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The Brief: June 24, 2014

Texas politicians from across the political spectrum are weighing in on the surge of unaccompanied minors crowding detention facilities.

The Hackney Training Complex at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, where hundreds of minors are currently housed. Texas has seen a dramatic increase in unaccompanied minors crossing the border into the U.S.

The Big Conversation

Texas politicians from across the political spectrum on Monday weighed in on the surge of unaccompanied minors crowding detention facilities in the state. Gov. Rick Perry predicted "a trail of tears" if the federal government doesn't act to stem the flow of migrants.

Perry "pulled few punches" in his criticism of the federal government in a press conference after he toured a detention facility housing unaccompanied minors in Weslaco, the Tribune's Julián Aguilar reported. “The federal government spends hundreds of millions of dollars on foreign aid going into countries south of the United States. ... Yet this administration is being hesitant about spending some millions of dollars to secure the border. I think that’s what Americans are really upset about.”

The two candidates vying to succeed Perry as governor — Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis — also weighed in. Abbott largely echoed Perry's position that the federal government bore the blame. "There are consequences that we are seeing because of the United States of America's failure and refusal to impose the rule of law," Abbott said, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News. Davis, meanwhile, called for a special session on the emergency, putting her in a rare point of agreement with the Legislature's most conservative members.

Perry, meanwhile, continued on Monday to question the need for lawmakers to return to Austin on the issue. “I think the state of Texas has already made the moves substantially quicker than bringing the Legislature in” would, he said. “All they are going to do is appropriate money. We’ve already done that.”

The Day Ahead

•    The Senate Select Committee on Transportation Funding, Expenditures & Finance meets at 9 a.m. in the Capitol Extension to look at the current state of transportation funding as well as future funding options. (agenda)

•    The Sunset Advisory Commission meets at 10 a.m. in the Capitol Extension for testimony on the University Interscholastic League and to receive agency responses from the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, the Department of Family and Protective Services, the Department of State Health Services and the Department of Aging and Disability Services. (agenda)

Trib Must-Reads

Cornyn Hopes Tea Party Strategy Will Help GOP Diversify, by Corrie MacLaggan

Health Officials: Immigrant Surge is a Medical Crisis (w/ interactive), by Alexa Ura

Attorney General Appeals $1.2M Whistleblower Verdict, by Edgar Walters

Elsewhere

State attempt to oust school finance case judge rejected, The Dallas Morning News

Probe finds problems at Valley VA, San Antonio Express-News

U.S. plans child migrant processing center in South Texas, The Associated Press

Justices Uphold Emission Limits on Big Industry, The New York Times

DMV working to avoid sticker shock of single-tag system in 2015, Houston Chronicle

Inside the vast liberal conspiracy, Politico

The Rise of Ted Cruz, The New Yorker

Quote to Note

“You’re going to see a trail of tears again from Central America to Texas.”

— Gov. Rick Perry, predicting what will happen if the current influx of unaccompanied migrant children into Texas is not curtailed

Today in TribTalk

Our property tax system is rigged, by Mike Collier

Trib Events for the Calendar

•    The Texas Tribune Festival runs from Sept. 19-21 at the University of Texas at Austin. Tickets are on sale now.

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Explore related story topics

Energy Environment Health care Politics Greg Abbott John Cornyn Rick Perry Ted Cruz Wendy Davis