By Trendsetter Tribune 
On Friday, March 27, 2026, a panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Grapevine, Texas, titled “Don’t Sharia My Texas,” took a sharp turn into extreme immigration rhetoric. Bo French, a candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission and former Tarrant County GOP chair, sparked immediate national controversy by calling for the deportation of 100 million people from the United States.
French’s remarks, which go far beyond the current administration’s focus on the estimated 11–14 million undocumented immigrants, have drawn swift condemnation from civil rights groups and even some fellow Republicans.
The “100 Million” Rationale
During the panel, French argued that the current approach to immigration and “cultural infiltration” was insufficient.
- The Target: While the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population is estimated at roughly 14 million, French’s figure of 100 million would necessitate the deportation of nearly one-third of the U.S. population, including tens of millions of legal residents and natural-born American citizens.
- Islam as a Focus: French framed his call as a defense against “Sharia law,” stating, “The problem is actually Islam.” He claimed that “infiltration” is a strategy to “conquer Texas” and eventually control the United States.
- The “Grassroots” Message: French, who is currently in a primary runoff against incumbent Jim Wright, lambasted the Republican establishment for what he called a 30-year failure to address these “existential threats.”
Reactions and Fallout
The scale of French’s proposal has triggered a firestorm of responses across the political spectrum:
| Group | Response |
| CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) | Denounced the remarks as “shameful” and “conspiratorial,” urging the “Sharia Free Caucus” to retract the statements and learn the history of Muslim Texans. |
| Jim Wright (Incumbent Opponent) | Wright’s campaign has largely stuck to policy, but some Republican strategists have privately worried that French’s “mathematically impossible” proposal makes the party look unserious. |
| Governor Greg Abbott | Speaking at a later CPAC panel, Abbott did not directly reference the “100 million” figure but touted his decade-long efforts to “counter Islam in Texas.” |
| Civil Rights Groups | Noted that a deportation of 100 million people would represent the largest forced displacement of human beings in history, far exceeding any historical precedent. |
Context: The “Sharia Free” Movement
The panel highlights a growing trend within a specific wing of the Texas GOP that seeks to link immigration policy with religious identity. French was joined on stage by other activists who cast Islam as an inherently violent religion that threatens American institutions—a significant departure from the post-9/11 “religion of peace” framing used by the George W. Bush administration.
Political Impact on the Runoff
French’s comments come at a critical time in his runoff campaign for the Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s massive oil and gas industry. By leaning into high-octane cultural issues at CPAC, analysts believe he is attempting to mobilize the “ultra-MAGA” base to overcome the name recognition of his opponent, Jim Wright.