Tejano Talks

Senator Bernie Sanders explains why billionaires are destroying American democracy — and why Texas is the state that can stop it. In this candid interview from the 2026 Texas Democratic Convention, Sanders lays out how money in politics has created an oligarchy, what happens if AI escapes human control, and the path forward for working people.

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IN THIS EPISODE

— Why billionaires have captured our government — and the plan to fight back

— What happens if AI separates itself from human control

— Why Texas can lead the country in a new direction

— Behind the scenes at the convention

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome, and introducing Senator Bernie Sanders

00:39 Why Sanders came to the Texas Democratic Convention

00:50 "This should be a progressive state, not a conservative red state"

01:12 Texas's electoral votes, and turning the state blue

01:41 Winning in all 254 counties, income inequality, and "a trillionaire"

01:56 Citizens United, super PACs, and buying elections

03:05 Turning out the Tejano vote

03:43 Voter suppression, and "you refuse to debate the issues"

04:32 Immigrants, trans people, and "political piñatas"

05:22 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm

05:41 Artificial intelligence: jobs, privacy, and losing control

07:04 Recent progressive wins: New York, Los Angeles, and beyond

07:31 Closing: "despair is not an option"

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Senator Bernie Sanders — the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history — sat down with Tejano Talks at the 2026 Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi. Hosted by Domingo García, this conversation cuts through the noise and gets to the heart of what's at stake for Texas and the country.

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GUEST: Senator Bernie Sanders

HOST: Domingo García — Civil rights attorney, former Texas State Representative, and former LULAC National President  [corrected — see flag above]

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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS

Tejano Talks brings you unfiltered conversations with the leaders, activists, and storytellers shaping Texas politics and culture. New episodes weekly.  ["New episodes weekly" is vidIQ's claim about cadence, not independently confirmed — verify with Caroline before publishing.]

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#BernieSanders #Billionaires #Democracy #TexasPolitics #Oligarchy #TejanoTalks #PoliticalInterview #MoneyInPolitics #Texas #BernieSandersInterview

Welcome to a special episode of Tejano Talks.

Stand with the Salgado Araujo family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-lorenzo-salgado-araujo-52-years-old

On July 7, 2026, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo — a 52-year-old homebuilder, husband, and father of three — was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Houston's East End while driving his construction crew to a job site. He had lived in the United States for 35 years.

Hosts Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia break down what happened, what the video actually shows, and what the Salgado Araujo family is asking for now. Domingo is an attorney and the former national president of LULAC.

ICE has said the officer fired in self-defense. The family, their attorney, and the passengers who were in the van dispute that account. The Harris County Medical Examiner has ruled the manner of death a homicide. The DHS Office of Inspector General and the Harris County District Attorney are both investigating.

Say his name: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

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STAND WITH THE FAMILY

Every dollar goes to his wife and three sons — funeral costs, legal expenses, and daily living. Organized by LULAC Institute, Inc. Tax-deductible.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-lorenzo-salgado-araujo-52-years-old

SUPPORT THE WORK

LULAC civil rights and legal defense:

https://lulac.org/ldf/donate/

LULAC Institute (501(c)(3), tax-deductible):

https://lulac.org/contribute/

POLITICAL ACTION 

LULAC Adelante PAC — electoral work to build Latino political power. Political contributions are not tax-deductible. 

https://lulacadelantepac.com

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IN THIS EPISODE

— Why the family and LULAC are calling for an independent investigation

— What surveillance video shows about the unmarked vehicles and the condition of the van

— The pattern: how ICE's account here echoes previous cases

— Fingerprinting U.S. citizens: a case from Domingo's own law office

— Why Domingo says the answer is organizing and the ballot box, not violence

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CHAPTERS

00:00 What happened to Lorenzo Salgado Araujo

01:30 "He weaponized his vehicle" — ICE's account, and the pattern

02:20 What the video shows: no damage, unmarked cars, masks

03:20 Who Lorenzo was: a father, a builder, 35 years in this country

05:00 Latinos as political leverage

06:00 Domingo Garcia: 37 years fighting for justice

07:10 No body cameras, no accountability

08:00 Number 17: deaths in ICE custody and enforcement operations

10:00 Turning out Tejano voters

14:00 Surveillance, privacy, and who's next

14:40 Fingerprinting U.S. citizens at a gas station

16:00 "They're not trained" — quotas and racial profiling

17:00 Why "illegal alien" is dehumanizing language

19:00 A movement back to values

22:30 Boycotts, marches, and the Sensenbrenner bill

25:30 Get organized — don't get manipulated by anger

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ABOUT THE HOSTS

DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial attorney and one of the most consequential Latino political figures in Texas. He served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino elected Mayor Pro Tem of Dallas. In the Texas Legislature he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act — securing in-state tuition for any student who graduates from a Texas high school. In 2006 he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas for immigration reform. He is a past national president of LULAC and has practiced law for 37 years.

HIRAM GILBERTO GARCIA is a journalist, media producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline reporting from the 2020 protests reached tens of millions and put him on the ground for some of the defining moments of that year. A first-generation Mexican American from El Paso, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in Political Science and International Relations, where he served as a LULAC chapter president. He has organized large-scale political marches and advised public institutions on strategic communications, including TxDOT, Capital IDEA, and American Gateways.

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Subscribe and stay tuned for future episodes featuring leaders, changemakers, and influential voices from the community and beyond.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own. Investigations into this shooting are ongoing.

#TejanoTalks #JusticeForLorenzo #LorenzoSalgadoAraujo #LULAC #Houston #Tejano #Podcast