Texas Senate candidate James Talarico said Democrats took the southern border “for granted” during Joe Biden’s presidency, acknowledging what he described as a party failure on the issue. His remarks matter because border security remains a central political issue in Texas and nationally, where Democrats have faced sustained Republican criticism over immigration policy.

Talarico, a Democrat seeking a US Senate seat in Texas, made the comments on Thursday. He argued that Democrats should address voters’ concerns about the border more directly, while the article frames his statement against the wider debate over the Biden administration’s immigration record.