Gov. Greg Abbott orders Texas National Guard to help with migrant arrests at the border
In a letter to the major general of the Texas National Guard, Abbott said “more manpower is needed” at the border. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7522a6d1e7b9346dcd2b88cd935cb290/Del%20Rio%20DPS%20Surge%20MG%20TT%2008.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/profiles/James_Barragan_TT.jpg)
James Barragán is a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune with a focus on accountability reporting. Prior to joining the Tribune, he worked as a statehouse reporter for The Dallas Morning News and had previous stints at the Austin American-Statesman and The Los Angeles Times. In 2021, he was a finalist for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Reporting for his coverage of Texas politics during COVID-19. A Southern California native, he received his bachelor's degree in history from UCLA.
Latest Contributions
-
![A National Guard soldier walks past a group of migrants. The group turned themselves over to Customs and Border Patrol offic…]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott promised “transparency and accountability” for border wall donations. But donors don’t have to use real names.
Despite promises from Abbott that transparency in the crowdfunding process for the border wall would be paramount, donor information released to The Texas Tribune for the first week of collections was bereft of any way to verify the identities of the majority of the donors. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9632c4556853d088cfa7ec3bbd32ab61/Border%20Wall%20CR%20TT.jpg)
![Ordered under the George W. Bush administration, a controversial incomplete border wall along the Rio Grande River in South …]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Speaker offers Democrats free plane ride home to return to state
The plane will be on standby at Dulles International Airport, and Dade Phelan’s team said his political campaign, not taxpayers, will pay for the flight. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6bcb33c0fd3f193453547e4fd423a113/House%20Floor%20July%2013%20Phelan%20JV%20TT%2011.jpg)
![House Speaker Dade Phelan behind the dias on July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
El Paso Democrat Joe Moody stripped of leadership position in Texas House after leaving state with Democrats
Moody, one of House Speaker Dade Phelan's closest Democratic allies, is the first Democrat to suffer political backlash after the quorum break. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/29d896cacf8fc484d7e4215b8d251656/House%20Floor%20May%2025%20EL%20TT%2006.jpg)
![State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, speaks with colleagues on the House floor during session at the state capitol on May 25, 20…]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Senate presses forward passing GOP voting and bail bills, as Texas House in chaos over Democrats’ decampment
If the House Democrats who skipped town to block voting legislation don’t return before the special session ends, the Senate bills will languish without becoming law. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6c1f9175337bd096cb092b53baf476c5/Houston%20Drive%20Thru%20Voting%20AM%20TT%2002.jpg)
![A poll worker feeds a voting machine and power cord through a voter’s car window in the drive-through line at NRG Stadium in…]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Deploy law enforcement? Call another special session? Texas GOP mulls options for elections bill after Democrats leave the state
A number of House Republicans indicated that they would support what’s known as a call of the House, a procedural move that would allow law enforcement to track down lawmakers who have already fled the chamber. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/25b3a679628f9a1e1fc2f30bdff0303c/Dems%20Leave%20Texas%20JV%20TT%2001.jpeg)
![Planes stationed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on July 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers take first steps to restore Legislature’s funding after Abbott’s veto
The House Appropriations Committee voted on Friday 21-0 to move forward a bill that would reinstate the funding after Abbott vetoed it to punish House Democrats who broke quorum in the final days of the session to kill two of his priority bills. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/62d46b84b96a5d548e6c9fb80e730914/House%20Floor%20May%2023%20JV%20TT%2010.jpg)
![Gov. Abbott declines to take questions from reporters during the legislative session on the house floor on Sunday, May 23, 2…]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. James White announces primary challenge to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller
Miller is running for a third term. Full Story
![Rep. James White, R-Hillister, speaks at the Women's [In]Justice Day rally on the south steps of the Capitol on March 8, 20…](https://thumbnails.texastribune.org/QS6lPNOLq4rH6nnluM-VwuzAVRU=/850x570/smart/filters:quality(75)/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/73f9792e693faec14bc3e1bdfc12c237/06%20Women%20Prisons%20March%20TT%20MG.jpg)
![Rep. James White, R-Hillister, speaks at the Women's [In]Justice Day rally on the south steps of the Capitol on March 8, 20…]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Donald Trump visits Texas to tour “unfinished border wall” on U.S.-Mexico border with Gov. Greg Abbott
The former president is touring the border Wednesday with Abbott, who has promised to build a state-funded border wall. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b5d935eac9ad5be5e920b5164510ab43/Abbott%20Trump%20Border%20Visit%20POOL%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Texas Lt Gov. Dan Patrick, left, Gov. Greg Abbott, and former President Donald Trump attend a border security briefing to di…]()
Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images via POOL -
In first trip to U.S.-Mexico border as vice president, Kamala Harris focuses on causes of immigration
Harris toured Border Patrol facilities in El Paso and met with local groups that aid migrants, but Republicans continued to attack her for not visiting the Rio Grande Valley, where a large number of border apprehensions are happening. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/57b0ce2f93413a50a6d4cca45f90d3af/VP%20Harris%20El%20Paso%20CBP%20REUTERS.jpg)
![U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with members of the U.S. Border Patrol as she visited an El Paso central processing …]()
Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein -
Texans oppose permitless carry, but support expanding Medicaid and restricting transgender student athletes, UT/TT Poll finds
The Legislature gaveled out at the end of month after passing bills on abortion, guns, police budgets and the Texas power grid. Here's how Texas voters feel about the results. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/525b3ce031646fd9e24480f8e5c168f3/Capitol%20File%20SP%20TT%2005.jpg)
![The Texas Capitol on June 10, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott is using a disaster declaration to help fund a border wall. Democrats say it’s an overreach of executive powers.
The disaster declarations give the governor broad power to suspend state laws and regulations that hinder a jurisdiction’s recovery from a disaster and to allow the use of available resources to respond to the disaster. Full Story
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller running for reelection, instead of challenging Gov. Greg Abbott
Miller was seen as a potential challenger to Abbott because of his vocal criticism of the governor's restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19 last year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2779b8d69201c78760811e3a3b07071d/Sid%20Miller%202018%20BD%20TT%2003.jpg)
![Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller spoke with Evan Smith on Feb. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Critics denounce Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick’s “invasion” rhetoric on immigration, saying it will incite violence
“If people die again, blood will be on your hands,” U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, wrote in a tweet. Full Story
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott announces Texas is providing initial $250 million "down payment" for border wall
The governor did not specify how long the wall would be or where it would be built. He directed the Texas Facilities Commission to hire a program manager to begin that research. Full Story
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott wants to build a border wall, but does Texas have the ability — or money — to do so?
Critics have denounced Abbott's proposal as "political theater" that won't pass legal muster. But the two-term Republican governor says it's time to secure the border. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/12/27/Border_Wall_7_CR_TT.jpg)
![A segment of the border fence in the Rio Grande Valley.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
Republicans think they can take South Texas — especially after a win in McAllen
Statewide officials are campaigning in the Democratic stronghold and GOP groups are now targeting statehouse districts. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1ab18bb8f94713e184c087a1d7e3a969/Javier%20Villalobos%20MG%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Newly-elected McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos at City Hall on June 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Lawyers prosecuting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s fraud case challenge decision to move trial back to his home county
Last month, a divided three-judge panel ruled that the case should move back to Collin County. Prosecutors are asking the full 1st Court of Appeals to review and reverse that ruling, potentially further delaying the 6-year-old case. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/88b280f4ec705b6ed3d5401e0b0c3c2a/Ken%20Paxton%20BD%20TT%2006.jpg)
![Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to the Gun Owners of America assembly.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House rallies behind Speaker Dade Phelan, even as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blames him for GOP legislative failures
Phelan has touted a list of conservative wins in his first session as House leader, such as passing legislation to let Texans carry handguns without a license and approving some of the strictest restrictions on abortion in the country. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/452eac0fdc274de9561b3f86fbc12446/House%20Floor%20SB7%20May%2030%20MG%20TT%2020.jpg)
![House Speaker Dade Phelan speaks with legislators on the House floor on May 30, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott could be upsetting balance of powers with threat to veto Texas Legislature’s pay
A governor targeting the Legislature’s budget would be unprecedented in Texas history. Full Story
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b8a64d2224f826749f5153f504b3f3df/Hugs%20Not%20Walls%20JH%20TT%2004)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fa0a3bf5f55ded4b1b6c3e90863ecf76/Abbott%20Border%20Announcement%20SP%20TT%2018)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/24c3a5bfdecc306d5362a7dd10f2815a/Abbott%20Border%20Announcement%20SP%20TT%2002)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/70790230744dce8536b16b1aa19ed167/House%20File%20May%2028%20EL%20TT%2012)