US Rep. Jasmine Crockett steps up appeals to Latino voters

Crockett visits detention center, holds rally in Rio Grande Valley as she seeks to court key Democratic primary voting bloc

Jan. 30, 2026 at 8:15am

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As state Rep. James Talarico ramps up his outreach to Latino voters in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is following suit with visits this week to a migrant detention center in Dilley and a campaign rally in the Rio Grande Valley. Public polling released Thursday found Talarico leading Crockett by 10 percentage points among Latino voters who are likely to vote in the March 3 primary, a far narrower margin than in earlier surveys.

Why it matters

Latino voters make up about a third of the typical Democratic primary electorate in Texas, making them a key voting bloc that both Crockett and Talarico are courting ahead of the March 3 primary. Crockett's visit to the Dilley detention center and rally in the Rio Grande Valley are part of her efforts to connect with Latino voters and highlight her opposition to the Trump administration's immigration policies.

The details

At the Dilley detention center, Crockett met with a 5-year-old boy named Liam Conejo Ramos who was detained along with his father and brought to Texas by federal immigration officials. Crockett said the children at the center were being given poor drinking water and did not have access to schooling. Crockett also headlined a rally in McAllen alongside Ada Cuellar, a Democratic congressional candidate, as part of her outreach to Latino voters in the Rio Grande Valley.

  • On Wednesday, Crockett visited an immigrant detention center in Dilley, about 70 miles south of San Antonio.
  • On Thursday, Crockett headlined a rally in McAllen, the biggest city in Hidalgo County, where more than nine in 10 residents are Latino.

The players

Jasmine Crockett

A U.S. Representative from Texas's 30th congressional district and a Democratic candidate in the U.S. Senate primary.

James Talarico

A state Representative and a Democratic candidate in the U.S. Senate primary.

Ada Cuellar

An emergency physician running in the Democratic primary for Texas's 15th Congressional District.

Bobby Pulido

A Tejano music star running in the Democratic primary for Texas's 15th Congressional District, endorsed by Talarico.

Monica De La Cruz

The Republican U.S. Representative for Texas's 15th Congressional District.

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What they’re saying

“The treatment these people are suffering under right now is worse than those that are accused and sometimes even convicted of crimes. We are supposed to be better than this.”

— Jasmine Crockett, U.S. Representative (MySA)

“These people need advocates. This was the very first time there was a glimmer of hope in their eyes.”

— Jasmine Crockett, U.S. Representative (MySA)

“We consistently help those that are struggling, even though they're outside of my district, because we have a lot of people on the federal level that don't want to do their jobs. I am beyond tired of the politics of division. It is beyond time for us to come together.”

— Jasmine Crockett, U.S. Representative (MySA)

What’s next

With Election Day less than three weeks away, Crockett and Talarico will continue their outreach to Latino voters in the final stretch of the Democratic primary campaign.

The takeaway

Crockett's visits to the Dilley detention center and the rally in the Rio Grande Valley demonstrate her efforts to connect with Latino voters, a key Democratic primary voting bloc, by highlighting her opposition to the Trump administration's immigration policies and her commitment to advocating for immigrant communities.