Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, was featured in a recent Senate campaign ad walking along the southern border wall, despite previously denouncing the wall proposed by former President Trump as “racist.” Allred has a history of opposing the border wall and other efforts by Republicans to secure the border. He has voted against bills aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and limiting the president’s ability to restrict illegal immigrants from entering the country. Allred’s campaign has criticized Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for not supporting bipartisan legislation to secure the border, claiming Cruz cares only about himself.
A bipartisan border bill negotiated by Sens. Chris Murphy, Kyrsten Sinema, and James Lankford was largely rejected by Republicans, who criticized the bill and President Trump for not addressing the crisis at the border effectively. Some Republicans believed the bill would have made the current border crisis worse and argued that the president already has the authority to address border concerns without additional congressional approval. The bill was voted down by two of the three negotiators, Sinema and Lankford, in a recent procedural vote.
Vice President Harris, who is running as the Democratic nominee for president, has also used the Trump-era border wall in campaign advertisements to portray herself as strong on border security. The Trump campaign criticized Harris for purportedly supporting the border wall, calling the claims preposterous and false. Despite the Cook Political Report rating the Texas Senate race as “likely Republican” with Cruz having a significant advantage, Allred has outspent Cruz in the race and is seen as a competitive challenger.
Allred’s campaign spokesperson stated that the congressman is focused on bipartisan solutions to fix the broken immigration system and secure the border, while criticizing Cruz for failing to secure the border despite being in the Senate for 12 years. Allred’s support for legislation opposing Trump’s national emergency declaration and limiting the president’s ability to restrict illegal immigration has drawn attention from both Republicans and Democrats. The ongoing debate over the border wall and immigration policies has become a focal point in the Texas Senate race, with both candidates highlighting their positions on border security.
While Republicans have been critical of the border bill negotiated by bipartisan lawmakers, Democrats like Allred and Harris have shifted their positions on the border wall as concerns about illegal immigration have increased. Despite the continued debate over border security and immigration policies, the Texas Senate race remains a competitive race with significant ad spending from Allred. As the election approaches, both candidates are expected to continue highlighting their stances on border security and immigration to appeal to voters.
