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Beto O’Rourke, Veronica Escobar lead Father's Day march on tent city housing separated immigrant children

by Julián Aguilar and Juan Luis García Hernández

Days after a tent city went up near El Paso, demonstrators near the facility took aim at the Trump administration's policy of separating immigrant children from parents who were seeking asylum.

In Sunday sermons, Texas faith leaders rebuke Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy

by Emma Platoff

Churches, especially in deep-red Texas, often sit out partisan squabbles. But the issue of family separations is not a political one, some faith leaders say — it's a humanitarian and moral crisis.

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Will Texas pass a “red flag” law to remove guns from people who are deemed dangerous?

by Jolie McCullough June 18, 2018

As part of his school and gun safety plan, Gov. Greg Abbott wants to explore a law that would allow local officials to take guns away from people if a judge declares them a danger — while also protecting Second Amendment rights. It's an issue that has previously gone nowhere in the Texas Legislature.

Former First Lady Laura Bush calls Trump's zero-tolerance policy "cruel"

by Bobby Blanchard June 17, 2018

"Our government should not be in the business of warehousing children in converted box stores or making plans to place them in tent cities in the desert outside of El Paso," Former First Lady Laura Bush wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post.

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The Republican Party of Texas convention in San Antonio: A photo gallery

by John Jordan June 17, 2018

There were lots of speeches, a contentious race for state party chair and a debate over the party's platform. Check out scenes from the 2018 Republican Party of Texas convention.

Texas GOP passes list of priorities that includes support for “bathroom bill” and “constitutional carry”

by Cassandra Pollock Updated: June 17, 2018

After a few hours of relatively mild debate, Texas Republicans approved multiple legislative priorities and backed a platform that includes more than 300 planks.

Ted Cruz outlasts Jimmy Kimmel in grueling Blobfish Basketball Classic

by Patrick Svitek June 16, 2018

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, defeated late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel in a one-on-one basketball game that tested the patience of both players and spectators. The final score was 11-9.

Texas GOP convention finds unity on Trump, but intraparty tensions still flare

by Patrick Svitek June 16, 2018

During this week's state Republican Party convention, various speakers took turns praising President Donald Trump. But the bitter race for state party chair and a debate over censures illustrated divisions among Texas Republicans.

Trump administration opens tent city near El Paso to house separated immigrant children

by Julián Aguilar June 15, 2018

A center for unaccompanied immigrant minors is up and running in West Texas, just one day after federal officials announced the location, state Rep. César Blanco confirmed to The Texas Tribune on Friday.

James Dickey wins re-election as chairman of the Texas GOP

by Patrick Svitek Updated: June 15, 2018

Dickey defeated longtime activist Cindy Asche in a floor fight at the party's state convention.

Vulnerable Texas Republicans in Congress take different approaches to immigration bills

by Claire Parker June 15, 2018

Republican congressmen from Texas facing tough re-election fights are betting on very different strategies to win over key voters.

With the Texas GOP convention underway, a contentious chair race nears its end

by Patrick Svitek and Cassandra Pollock Updated: June 15, 2018

Incumbent GOP Chairman James Dickey is fending off a challenge from Cindy Asche, who has questioned Dickey's support for President Donald Trump.

Texas sent its first woman to Congress in 1966. Why has she been largely forgotten?

by Abby Livingston June 15, 2018

The late U.S. Rep. Lera Thomas can't be found in the Texas State History Museum. And she's missing from most Texas history textbooks. Her tenure was short — but not without action.

At Texas A&M, a renewed dispute over the university’s response to sexual assault

by Emma Platoff June 14, 2018

A varsity swimmer was found "responsible" for sexually assaulting a fellow student. But after a brief suspension and one semester of academic probation, he can rejoin the team.

Ryan opposes Trump policy of separating immigrant children from parents

by Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post June 14, 2018

Ryan said a draft of a compromise immigration bill that circulated on Capitol Hill late Thursday would end the practice of dividing families detained at the border.

Trump administration makes site selection for tent city near El Paso to house immigrant children separated from parents

by Claire Parker June 14, 2018

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Thursday it has selected Tornillo as a site to house immigrant children separated from their parents under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy.

Poll: Texans say legislators need to make health care a priority

by Marissa Evans Updated: June 14, 2018

Texans say the Legislature’s top three priorities should be lowering the cost of health care, reducing the number of women dying after childbirth and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, according to a poll conducted by the Episcopal Health Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Texas abortion rights groups sue in an effort to strike down years of abortion-related state laws

by Matthew Choi June 14, 2018

The advocates are attempting to undo Texas abortion-related laws going back to 1999. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Austin.

Inside a former Walmart in Brownsville that holds nearly 1,500 immigrant boys

by Michael E. Miller, Emma Brown and Aaron C. Davis, The Washington Post June 14, 2018

On Wednesday, federal authorities allowed a small group of reporters to tour the secretive shelter, the largest of its kind in the nation.

The Supreme Court struck down a Minnesota ban on political clothing in polling places. Texas has a similar law.

by Emma Platoff Updated: June 14, 2018

The high court's ruling on a Minnesota state law is likely to reverberate in Texas, which has a similar law on the books. Neither state allows voters to wear political garments or accessories in their polling places.

Advocates say arming Texas school employees won’t cost that much. But many districts don’t want to do it.

by Alex Samuels June 14, 2018

Experts say it costs about $500 to train a school employee under Texas' school marshal program. But school leaders say their worries go beyond the cost.