The criminal court decides death penalty case appeals and rules on petitions for those who believe they’ve been wrongfully detained. Alison Fox and Thomas Smith are in the runoff for Place 3’s Republican nominee.
Alex Nguyen
Alex Nguyen is a general assignment reporter with a focus on criminal justice. Before joining the newsroom in 2025, she was a breaking news reporter at The Dallas Morning News. She previously was a reporting fellow for the Tribune and a reporting intern at Bloomberg News. A graduate of Columbia University’s Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, Alex was raised mostly in Vancouver, Canada, and she has reported for various regional and national outlets there. She speaks Vietnamese and conversational Spanish and will be based in Austin.
Posted in
Immigration
ICE warrants were central to Abbott’s immigration dispute with Texas cities. Here’s how they work.
Unlike criminal warrants, ICE administrative warrants don’t require approval from an independent judge. ICE defends the practice, but legal experts say they can have errors and risk wrongful detention.
Posted in
State Government
Austin, Dallas revise police policy allowing more ICE cooperation after Abbott funding cut threat
Austin, which on Friday became the third city to revise similar policies, had $2.5 million in public safety grants at risk before receiving a deadline extension to make the changes.
Posted in
Immigration
ICE releases El Gamal family after re-arresting mother and 5 children, attorney says
A plane carrying the family to Michigan was reportedly on its way back to Colorado after a Texas federal judge ordered a halt to their deportation following his ruling that they be released.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Houston City Council approves gutting policy limiting ICE cooperation, civil rights groups say
In contrast to the civil rights groups’ assessment, Houston’s city attorney told council members that the amendment — crafted by the mayor’s staff and the governor’s office — brings no major changes.
Posted in
Health care
Texas will launch its own clinical trials into ibogaine psychedelic after failing to find a drug company to help
The state’s effort will get a boost from the federal government thanks to a new executive order from President Donald Trump.
Posted in
State Government
Gov. Greg Abbott threatens $200 million in funding from major Texas cities over ICE policies
The governor’s letters to Austin, Dallas and Houston say the state will pull back state grants because of local policies that deter police from fully cooperating with immigration officials.
Posted in
Immigration
Houston to consider repealing ordinance limiting its ICE cooperation amid state funding threat, investigation
Gov. Greg Abbott’s office told Houston Mayor John Whitmire Monday that the state will withdraw $110 million in funding if the city doesn’t axe the ordinance.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas’ highest criminal court overturns sentence of inmate who has been on death row for 47 years
Clarence Curtis Jordan’s attorney said the intellectually disabled man didn’t have a lawyer to work on his behalf for nearly four decades.
Posted in
State Government
TDCJ official confirms in trial testimony that it could cost $1.5 billion to fully cool Texas prisons
Current and former heads of Texas’ prison system defended asking for lesser amounts to air-condition facilities during a federal trial on extreme heat in TDCJ facilities.
