A coalition of advocacy organizations issued a report arguing that federal immigration policy is leading to a surge in the population of private prisons, where conditions raise human rights questions.

Tycoons in commercial construction and homebuilding — industries often pegged as harbors for undocumented workers — are pushing back against some of their own, urging state lawmakers to close a loophole that guards employers against knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

At this morning's TribLive conversation, GOP state Reps. and Texas Senate hopefuls Kelly Hancock, Ken Paxton and Larry Taylor came out against the state's policy of offering in-state tuition to the children of undocumented persons.

The return to power of Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, is unlikely to be accompanied by the corruption that used to plague the party, say Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S., and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. 

Texas Department of Public Safety rules mandate that applicants for driver’s licenses or ID cards prove they are in the country legally. Some immigration lawyers and legal scholars say that approved deferred action applicants would qualify for such licenses.

Gov. Rick Perry has advised state agencies that the recent “deferred action” policy to allow illegal immigrants a two-year reprieve from deportation and a work permit does not change state policies.

Rocio Hernandez and Rodrigo Morales couldn't wait to apply for deferred action, which if approved would allow them to stay in the country and work legally in Texas. They were some of the first to apply. Like the duo, thousands of other potential applicants must now assess the risks — and benefits — of applying for deferred action.

The GOP is looking to capitalize on the Obama administration’s record number of deportations. But some immigration attorneys say the fact that former President Bill Clinton signed some of the country's most restrictive immigration laws gives Obama cover. 

The Obama administration expects hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the country illegally to apply for deferred action. With data provided by the Immigration Policy Center, this interactive shows — by U.S. House district — how many potential beneficiaries there are in Texas and looks at the potential impact.

Hoping to encourage immigrants to apply for a new federal deportation deferral program, federal officials on Friday said applicants shouldn't worry about repercussions if they submit a legitimate application.

A year after the Obama administration said it would prioritize resources on criminals when selecting which illegal immigrants to deport, the backlog in immigration courts has swelled to new highs in Texas and the nation as a whole. But the federal government says the data isn't telling the whole story.

President Obama’s decision to grant deferred action to thousands of immigrants eligible for deportation was in the spotlight again Thursday, as members of Texas’ congressional delegation either admonished or applauded the move in statements.

ICE Director John Morton told lawmakers in Washington that the Secure Communities program is not about racial profiling but is about making the streets safer. Critics have charged that the program, which goes after undocumented immigrations in local jails, results in deportations for minor infractions and unfairly hurts targets minorities.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst released a new ad Wednesday focusing on illegal immigration and President Obama's recent executive order halting the threat of deportation for some young illegal immigrants in the country.

In the 30-second ad, called "Stop Obama's Amnesty," Dewhurst describes the border as "a 2,000-mile monument to the failure of Washington," and he says Obama's order "burns me up." He calls for tripling the size of the U.S. Border Patrol, an approach that Dewhurst's GOP U.S. Senate runoff opponent, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, has advocated as well. Both Dewhurst and Cruz have identified immigration as a major issue in the race.

The ad will air in markets across the state, according to the campaign.

Like many young immigrants, I am elated over President Obama’s executive order. I share in their joy because I was once in their position.

I am a legal immigrant to this country. My parents and I followed the law, waited in line, and did things the right way at a cost of significant time and treasure.

Aguilar on the aftermath of changes in U.S. immigration policy, Batheja on how the Republican candidates for Senate are handling that sensitive issue, KUT's Philpott on new driver's license laws and immigration, M. Smith on racial tensions and an ousted police chief in Jasper, Galbraith on the state's efforts to limit electric service blackouts, Hamilton on the hot Campbell-Wentworth Senate runoff in Central Texas, Murphy maps the May primary voting, Root on the restoration of the arson-damaged Texas Governor's Mansion and Dehn's latest Weekend Insider on obese Texans: The best of our best content from June 18 to 22, 2012.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst opposes the DREAM Act, and former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz doesn't support amnesty. Yet after attack ads from the rival U.S. Senate campaigns, some voters could be left wondering. Despite the attacks, Dewhurst and Cruz agree on many aspects of the immigration issue. And the immigration proposals the candidates actually disagree on haven't received as much attention.

Immigration advocates say how the government treats illegal immigrants who come forward after last week’s federal policy shift will provide a test for other reforms — including those championed by some Texas Republicans. 

The Obama administration announced Friday that, effective immediately, it will begin issuing work permits and grant relief from deportation to certain illegal immigrants brought to the country before they were 16 years old.

State Republicans are defending their support for a guest-worker program, which they say is the most reasonable proposal either party has put forward in decades. Democrats have criticized the move as a clear effort to pander to the state's fast-growing Latino population.

There's something new in the Texas Republican Party platform: a call for a national guest-worker program. Supporters sold it as a reform that would address labor shortages and as a practical solution to some of the immigration issues that have stumped the GOP. 

A new radio ad from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst brought race and illegal immigration to the forefront of the U.S. Senate race Friday, the last day of early voting before Tuesday's primary.

Calling the "humanitarian crisis" a byproduct of President Obama’s failed effort to secure the border, Gov. Rick Perry has asked the White House to address an influx of unaccompanied minors crossing in to the country.

In Travis County, a controversial immigration-enforcement program has become the key issue in the Democratic primary race for sheriff. Challenger John Sisson sees serious issues with the implementation of Secure Communities, but Sheriff Greg Hamilton says he is merely following the law.

In this week's special edition of the Tribcast, taped live before an audience at the historic Cactus Cafe, Reeve, Emily, Julian and Ben talk about Texas primaries, the Supreme Court taking up the Arizona immigration law and The Colbert Report.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today on Arizona's controversial immigration-enforcement law. Several other states, including Texas, that have passed — or have attempted to pass — similar legislation are certain to keep a close eye on the proceedings.