Texas’ citrus industry — once an agricultural powerhouse — is on the brink of disaster
A hurricane and winter freeze devastated the South Texas industry. A lack of water is preventing a full recovery. Full Story
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Berenice Garcia is a regional reporter covering the Rio Grande Valley. She works at the Tribune as a corps members with Report for America. She previously covered local government, crime, healthcare and general assignments for The Monitor in McAllen where she was born. Though she's spent the majority of her life in the Valley, she traveled east to attend New York University where she studied journalism and politics. While there, she interned at the New York Daily News, the Daily Beast and NBC News. When she’s not working, she enjoys fighting for her life at the gym. Berenice is based in McAllen.
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![Grapefruit trees at Lone Star Citrus Growers groves in Mission on Dec. 16, 2024.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
South Texas groups sue TCEQ for temporarily allowing SpaceX to discharge industrial water without a permit
In the lawsuit, the groups accuse TCEQ of exceeding its authority by allowing the discharges. Full Story
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![SpaceX's Starship lifts off from the company's Boca Chica launchpad on an uncrewed test flight before exploding, near Brownsville on April 20, 2023.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Joe Skipper -
Trump’s promise of mass deportation throws undocumented Texans into fear, uncertainty
As Republican Texas leaders show support for Trump’s mass deportation plans, undocumented people — some who have lived in America for decades — are weighing their options amid mounting fears. Full Story
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![DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 16, 2024: A Dallas-resident, 41, co-founder of a nonprofit organization, at his office in Dallas, Texas on Monday, December 16, 2024. The resident was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico and migrated to the United States when he was seven-years-old. He was a DACA recipient until it expired and he didn’t reapply in time. CREDIT: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune -
“The best time to prepare”: Migrant rights group warns undocumented Texans to plan for deportations
Groups are urging the state’s estimated 1.6 million undocumented migrants to prepare financially and make plans for their loved ones if they’re detained. Full Story
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![Attendees listen to LUPE staff members during an information session to prepare people for the incoming Trump administration's deportation plans on Dec. 6, 2024, in San Juan.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
SpaceX wants to turn its Texas launch site into a city
Citing all the work the company has put into the region, employees are requesting a special election in Cameron County to incorporate a city. Full Story
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![The Starbase letters at SpaceX's Boca Chica Brownsville facility on Oct. 20, 2021. The SpaceX facility has become a popular destination for tourists.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
A South Texas lawmaker's 15-year fight for a Rio Grande Valley law school
Advocates say a law school in one of the state's poorest regions would exponentially help communities with legal aid. Full Story
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![Armando Martinez speaks during the Inside the Interim with RGV Lawmakers Event in Edinburg on Aug. 24, 2022.]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
Texas has billions pledged to expand broadband. Spending it is taking a while.
Despite the efforts of local governments and others, the move to provide internet access to millions of Texans has been slow and faces new challenges. Full Story
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![A sign welcoming visitors to Big Lake. Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.]()
Credit: Mitch Borden for The Texas Tribune -
Texas offers Trump administration more land and support for mass deportations
Two events in the Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday made clear Texas officials will work with the Trump administration on immigration. Full Story
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![Incoming Trump administration appointee Border Czar Tom Homan speaks to DPS Troopers and National Guard troops at a Thanksgiving dinner event in Edinburg on Nov. 26, 2024.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Despite back-to-back deals on water from Mexico, relief for South Texas farmers is far from certain
Texas agreed to take 120,000 acre-feet of water from Mexico this month, only after the U.S. and Mexico agreed to an updated treaty. Full Story
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![The Rio Grande river is seen where it meets with the San Juan River in Rio Grande City, Texas on Dec. 19, 2020.]()
Credit: Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune/ProPublica -
Trump’s first Texas visit after historic Rio Grande Valley win spurs mix of excitement, trepidation
The president-elect was in South Texas to witness a test flight at SpaceX, whose founder, Elon Musk, is co-leading Trump’s government efficiency commission. Full Story
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![U.S. President-elect Donald Trump looks on during a viewing of a SpaceX Starship rocket, in Brownsville, on Nov. 19, 2024.]()
Credit: Brandon Bell/Pool via REUTERS