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With the border quiet, Texas ponders spending another $6.5 billion on border security
Read full article: With the border quiet, Texas ponders spending another $6.5 billion on border securitySome are questioning whether lawmakers should commit billions more to border security with illegal crossings dwindling and a Trump immigration crackdown.
Court orders immigration officials to restore legal status of three people who came to Texas on student visas
Read full article: Court orders immigration officials to restore legal status of three people who came to Texas on student visasThe three former students went to UT-Arlington and UT-Dallas. While they have prevailed in court so far, many other international studentsโ education futures remain uncertain.
UT-Rio Grande Valley students caught in nationwide sweep sue Homeland Security over immigration status
Read full article: UT-Rio Grande Valley students caught in nationwide sweep sue Homeland Security over immigration statusThe four students were involved in minor criminal cases that have been resolved, which they argue shouldnโt be used to justify ending their higher ed goals in Texas.
Abbott gave Trump credit when Texas closed a border site for booking migrants. But arrests were already low.
Read full article: Abbott gave Trump credit when Texas closed a border site for booking migrants. But arrests were already low.Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas was able to close the Jim Hogg County facility because of Trumpโs immigration policies. Records reveal that the reality is more nuanced.
Meet the tent company making a fortune off Trumpโs deportation plans
Read full article: Meet the tent company making a fortune off Trumpโs deportation plansDeployed Resources, a privately held tent company, is set to operate a new ICE tent camp to hold people awaiting deportation in El Paso, Texas.
Bill to create a Texas Homeland Security Division passes state Senate
Read full article: Bill to create a Texas Homeland Security Division passes state SenateSenate Bill 36, a priority bill for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would create an office within the Department of Public Safety focused on immigration enforcement, organized crime and threats to state infrastructure.
More than 250 international studentsโ immigration statuses revoked across Texas universities
Read full article: More than 250 international studentsโ immigration statuses revoked across Texas universitiesThe people affected include a University of Houston professor from Korea who was teaching upper level math under a type of student visa that allows graduates to work in their field of study.
Houston woman fears deportation as CBP One parole is revoked nationwide
Read full article: Houston woman fears deportation as CBP One parole is revoked nationwideArianny Acedo didnโt cross the border illegally. She applied through the CBP One app, flew into the country from Chile with her husband, and began building a new life with the help of a sponsor โ her sister in Houston. Like many others, she believed she had done everything right.
15 Texas A&M international students might have quietly lost their ability to stay in the U.S.
Read full article: 15 Texas A&M international students might have quietly lost their ability to stay in the U.S.The Trump administration has said it has revoked the visas of more than 300 international students across the country in the last three weeks.
Houston-based Avelo Airlines flying deportation flights for ICE
Read full article: Houston-based Avelo Airlines flying deportation flights for ICEA spokesperson for Avelo confirmed the airline "signed an agreement for a long-term charter program flying for the U.S. Department of Homeland Securityโs (DHS) Immigration Control and Enforcement agency."
Eagle Pass park reopens more than a year after the state seized it for border security
Read full article: Eagle Pass park reopens more than a year after the state seized it for border securityThe Texas Department of Public Safety and National Guard presence has largely disappeared from Shelby Park, which sits next to the Rio Grande.
โAt least for a little whileโ: Venezuelans in Houston react to judgeโs ruling blocking end of TPS
Read full article: โAt least for a little whileโ: Venezuelans in Houston react to judgeโs ruling blocking end of TPSA federal judge in California has temporarily blocked the Trump administrationโs effort to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, a ruling that has major implications for the estimated 350,000 TPS holders across the U.S. โ including many living in the Greater Houston area.
Trump administration drops challenge to Texas law targeting people who illegally cross the border
Read full article: Trump administration drops challenge to Texas law targeting people who illegally cross the borderSenate Bill 4, the Texas law that makes illegally crossing the border a state crime, will continue to be challenged by two immigrant rights groups and El Paso County.
Feds are opening more detention centers in Texas as Trump administration steps up deportations
Read full article: Feds are opening more detention centers in Texas as Trump administration steps up deportationsThe feds are adding thousands of beds to hold families in Texas, which reportedly holds the most immigrants of any state at its 21 detention centers.
Baytown family seeks justice after man accused of staging fiancรฉโs murder as suicide
Read full article: Baytown family seeks justice after man accused of staging fiancรฉโs murder as suicideA Baytown family is desperate for answers after what was first ruled a suicide is now being investigated as a murder.
FEMA wants the names and addresses of migrants helped by Texas nonprofits and local governments that got federal grant money
Read full article: FEMA wants the names and addresses of migrants helped by Texas nonprofits and local governments that got federal grant moneyA letter sent this week claims the grant recipients, including many Texas cities and counties, may have illegally โinducedโ undocumented immigrants to enter the country.
Paxton investigates Dallas for alleged sanctuary city policies
Read full article: Paxton investigates Dallas for alleged sanctuary city policiesAttorney General Ken Paxton said a recent statement by Dallasโ interim police chief raised concerns that the city might be violating a state law against so-called sanctuary city policies.
How state lawmakers are trying to crack down on illegal immigration
Read full article: How state lawmakers are trying to crack down on illegal immigrationFrom requiring law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal officials to forcing state contractors to use E-Verify to spot undocumented workers, here are the bills that could reshape the stateโs immigration policies.
ICE arrests hundreds in Houston area during week-long operation targeting criminals, gang members
Read full article: ICE arrests hundreds in Houston area during week-long operation targeting criminals, gang membersU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have taken hundreds of undocumented individuals into custody across Houston over the last week.
Venezuelan parents watch from home as their son is buried in Texas after drowning
Read full article: Venezuelan parents watch from home as their son is buried in Texas after drowningGustavo Alfonso Garcia Olivares died at 24, drowning in the Rio Grande not far from where he was buried Thursday at the Maverick County Cemetery in Eagle Pass.
Federal judge won't order immigration officials to change school arrests policy
Read full article: Federal judge won't order immigration officials to change school arrests policyA federal judge says he won't order immigration authorities to revert to a Biden-era policy limiting arrests at schools after officials in Denver challenged new policies from the Trump administration.
FIEL representatives highlight issues impacting Houstonโs immigrant families
Read full article: FIEL representatives highlight issues impacting Houstonโs immigrant familiesCommunity members and FIEL representatives are working to raise awareness for issues affecting immigrant families in Houston.
South Texas immigration detention center with capacity for 2,400 people to reopen
Read full article: South Texas immigration detention center with capacity for 2,400 people to reopenThe Biden administration shuttered the Dilley facility last year because of high operating costs. Itโs expected to hold immigrant families under the Trump administration.
ICE arrests 9 undocumented immigrants accused of sex crimes in Houston
Read full article: ICE arrests 9 undocumented immigrants accused of sex crimes in HoustonBetween Feb. 24 and 28, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested nine undocumented immigrants in the Houston area who have been charged with or convicted of sex offenses and are subject to removal from the United States.
Operaciones de ICE en Texas: Quรฉ derechos tienen los inmigrantes
Read full article: Operaciones de ICE en Texas: Quรฉ derechos tienen los inmigrantesAbogados y grupos de inmigraciรณn recomiendan a los inmigrantes informarse sobre las acciones de la administraciรณn del presidente Donald Trump, como la expansiรณn del uso de expulsiones aceleradas.
How the Supreme Court of the United States and federal courts work and affect Texans
Read full article: How the Supreme Court of the United States and federal courts work and affect TexansHereโs how federal courts help determine the fate of controversial issues, such as immigration laws, in Texas and beyond.
Feds target โcriminals and illegal immigrantsโ in Houston-area development, Abbott says
Read full article: Feds target โcriminals and illegal immigrantsโ in Houston-area development, Abbott saysThe Colony Ridge development has long been under scrutiny from conservative lawmakers, think tanks and influencers who cast it as a hotbed for undocumented immigrants and cartel crime.
In Odessa, multiple efforts are underway to help immigrants stay and work
Read full article: In Odessa, multiple efforts are underway to help immigrants stay and workA naturalized citizen, along with other business leaders, are working to create new resources for undocumented people living in the Permian Basin.
Texas migrant shelters are nearly empty after Trumpโs actions effectively shut the border
Read full article: Texas migrant shelters are nearly empty after Trumpโs actions effectively shut the borderThe shelters began seeing fewer people dropped off by customs and border agents following former President Joe Bidenโs executive order limiting some asylum claims.
Texas could sell 100 miles of border to feds, Abbott says
Read full article: Texas could sell 100 miles of border to feds, Abbott saysAbbott is in Washington this week to lobby Congress for $11 billion to compensate Texas for money spent on his Operation Lone Star, to secure the border during the Biden Administration.
Texas appeals court hears attorney generalโs arguments for questioning Catholic Charities director over migrant services
Read full article: Texas appeals court hears attorney generalโs arguments for questioning Catholic Charities director over migrant servicesThree Republican judges heard oral arguments Wednesday after a lower court blocked Attorney General Ken Paxtonโs efforts to depose the charityโs leader.
Houston DACA recipient shares her story amid uncertain future
Read full article: Houston DACA recipient shares her story amid uncertain futureIn the face of ongoing political and legal challenges surrounding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Houston resident Eliana Muรฑoz is sharing her journey as a Dreamer to highlight the human impact of the program and what could happen if itโs revoked.
Rep. Roger Williams introduces bill to reimburse Texas for Operation Lone Star
Read full article: Rep. Roger Williams introduces bill to reimburse Texas for Operation Lone StarThe new bill reinforces Gov. Greg Abbottโs push for the federal government to repay the $11 billion Texas has paid for the border security operation.
'The Heart Sellers' at Stages in Houston gives haunting look at losing cultural identity
Read full article: 'The Heart Sellers' at Stages in Houston gives haunting look at losing cultural identityChildren born to immigrant parents understand the struggle of having to balance cultural identity with American values, but a new play at Stages hopes to give a more reflective view from the other side.
New immigration enforcement leaves Houston parents, students on edge: How one HISD middle school is handling change
Read full article: New immigration enforcement leaves Houston parents, students on edge: How one HISD middle school is handling changeAs immigration enforcement ramps up in southeast Texas, Houston ISD schools, like Fleming Middle School, are taking steps to reassure parents and protect students.
Border Patrol chief calls report that agents will board buses to check studentsโ citizenship โabsurdโ
Read full article: Border Patrol chief calls report that agents will board buses to check studentsโ citizenship โabsurdโThe chiefโs comments came after Alice ISD sent a letter to parents Wednesday warning students may be detained and possibly deported if they canโt prove theyโre in the country legally. The letter was later removed from the districtโs website.
After teasing border security rollback, Texas plunges in deeper
Read full article: After teasing border security rollback, Texas plunges in deeperTexasโ border spending exploded after Joe Bidenโs election, then state leaders signaled a new willingness to reduce it when Trump won. That didnโt last long.
Venezuelan migrant faces uncertainty as Temporary Protective Status ends
Read full article: Venezuelan migrant faces uncertainty as Temporary Protective Status endsIn recent days, the lives of over a million migrants in the U.S. have been turned upside down with the cancellation of their Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Justice Department restarts legal aid programs for detained immigrants
Read full article: Justice Department restarts legal aid programs for detained immigrantsThe agencyโs reversal comes after a federal judge told the Trump administration it must continue to pay for grants and other programs it abruptly froze last month.
Living in the shadows: One immigrantโs struggle for a better life in an uncertain America
Read full article: Living in the shadows: One immigrantโs struggle for a better life in an uncertain AmericaFor many immigrants in the United States, the pursuit of a better life often means facing an unspoken truth: navigating a system that doesnโt officially recognize them.
Protesters march in Houston to demand immigration reform, protection for undocumented immigrants
Read full article: Protesters march in Houston to demand immigration reform, protection for undocumented immigrantsA peaceful protest is happening at a Houston-area park to advocate for immigration rights and protection for undocumented immigrants in Texas.
Immigration crackdown in Texas: What you need to know about your rights
Read full article: Immigration crackdown in Texas: What you need to know about your rightsRecent enforcement operations across Texas have raised concerns among undocumented immigrants. Hereโs what immigration attorneys want you to know about your rights and resources.
โA lot of fear going onโ: Texas immigrant community on edge during Trumpโs first weeks
Read full article: โA lot of fear going onโ: Texas immigrant community on edge during Trumpโs first weeksAcross the state, immigrants and their loved ones are changing their daily habits as the Trump administration orders at least 1,200 daily arrests of undocumented people.
LULAC Houston set to speak out on mass deportations across the US
Read full article: LULAC Houston set to speak out on mass deportations across the USAs immigration crackdown efforts ramp up across the U.S., the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and community residents will join to speak out on the fear some migrants have been feeling.
Abbott expected to promote vouchers and other highlights of his 2025 agenda in Sunday speech
Read full article: Abbott expected to promote vouchers and other highlights of his 2025 agenda in Sunday speechAfter successful campaigns for House allies, the governor is in a position to set an ambitious course for the legislative session.
Feds to review parole status of immigrants released into US
Read full article: Feds to review parole status of immigrants released into USA Homeland Security memo released earlier this month expands the use of expedited removal and calls for a review of immigrants released into the US under parole programs.
By the numbers: ICE daily enforcement updates provide arrest, detainer statistics
Read full article: By the numbers: ICE daily enforcement updates provide arrest, detainer statisticsU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is issuing daily updates detailing the number of individuals arrested and detainers lodged as part of immigration enforcement efforts.
Houston family facing uncertainty after U.S. immigration policy changes threatens daughterโs legal citizenship
Read full article: Houston family facing uncertainty after U.S. immigration policy changes threatens daughterโs legal citizenshipOne Houston family whose story highlights the challenges even those with legal documentation are facing under the new directives.
Houstonโs Venezuelan immigrantsโ future in limbo after Temporary Protected Status gets revoked
Read full article: Houstonโs Venezuelan immigrantsโ future in limbo after Temporary Protected Status gets revokedA major shift in U.S. immigration policy is leaving thousands of Venezuelans uncertain about their future. The Trump administration has revoked the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extension that previously allowed them to stay and work legally in the U.S., putting approximately 600,000 Venezuelans at risk of losing their legal protections.
KPRC 2 spoke with an ICE official about Houston operations | Hereโs what we learned
Read full article: KPRC 2 spoke with an ICE official about Houston operations | Hereโs what we learnedWith anxiety over the idea of immigration raids, KPRC 2โฒs Bryce Newberry spoke with an ICE official to get more clarity on what is going on.
An immigrant faces deportation after a routine traffic stop in Texas, sparking more fear
Read full article: An immigrant faces deportation after a routine traffic stop in Texas, sparking more fearAdvocates worry that rapidly shifting federal and state immigration initiatives will prompt more city police to funnel migrants without criminal records to federal agents.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick outlines sweeping conservative agenda with list of top 25 legislative priorities
Read full article: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick outlines sweeping conservative agenda with list of top 25 legislative prioritiesRestrict THC, help with deportations, infuse religion in schools and provide property tax relief โ these are among the Patrick priorities.
Temporary Protected Status, explained | Why some immigrants qualify, who doesnโt?
Read full article: Temporary Protected Status, explained | Why some immigrants qualify, who doesnโt?With immigration crackdown efforts ramping up, some countries under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have also been revoked, causing residents to have to return home despite unsafe conditions like ongoing conflict or environmental disasters.
Houston farmers market sees decline amid immigration raid fears
Read full article: Houston farmers market sees decline amid immigration raid fearsHouston is grappling with the ripple effects of targeted immigration operations conducted by federal agents over the weekend. The enforcement measures are part of President Donald Trumpโs initiative to crack down on undocumented immigrants, a key campaign promise.
Department of Justice cuts off federally funded legal aid to detained immigrants
Read full article: Department of Justice cuts off federally funded legal aid to detained immigrantsThe decision to halt the program could prevent thousands of people detained in immigration detention centers from receiving legal advice.
Conozca sus derechos en Texas si es detenido por la policรญa, agentes de inmigraciรณn o el FBI
Read full article: Conozca sus derechos en Texas si es detenido por la policรญa, agentes de inmigraciรณn o el FBIA medida que Texas continรบa a la vanguardia de la aplicaciรณn de las leyes de inmigraciรณn, entender sus derechos es esencial durante encuentros con las fuerzas del orden o con agentes de Inmigraciรณn y Control de Aduanas (ICE).
Texas Republicans in Congress propose bills to codify Trump executive orders
Read full article: Texas Republicans in Congress propose bills to codify Trump executive ordersEnding birthright citizenship, increasing oil drilling, and leaving WHO are just a few bills the stateโs Republicans pushed in Congress this month.
Know your rights in Texas if stopped by police, immigration agents or FBI
Read full article: Know your rights in Texas if stopped by police, immigration agents or FBIAs Texas continues to be at the forefront of immigration enforcement, understanding your rights is essential during encounters with law enforcement or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Houston-area school districts address immigration enforcement policies amid federal crackdowns
Read full article: Houston-area school districts address immigration enforcement policies amid federal crackdownsIn response to President Trump's heightened immigration policies, Houston-area schools and law enforcement are clarifying their protocols regarding federal agency requests, prioritizing student safety.
Abbott sends state troops to U.S.-Mexico border to work with Border Patrol
Read full article: Abbott sends state troops to U.S.-Mexico border to work with Border PatrolThe 400 members of a special tactical unit left bases in Houston and Fort Worth on Monday morning, according to the governorโs office.
U.S. Senate investigation of migrant childโs death finds poor medical care at border protection facilities
Read full article: U.S. Senate investigation of migrant childโs death finds poor medical care at border protection facilitiesThe Senate Judiciary Committee launched its investigation following the 2023 death of an 8-year-old girl at a facility in Harlingen.
State lawmakers ask education agency for guidance on how Texas schools can respond to Trumpโs immigration plans
Read full article: State lawmakers ask education agency for guidance on how Texas schools can respond to Trumpโs immigration plansMore than two dozen Texas Democrats expressed concern about the elimination of a federal policy preventing immigration arrests at schools.
Impact of President Trumpโs administration already felt on Texas border
Read full article: Impact of President Trumpโs administration already felt on Texas borderDuring his first week in office, President Donald Trump signed several executive orders and announced policies impacting border security and immigration.
Migrants at Texas border in shock after Trump canceled their asylum appointments
Read full article: Migrants at Texas border in shock after Trump canceled their asylum appointmentsHours after Trumpโs inauguration, his administration canceled appointments allowing migrants to enter the U.S. to request asylum, leaving many of them stranded on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Many Texas schools take โwait and seeโ approach to Trumpโs mass deportation plans
Read full article: Many Texas schools take โwait and seeโ approach to Trumpโs mass deportation plansSchools near the border say itโs hard to prepare for the unknown. Immigration advocates say they should help communities understand studentsโ rights.
Trump promised mass deportations. Hereโs one way they could quietly happen.
Read full article: Trump promised mass deportations. Hereโs one way they could quietly happen.The new administration could use the existing system of federal agents, local police and jails to funnel more people into the deportation pipeline.
Trump to tap Texas โborder czarโ to lead U.S. Border Patrol, report says
Read full article: Trump to tap Texas โborder czarโ to lead U.S. Border Patrol, report saysMike Banks, a former Border Patrol agent, has served in his current role as a special advisor to Gov. Greg Abbott since January 2023.
Texas Supreme Court to decide legal battle over El Paso migrant shelterโs future
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court to decide legal battle over El Paso migrant shelterโs futureJustices on Monday heard arguments from Annunciation House, which is fighting to stay open, and the Texas Attorney Generalโs office, which claims the shelterโs work with migrants violates state law.
Some Texas business leaders are apprehensive about Trumpโs pledged deportations
Read full article: Some Texas business leaders are apprehensive about Trumpโs pledged deportationsโWe wouldnโt surviveโ without undocumented workers, one South Texas produce business owner said. By one estimate, 8% of Texasโ workforce lacks legal status.
4 Tren de Aragua gang members arrested after attempting to illegally cross border into Texas
Read full article: 4 Tren de Aragua gang members arrested after attempting to illegally cross border into TexasFour confirmed members of a violent Venezuelan gang were arrested after attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas on New Yearโs Eve.
Here are the biggest stories from our data visuals team in 2024
Read full article: Here are the biggest stories from our data visuals team in 2024The Tribuneโs data journalists helped visualize everything from voter participation and extreme weather to gaps in the stateโs border wall. Here are some of the highlights.
Look back at some of the best Texas Tribune reads of 2024
Read full article: Look back at some of the best Texas Tribune reads of 2024Our journalists brought life to the experiences of everyday Texans, held powerful institutions accountable and surfaced stories that went beyond the daily news cycles.
Why were border wall materials put up for auction? Here's what you should know.
Read full article: Why were border wall materials put up for auction? Here's what you should know.Some Texas lawmakers including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick slammed the Biden administration over the auction of wall materials. But the sale was directed by Congress โ and Texas has already bought some of it.
Cartels turn to social media to lure Americans into human smuggling as Texas enforces stricter laws
Read full article: Cartels turn to social media to lure Americans into human smuggling as Texas enforces stricter lawsThousands of people have been arrested under Texasโ human smuggling law. Now they face at least a decade in prison under sentencing guidelines that took effect this year.
Texasโ latest effort to deter migrants is a billboard campaign in Mexico, Central America
Read full article: Texasโ latest effort to deter migrants is a billboard campaign in Mexico, Central AmericaGov. Greg Abbott announced the new strategy, which will cost an estimated $100,000, during a press conference in Eagle Pass.
As landowners resist, Texasโ border wall is fragmented and built in remote areas
Read full article: As landowners resist, Texasโ border wall is fragmented and built in remote areasAt least a third of landowners approached by state officials have refused to let wall be built on their properties. Thatโs forced the state to largely build on ranchland in remote areas, or erect sections that are full of gaps.
Texas Republicans want voters to provide proof of citizenship. Arizonaโs law holds lessons.
Read full article: Texas Republicans want voters to provide proof of citizenship. Arizonaโs law holds lessons.A Votebeat analysis shows how such requirements risk disenfranchising key voter groups, including Native Americans and college students.
Gov. Greg Abbott announces more than $500 million in public safety grants
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott announces more than $500 million in public safety grantsThe grants will go to private and public sector recipients in Texas for a variety of public safety priorities, including securing the southern border.
Trumpโs promise of mass deportation throws undocumented Texans into fear, uncertainty
Read full article: Trumpโs promise of mass deportation throws undocumented Texans into fear, uncertaintyAs Republican Texas leaders show support for Trumpโs mass deportation plans, undocumented people โ some who have lived in America for decades โ are weighing their options amid mounting fears.
โThe best time to prepareโ: Migrant rights group warns undocumented Texans to plan for deportations
Read full article: โThe best time to prepareโ: Migrant rights group warns undocumented Texans to plan for deportationsGroups are urging the stateโs estimated 1.6 million undocumented migrants to prepare financially and make plans for their loved ones if theyโre detained.
Federal judge blocks rule that would have given DACA recipients access to Affordable Care Act coverage
Read full article: Federal judge blocks rule that would have given DACA recipients access to Affordable Care Act coverageThe temporary injunction issued Monday would affect roughly 90,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients in Texas.
A 2006 study found undocumented immigrants contribute more than they cost Texas. The state hasnโt updated it since.
Read full article: A 2006 study found undocumented immigrants contribute more than they cost Texas. The state hasnโt updated it since.A comptrollerโs report found that deporting the estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants living in Texas in 2005 would have cost the state about $17.7 billion in gross domestic product.