Providing legal status to the illegal immigrants in the Houston area could mean $1.4 billion a year in revenue for government agencies, a business group says. But others say its report doesn’t factor in costs of services for the group.

The insiders think Ron Paul's biggest obstacle is Ron Paul, are pessimistic about Texas Democrats, and predict Democratic primaries focused on education and Republican primaries focused on spending and taxes.

Gov. Rick Perry is no longer in the running, but the race continues for the four remaining Republican presidential contenders. We've updated our interactive to compare the candidates still vying for the GOP nomination. 

After narcotics seizures surged 45 percent in 2010, the Laredo Customs District saw a relatively minimal increase in contraband intercepted at its ports in 2011. But others aren't sure the federal government should applaud so loudly about the Laredo district figures, saying efforts on the whole are still lacking.

The Obama administration plans to ease restrictions on illegal immigrants trying to re-enter the U.S. after applying for legal status. Some aren't sold that the move is a significant step.

Families waiting for their immigration status to be determined could soon be held in detention centers in Texas. But as Erika Aguilar of KUT News reports, some immigrants' rights advocates fear that the practice of detaining families could return as well.

The Obama administration is expected to announce today a change to immigration policies that would ease restrictions on illegal immigrants trying to reenter the country after applying for legal status.

Despite Latinos' mounting disapproval of President Obama for his administration’s immigration policies, a majority of them would still prefer to see him in the White House over his Republican challengers, according to a new study.

Aerial surveillance in the form of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft will replace about 900 National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border as early as next year, a strategy not all Texas lawmakers like.

Arizona sheriff and Gov. Rick Perry endorser Joe Arpaio allegedly engaged in discriminatory law enforcement practices  and racial profiling of Latinos, according to a report released today by the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Drug seizures are up but illegal immigrant arrests are falling on the southern border, according to data released today by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

A decision by the White House to reduce the number of National Guard soldiers on the country’s border with Mexico has provoked a fierce but expected reaction from Gov. Rick Perry, a longtime advocate for more boots on the ground in Texas.

Root on Rick Perry's controversial new ad, Tan on the fallout, Aaronson's map of where the food stamps go, my interview with Stephen Colbert's campaign finance lawyer, Aguilar on the drop in the number of illegal immigrants crossing into Texas, Hamilton on the growth of unregulated colleges, Galbraith's interview with S. David Freeman on the environmental failures of public power, Grissom on the newest state agency and and Hamilton and M. Smith on a sudden change at the top of UT's law school: The best of our best content from December 5 to 9, 2011.

A sour economy, increased border law enforcement and skyrocketing smuggling fees are keeping more would-be crossers at home. But you wouldn't know it from the presidential campaigns.

For this week's nonscientific survey of political and government insiders, we asked what issues might surface in the party primaries, whether the Voting Right Act is still necessary — and if the state should mandate a Longhorn-Aggie game on Thanksgiving.

Aaronson maps the growth of poverty in Texas, Aguilar on the suicide of an illegal immigrant, Galbraith on the prospect of more rolling blackouts, Grissom on a prosecutor's memory lapse, Hamilton on the prospect of public universities undergoing a sunset review, Murphy's latest awesome redistricting interactive, Ramsey on a stumbling start to the 2012 election season, Root on Rick Perry's latest populist tirade, M. Smith on the boom in for-profit teacher certification programs and Tan on the fight against cervical cancer in ... Africa: The best of our best content from November 28 to December 2, 2011.

Rick Perry sharpened his populist tirade against Wall Street financiers and Washington politicians Wednesday, saying Americans had been “snookered” by bogus investments and a string of taxpayer-financed bailouts.

Gov. Rick Perry picked up a substantial endorsement on Tuesday from controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. But as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, it's unclear whether the endorsement will be enough to turn around Perry's flagging campaign.