Frederick Haynes, the pastor of Rep. Jasmine Crockett, branded U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement “the new KKK” during a boisterous campaign rally Thursday for Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. Talarico then thanked Haynes for his “kind words.”

Haynes is running to replace Crockett in Texas’s 30th Congressional District. Speaking at a Dallas event on Talarico’s “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts” campaign tour, the pastor also called for the federal immigration agency to be abolished.

“You transformed ICE into the new KKK and brought about terror in this nation,” Haynes said of President Trump and Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton. “It's time to melt ICE. It's time to abolish ICE.”

Haynes then delivered his endorsement directly to the Democratic Senate candidate. “James Talarico, I stand with you,” he said.

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Talarico has said he opposes abolishing ICE, but that disagreement did not stop him from praising Haynes before the Dallas crowd. He urged those attending the rally to “give it up for your next congressman.”

“Thank you, Dr. Haynes, for those kind words and your service to this community,” Talarico said. The praise followed Haynes’s comparison of a federal immigration agency to the KKK and his demand that it be eliminated.

Haynes leads Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, whose congregation is majority black. He is expected to coast to victory in the deeply Democratic district that Crockett left behind to pursue the Senate nomination.

Crockett ultimately lost that nomination to Talarico. Now Haynes is campaigning alongside the man who defeated her, while seeking the congressional seat she abandoned for her unsuccessful Senate bid.

Haynes’s rhetoric could help Talarico with Dallas voters, but it may prove far less helpful across traditionally conservative Texas. His appearance with Talarico also brings renewed attention to both men’s statements about Karmelo Anthony.

Anthony, who is black, was convicted in the murder of Austin Metcalf, a white athlete, at a high school track meet. Both boys were 17 when the stabbing occurred, and Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Haynes has referred to Anthony as “our friend.” Talarico, meanwhile, drew criticism in August after arguing during an interview that Anthony’s conviction demonstrated that the criminal justice system “is not working for black Texans.”

“Right now we've got a system that doesn't serve all Americans equally, and, and we know that black Texans have been, um, have not gotten the justice they deserve,” Talarico said in a clip uncovered by the Washington Free Beacon.

Talarico acknowledged that he was not an expert on the case but focused on the jury’s racial composition. He said the absence of black jurors was enough to prove the system was failing black Texans.

“I'm not an expert on this particular case, but I know that there were no black members of the jury, and to me, that's, that's the only evidence you need to, to really prove this system is not working for black Texans.” Talarico also said he would continue his Texas State House work to reform the system if elected to the U.S. Senate.

Haynes has gone further in defending Anthony and attended his trial. During a sermon at Friendship-West Baptist Church this summer, he called Anthony a defenseless “little boy” and said an “all non-black jury” had railroaded him.

“This boy, our friend, can't even defend himself. We are not safe,” Haynes said during the sermon. He also said he was “disgusted” that prosecutors portrayed Anthony as “a monster of a man.”

Witnesses testified that Anthony threatened Metcalf and other students before displaying a large knife and stabbing Metcalf in the heart. Anthony’s family raised $630,000 through GoFundMe for his legal defense, though the money was reportedly spent on moving costs and living expenses.

Haynes has also referred to antisemitic preacher Louis Farrakhan as a “great man.” Talarico’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment about the Dallas rally and Haynes’s remarks.