Calling on Washington to fix the country’s “discriminatory” immigration system, Hispanic Republicans in the Texas Legislature also fired off the first salvos in what could be a divisive battle within the party over immigration legislation.

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State Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, has filed legislation he said will explore the possibility of a state-run guest-worker program.

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Ramshaw and Stiles on the tepid growth of Big D during the last decade, Hamilton talks immigration with state Rep. Leo Berman, M. Smith on Texas education's Race to the Top efforts and more: The best of our best content from Feb. 28 to March 4, 2011.

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On Friday, at an event held by the Tribune and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, I interviewed the senator from South Carolina about federal immigration policy and reform.

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The growth of the state’s Hispanic population and the rise of immigration as a political issue put Texas Republicans in a tight spot — especially the ones with statewide aspirations.

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In 2009, state Rep. Leo Berman's bills — like the ones restricting illegal immigrants to certain geographical regions and denying them access to higher education — failed to gain traction. But with a Republican supermajority now in control, this could very well be the session of Leo.

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No time to follow every twist and turn of the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly recaps of the action under the dome.

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The bill would broaden the scope of employers subject to scrutiny — and extend penalties for violators to include possible jail time and big fines. Exempt? People who hire undocumented workers as domestic help. 

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Hundreds of Texans descended on the state Capitol on Tuesday to draw attention to dozens of bills they say would hinder economic development, stymie education and — above all — encourage racial profiling in the Lone Star State.

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Law enforcement authorities worry that some immigration-related legislation would silence immigrant crime victims and witnesses, who may stop cooperating with the police out of fear that their undocumented status will be discovered.

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In our TribLive conversation this morning, state Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, the chair of the House Public Education Committee, said he opposed a bill by state Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Houston, that would require school districts to check the immigration status of students enrolling in Texas public schools.

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In our TribLive conversation this morning, state Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, said he opposed a bill that would require school districts to check the immigration status of public school students.

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The number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. remained relatively unchanged in 2010, with a population of about 11.2 million. That’s about 3.7 percent of the country’s total population. Texas, however, was one of the few states that saw an increase over the last few years, according to a new study released by the Pew Hispanic Center.

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Border lawmakers who oppose Gov. Rick Perry's call to abolish “sanctuary cities” in Texas are misinterpreting his stance on the issue, according to his aides.

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The voter ID legislation passed by the Texas Senate on Wednesday night may be controversial, but it’s a familiar debate, as is the issue of “sanctuary cities.” Less well known but no less controversial are many of the provisions found in more than three dozen immigration-related bills filed so far. Some Hispanic Republicans in the Texas House say they are not going to support bills they believe are too extreme. 

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As be begins his second decade as governor, Rick Perry's plan is to deal with the basics: to make sure the state is on a smooth economic path, to pass a balanced state budget, to coax the federal government into loosening its purse strings and tightening its security on the Mexican border.

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College students who would have benefited from federal passage of the DREAM Act, which would have provided a pathway to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants, are turning their attention to the Texas Legislature. As Erika Aguilar of KUT News reports, protesters rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday against a number of immigration bills lawmakers will consider.  Full Story

Gov. Rick Perry has designated the elimination of "sanctuary city" policies as one of the 82nd legislative session's emergency items — but as the Tribune has noted repeatedly in the last year, the state's in no position to throw stones.

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