced trauma while migrating north.
While Gomez would like to see a pathway to citizenship, she also emphasizes the necessity for controlling border crossings.
“It’s kinda tough,” she acknowledged.
