FORT WORTH — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, said Monday he is open to legal pathways for workers to fill labor shortages, while insisting any immigration policy must prioritize border security and people already in the United States. “Our birth population isn’t keeping up with demand, and so as long as we are doing this by the rule of law, I’m open to having help,” Paxton said during a conversation with United States Hispanic Business Council President and CEO Javier Palomarez. The appearance brought Paxton before Hispanic business leaders and supporters as he campaigns for the Senate. The council plans to host his Democratic opponent, state Rep. James Talarico, in Edinburg on Wednesday, with Palomarez saying the discussions would give voters a chance to hear from both candidates. He said the group was seeking answers “on the record” with 36 days remaining, though no debate between the candidates had been scheduled. Asked whether he would work with Democrats, Paxton said negotiation across party lines is necessary to get things done, but added that some principles are non-negotiable for him. He cited anti-human-trafficking legislation he co-sponsored with Democratic state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte while serving in the Texas Legislature. State Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., a Fort Worth Democrat, praised Paxton’s work on human-trafficking legislation but urged voters to weigh his record as attorney general. Romero criticized Paxton’s participation in a lawsuit seeking to overturn Texas’ in-state tuition policy for undocumented students who graduated from Texas high schools. Republican senators had also introduced legislation to repeal the policy earlier that year, but it did not receive a floor vote in either chamber. Romero said Paxton’s lawsuit was pursued without the Legislature’s support. “That’s something that none of us wanted, not the legislature in the Senate or House, and he did it on his own,” Romero said, calling it disrespectful. Paxton also backed continued data center development in Texas, arguing the industry could create jobs and help the state compete with China. He said he would support what he called reasonable safeguards, including water recycling and facilities supplying their own power, so nearby residents would not shoulder the burdens of expansion. “There’s plenty of open space in Texas and in other parts of the country that we can put data centers,” Paxton said, describing the industry as a potential economic boom. His comments come as the rapid growth of data centers has raised concerns in Texas about pressure on water and energy resources. The candidates’ separate appearances with the business council offer voters an opportunity to compare their positions on immigration, economic development and cooperation across party lines ahead of the Senate election.