Texas Candidate Contrasts with Senate Hopeful on ICE Stance
Malik Williams called for abolishing ICE and legalizing marijuana at a rally for James Talarico, who has previously distanced himself from such positions.
LUBBOCK, Texas – A Democratic candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, Malik Williams, publicly advocated for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and legalizing marijuana during a rally for U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico. The statements from Williams, who is running in Texas' 83rd legislative district, occurred Tuesday in Lubbock.
"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!" Williams exclaimed to applause during the event.
Williams' remarks on ICE stand in contrast to Talarico's more recent public statements. During a joint CNN and Jubilee town hall, Talarico stated he does not support abolishing ICE. "No, and I never have," Talarico responded when asked if he supported the idea. He added, "we need Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this country, but that's not what we're seeing. What we've seen over the last year is a secret police force, and that's what we don't want in this country."
However, Talarico's past comments have been more aligned with the sentiment expressed by Williams. In January, during a primary debate with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Talarico stated it was time to "tear down" ICE, citing specific alleged incidents involving the agency. "ICE shot a mother in the face. ICE kidnapped a 5-year-old boy. ICE executed a man in broad daylight on our streets just this morning. It's time to tear down this secret police force and replace it with an agency that actually is going to focus on public safety," he said at the time.
Data from a July YouGov/The Economist poll indicated that 67% of Republicans nationwide strongly oppose abolishing ICE, while 48% of Americans overall supported the idea. A February poll from The Texas Politics Project showed that 42% of Texas voters viewed ICE favorably, compared to 47% who viewed it unfavorably.
Williams also promoted other policies popular with progressive Democrats, including increased funding for public education, guaranteed childcare, and healthcare expansion. He also criticized Republican politicians and their support for issues such as data centers, which he argued were being forced on Texans without consent.