ICE & Public Safety

Families deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods and confident that government is working for them, not against them. Public safety matters, but so do accountability, due process, and basic human dignity.

I support coordination among state, local, and federal authorities. But no agency should be free from scrutiny, and no one should be treated as disposable.

The deaths of Renee Good, Michael Pretty, Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán — a visitor on a valid tourist visa who was supposed to return home that same week — Houston's Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and all the others killed in ICE encounters are painful reminders that when government action goes wrong, the consequences are irreversible. These cases demand hard questions, full transparency, and real accountability. We cannot claim to value safety while ignoring preventable harm or refusing to examine official failures.

This isn't abstract for our district. In 2025, the Legislature passed SB 8, requiring Texas sheriffs — including our own — to enter agreements to help ICE enforce federal immigration law. Sen. Charles Schwertner sponsored it. Rep. Paul Dyson voted for it.

I see it differently. Our local law enforcement should answer to the people of Brazos County and spend their time keeping our community safe — not be ordered by Austin to take on the federal government's job. When neighbors are afraid to call the police or come forward as witnesses, crimes go unreported and everyone is less safe — citizens and immigrants alike.

That's not tough on crime. That's just tough on trust.

You can see the vote for yourself on my [Receipts page].

Whether someone is a citizen, legal immigrant, undocumented immigrant, or visitor, every person deserves to be treated lawfully and with dignity. No innocent person should be swept up without due process. No family should be left without answers when a loved one is harmed.

As a state representative, I will support lawful enforcement, but I will also fight for strong oversight, accountability from state agencies, and help for constituents when government gets it wrong. I will work to protect taxpayer dollars and make sure public power is used fairly, responsibly, and within the law.

Public office is a public trust. I will always stand for safety, fairness, accountability, and human dignity.