Among voters near the Texas-Mexico border, immigration and border security are a leading cause for flipping from Democrat to Republican.
James Barragán
James Barragán was a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune with a focus on accountability reporting. Prior to joining the Tribune, James worked as a statehouse reporter for The Dallas Morning News and previously had 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 the COVID-19 pandemic. James was selected as a 2023-24 Nieman Fellow at Harvard. A Southern California native, James received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Los Angeles. He was based in Austin and is a native Spanish speaker.
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Politics
Republican James White resigns from Texas House early to take leadership job at Texas Funeral Services Commission
White, the only Black Republican in the Legislature, leaves office after 11 years and a failed run for agriculture commissioner.
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Politics
ACLU calls on feds to investigate Abbott’s policy transporting migrants back to border
In July, Abbott authorized state law enforcement to transport migrants to ports of entry. It’s unclear how and why migrants are being detained, raising civil rights concerns and questions about whether the state is overstepping federal authority.
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Texas 2022 Elections
Texas Democrats see hope in Kansas abortion vote, but challenges remain
Democrats and abortion-rights supporters in Texas are energized by voters in Republican-dominated Kansas who on Tuesday resoundingly voted to keep the right to an abortion in their state constitution.
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Health care
Texas program that gives out lifesaving drugs to combat opioid overdoses has been out of money for months
The state’s federally funded “More Narcan Please” program ran out of money in January, in part due to high demand. Advocates say Texas should invest more in the harm reduction effort.
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Politics
Republican county officials in South Texas want Gov. Greg Abbott to deport migrants. Only the federal government can do that.
Immigration law enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government. In recent months, a fringe legal theory has found more mainstream supporters who are calling on state leaders in Arizona and Texas to deport migrants with state resources.
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Migrant Tragedy in San Antonio
Greg Abbott blames Joe Biden for migrant deaths, but the governor’s own border security efforts have fallen short
To immigration experts, the astounding loss of life illustrates just how difficult it is to stem migration into the country, even as Abbott has spent the last year pouring billions of state dollars into securing the border.
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Texas Abortion Restrictions
In Roe decision, Justice Clarence Thomas invites new legal challenges to contraception and same-sex marriage rights
Experts told The Texas Tribune that Thomas’ opinion signals an openness from the court to reconsidering other settled legal precedents related to rights the court has ruled are protected by the constitution.
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Uvalde school shooting
Sister of Uvalde shooting victim testifies before Texas lawmakers: “I’m terrified to go back” to school
Jazmin Cazares, 17, was one of several family members of shooting victims and experts testifying before Texas lawmakers on Thursday. Her sister, Jackie Cazares, 9, was one of the victims of the school shooting in Uvalde.
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Uvalde school shooting
Here’s how Pete Arredondo and other law enforcement differ on what happened during the Uvalde shooting
New information released by law enforcement sources and the director of the Department of Public Safety tells a different story about police response to the shooting than Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo.
