Texas Rep. Collin Allred, a Democrat seeking to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, campaigned in the 2018 congressional election on a platform of tough border security while disparaging immigration authorities.

During the 2018 midterm elections, Allred called the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency “un-American,” “harmful,” and “a danger to public safety,” according to multiple campaign videos. As a candidate for the Senate, Allred: release The ad focused on border issues, claiming that if elected he would “secure the border” and “increase the number of border guards.”

“We're seeing ICE being used as a net to catch everyone in our community who is dark-skinned, and then later check to see if they have papers,” Allred said. Alleged At a 2017 election event. “This is completely un-American.”(Related: Democratic challenger to Ted Cruz is funded by donors who want to cut police budgets)

“road [ICE is] “This law as it's currently being used is, in my opinion, very harmful to many communities because it leads to less reporting of criminal activity in some Latino communities and people are afraid that every report will turn into an immigration issue,” he later said. said “It's detrimental to public safety,” he said during a 2018 parliamentary debate.

All Red It is called At a campaign event in April 2018, Trump, a Texas representative, denounced the US border wall as “stupid” and argued that Texans have no problem with immigrants crossing the border because “we grow up in an incredibly diverse state.” At another event that year, he also called the wall “racist” and called for it to be torn down.

“I want to speak briefly about this racist wall. The symbol of this country should not be a barbed wire fence. It should remain the Statue of Liberty. I'll be very clear to you: if they build that wall, my generation will be the one to tear it down. We will not have that wall in our country. We will not have that wall in our country. I'm not going to waste billions of dollars on racist campaign promises and I'm not going to change the symbol of our country to a barbed wire wall,” Allred said.

But Allred released an ad on Aug. 1 that shows her standing near a barrier at the southern border.

“We don't have time for politics here,” Allred said. said The ad reads: “I'm Colin Allred and I'm working with both parties to finally secure our border, increase Border Patrol agents, crack down on fentanyl, end human trafficking, and get tough on drug cartels.”

Democrats again Claimed In an Aug. 6 ad, he said he supports increasing the number of Border Patrol agents.

“Colin Allred is a radical leftist who has voted for open borders, publicly denounced ICE, called the border wall racist, and proudly touted the support of groups that have called for defunding the police and abolishing ICE,” a Cruz campaign spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “He cannot defend his radical record to Texas voters.”

More than 8 million encounters have occurred at the southern border since President Joe Biden took office, many of them in U.S. cities such as New York and Chicago. According to Report to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Illegal immigrants have committed a number of high-profile crimes, including the murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia.

A June 2024 Gallup poll found that 55% of Americans Reported Those who say they want fewer immigrants recorded the highest level of opposition to immigration since October 2001. 51% of Americans, including 45% of Latinos, support mass deportation of illegal immigrants. According to According to an Axios poll released in April.

Allred appeared to step up her rhetoric on immigration issues when she introduced an immigration bill in June. Introduced The bill would have the federal government analyze and develop solutions to immigration enforcement staffing shortages, and Allred boasted that the bill is supported by the National Union of Treasury Employees, which represents some U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

But he has previously taken a much softer stance on immigration issues, opposing efforts to ban sanctuary cities, supporting a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and opposing bills aimed at reducing illegal border crossings, Fox News Digital reported. Reported.

he Co-organized by In September 2021, a bill was passed criticizing Border Patrol agents. Exposed Claims horse reins were used to whip migrants rear Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ruled out using such force. Allred also voted. Against The resolution condemns Biden and Mayorkas over the border crackdown in March.

The congressman attended a campaign-related event in May where organizers handed out literature informing immigrants how to avoid law enforcement, Fox News reported. Reported.

Polls predict Cruz will easily beat Allred, with RealClear Polling average As of August 26, he has a lead of about seven points, but some polls suggest the race is closer. A recent University of Houston poll showed: put Allred finished just two points behind Cruz.

Democrats are investing heavily in defeating Cruz, having bought or secured about $23.5 million worth of ads in the Texas Senate race as of Aug. 7. According to According to Axios, the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents Border Patrol agents, Approved Cruz on August 21st.

Allred's campaign did not respond to DCNF's request for comment.

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