Midterm, who is Talarico: the Texan who wants to reform the Ice

Democrat James Talarico, candidate for the Texas Senate with a clear lead, is a sworn enemy of the federal immigration agency (ICE) which he accuses of having become "a secret police" at the service of Donald Trump. Talarico proposes imposing limits on the agency tasked with arresting illegal migrants: banning officers from covering their faces, forcing them to wear body cameras and ensuring they "have real law enforcement experience." At 37, Talarico, who is also a Presbyterian seminarian, is aiming for a goal his party hasn't achieved since 1988: winning one of Texas' two seats in the U.S. Senate. The candidate argues that the challenge to break Republican dominance in the state and shift the balance towards an opposition majority in Congress is not a battle between political parties, but rather a clash between "those at the top and those at the bottom". “The real fight in this country is not between left and right,” he says. “It's about us all coming together to stand up to the billionaires and corrupt politicians who have taken advantage of us.” The Latino community plays a crucial role in this election. This demographic segment, which makes up nearly a third of the electorate, has tilted toward Trump in the 2024 election, breaking with decades of support for the Democratic Party. To regain their consensus, Talarico recognizes their frustrations and points the finger at what he considers broken promises by the Republican administration. "Many people voted for Trump believing he would lower prices, but he did exactly the opposite. Many thought he would put an end to corruption, but the situation is worse than ever," he underlines.

Immigration reform

Talarico says he favors "comprehensive immigration reform" that includes "both border security and a path to citizenship" for undocumented people who have resided in the United States for years. Congress has not passed comprehensive immigration reform since 1986. In 2024, a bipartisan agreement that would have tightened asylum laws was defeated in the Senate. When asked about the possible adoption of similar restrictions on asylum if elected, Talarico responded that the system needs reform, but one structured in such a way as to allow "anyone with a legitimate asylum request to find refuge in this country". His proposal calls for hiring more immigration judges who can "review cases and filter out fraudulent applications." Pressed on the possibility of changing the asylum legislation, he limited himself to stating that it "deserves to be re-examined". The Senate race in Texas is the most expensive ever in the United States outside of a presidential election: more than $573.2 million has been spent on advertising campaigns, according to the firm AdImpact. His opponent, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, has invested approximately $274.1 million in advertising, with 92% coming from groups outside his official campaign. The main financier of these groups is Elon Musk: according to CNN, of the over 445 million dollars donated by the Tesla owner to support the Republicans in this election cycle, at least 168 million were allocated to groups that support Paxton in Texas. Talarico promises to fight to ban so-called "super PACs" organizations that can receive unlimited donations from individuals and companies to support candidates, as long as there is no coordination with the candidates' election campaigns. His candidacy, however, is supported by a super PAC to which LinkedIn co-founder and billionaire Reid Hoffman has contributed at least $11.5 million.