“His anti-American agenda shows”: Republicans accuse Talarico of siding with violent illegal immigrants after Senate hopeful missed vote on “Jocelyn’s Law”

Texas – Texas Democrat James Talarico is facing growing political backlash after critics revived his record on immigration and crime while accusing the Senate hopeful of missing a key vote connected to the murder of a 12-year-old Houston girl allegedly killed by two illegal immigrants.

The controversy centers around “Jocelyn’s Law,” a proposed constitutional amendment in Texas named after Jocelyn Nungaray, the Houston preteen whose killing shocked the state in 2024 and quickly became a flashpoint in the national immigration debate. Prosecutors say the girl was abducted, sexually assaulted, and strangled before her body was discovered in a creek drainage area. Two Venezuelan nationals, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, both accused of being in the country illegally, were charged with capital murder.

The case sparked outrage across Texas, particularly after reports revealed the two suspects had previously been encountered by Border Patrol agents near El Paso earlier in 2024 before being released into the United States under the Biden administration. The killing happened only months later.

Against that backdrop, Republican lawmakers pushed “Jocelyn’s Law,” which aimed to automatically deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent felonies. But the measure ultimately failed after it did not receive enough bipartisan support in the Texas House.

Talarico, who now hopes to win a U.S. Senate seat, has become a major target because he was “absent when it mattered most,” according to Gov. Abbott, during the final vote on the bill in 2025.

James Talarico was absent when it mattered most.

When Texas lawmakers voted on Jocelyn’s Law — named for a 12-year-old Houston girl sexually assaulted and strangled by illegal immigrants — Talarico was a no-show.

Before that, he voted against the Damon Allen Act — against…

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 13, 2026

Republicans turn missed vote into major campaign attack

Conservatives have seized on the absence as proof that Talarico is weak on immigration enforcement and violent crime, especially in a border state that carried much of the burden during the migrant surge under former President Joe Biden.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Zach Kraft harshly criticized the Democrat, saying, “It is disgusting that James Talarico is letting his anti-American agenda show by siding with a violent illegal over a Texas family.”

Kraft continued attacking Talarico’s record, arguing that the missed vote “once again … proven his priority is criminals, not the safety of Texans.”

The criticism intensified because Talarico had also been involved in earlier procedural votes connected to the legislation. Before missing the final vote, he voted against efforts to remove amendments that would have exempted certain groups from the proposed bail restrictions. Those exemptions included people with humanitarian parole, pending green card applications, Temporary Protected Status, trafficking victim protections, and other immigration-related classifications.

Republicans argue those positions reveal a broader pattern.

Over the years, Talarico has repeatedly been accused by conservatives of taking softer positions on bail reform and immigration issues. Critics have also pointed to his opposition to the Damon Allen Act, another Texas proposal that sought stricter bail rules for dangerous offenders. That legislation was named after Texas state trooper Damon Allen, who was killed by a repeat offender who had previously been released on bail.

In 2021, Talarico also voted against another constitutional amendment proposal that would have denied bail to individuals accused of violent sexual crimes or trafficking offenses.

Campaign pushes back hard

Talarico’s campaign has strongly rejected the accusations, arguing Republicans are intentionally twisting his record for political purposes as the Senate race heats up.

Campaign spokesperson JT Ennis defended the Democrat by saying, “James is a law and order Democrat who supports prosecuting violent felons, and has a proven track record voting for tighter bail laws for violent offenders and voting repeatedly to increase funding for Texas police.”

Ennis also accused top Texas Republicans of trying to distract voters from larger political problems.

“While [incumbent Sen.] John Cornyn, [challenger Texas Attorney General] Ken Paxton, and the billionaires who prop them up lie about James’ record, he will continue standing up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system,” he said.

Still, the attacks are unlikely to disappear anytime soon, especially because immigration remains one of the most emotional issues in Texas politics.

Data collected by the House Homeland Security Committee near the end of Biden’s presidency showed more than 10.8 million border encounters and roughly two million known gotaways during that period. Republicans continue using those numbers to argue that border security failures directly contributed to violent crimes inside the country.

Talarico’s older immigration comments have also returned to the spotlight. In 2019, he referred to undocumented immigrants as people who were “also my constituents,” a remark that conservatives have repeatedly cited against him.

Another point of controversy came from a graphic shared by United We Dream, a progressive activist group that supports abolishing ICE and Customs and Border Protection. In the material, Talarico encouraged immigrants not to open their doors to federal immigration agents, advised them not to sign documents without legal representation, and urged them to “fight back.”

Supporters argue those comments reflected concern about constitutional rights and due process protections. Critics, however, say the statements demonstrate hostility toward immigration enforcement agencies.

As the Texas Senate race becomes more intense, Republicans appear determined to keep tying Talarico to border security concerns, violent crime fears, and controversial immigration positions. Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to frame the attacks as politically motivated distortions meant to energize conservative voters ahead of November.

With immigration still dominating political conversations across Texas, the debate surrounding “Jocelyn’s Law” is likely to remain one of the most explosive issues in the race.