James Talarico Caught Laughing About Church Housing Undocumented Family Facing Deportation

A resurfaced 2023 interview is putting Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico (D) back in the spotlight over comments about his church housing an undocumented family facing deportation proceedings.

The clip, highlighted by Fox News on August 9, shows Talarico discussing how his Christian faith influenced his decision to enter politics and describing several controversial actions taken by his church, including housing a mother and son who were reportedly close to being deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"Our church was really active in LGBTQ rights in the '90s," said Talarico in the interview. He then described the church allowing an atheist to join in the 2000s before discussing its decision in the 2010s to house the undocumented family.

"We caught some attention by letting an atheist join our church in the 2000s, and then in the 2010s, again stirred some controversy by housing an undocumented family, a mother and son, who were close to being deported by ICE," said Talarico.

The resurfaced comments have drawn criticism from Republicans, who are using the episode to argue that Talarico has openly supported efforts to shield people facing immigration enforcement.

Talarico, however, presented the decision through the lens of his religious beliefs and his understanding of Christianity.

"That was the tradition I was brought up in," said Talarico, explaining that his experiences with the church helped lead him toward teaching, nonprofit work and eventually politics.

He also connected those experiences to his broader political philosophy, saying, "Justice is just love out in public."

Talarico concluded the discussion of his church's history with a phrase that has since become central to criticism surrounding the clip, stating, "Christianity is just another word for causing trouble."

As Talarico's Senate Campaign continues, the resurfaced interview is giving Republicans another opportunity to portray him as out of step with Texas voters on immigration, while Talarico's comments frame the actions through his religious and political commitment to social justice.