Texas GOP Candidate’s CPAC Remarks Spark Debate Over Immigration and Islam
Comments by Railroad Commission contender Bo French draw criticism from civil rights groups and highlight shifting rhetoric within the Texas Republican Party.
A Republican candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission drew national attention on Friday after calling for the deportation of 100 million people and urging Republicans to more openly embrace rhetoric critical of Islam during remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Grapevine, Texas.
Bo French, a former Tarrant County Republican Party chair and current candidate for the statewide regulatory post, made the comments while participating in a CPAC panel titled “Don’t Sharia My Texas.”
During the discussion, French argued that immigration policies enacted since 1965 had allowed entry from countries whose cultures and values, he said, were incompatible with the United States.
French’s call for deportations far exceeds the estimated number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States.
In his remarks, French framed Islam itself as a threat, asserting that concerns often labeled as opposition to Sharia law were, in his view, rooted in the religion more broadly. He warned that Muslim communities could “infiltrate” and “conquer” Texas, language that critics said echoed longstanding anti-Muslim tropes.
The comments come as anti-Islam rhetoric has become more prominent in Texas Republican politics. Some candidates and elected officials have characterized Islam as an existential threat to American culture and public safety, often linking those claims to immigration debates.
Texas is home to more than 300,000 Muslims, with long-established communities in Houston and North Texas. As of 2017, Muslims comprised less than 2% of the state’s population.
French, who is competing in a Republican primary runoff against incumbent Jim Wright for a seat on the Railroad Commission, said Texas politicians had failed for decades to adequately address what he described as a growing problem.
At CPAC, Gov. Greg Abbott cited his administration’s long-running efforts to counter what he characterized as the influence of Islam in Texas, underscoring the issue’s increasing visibility within the party.