A U.S. judge on Thursday granted a preliminary injunction against critical sections of Senate Bill 4, but a provision allowing police to arrest people suspected of illegal entry did activate.
Courts
Stay up to date on Texas courts with in-depth coverage of major rulings, judicial elections, criminal justice, and the judges shaping state law from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
State Government
Texas’ app age verification law allowed to go into effect for now
A federal appeals court allowed Texas to require app stores to verify users’ ages and seek parental consent before a minor can download apps.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Paxton-backed Thomas Smith defeats Alison Fox in GOP runoff for Texas’ highest criminal court
The all-Republican Court of Criminal Appeals has undergone extensive turnover since AG Ken Paxton began targeting incumbent judges.
Posted in
Higher Education
Pro-Palestinian protesters sue UT Dallas leaders, police officers over alleged punishment
The lawsuit accuses University of Texas at Dallas police officers of using excessive force while arresting students last year.
Posted in
Immigration
Inside the legal battle over undocumented immigrants’ right to challenge their detention
Last year the Trump administration launched a policy of keeping all immigrants arrested by ICE in detention without the right to request bond, reversing decades of established law.
Posted in
The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
Ken Paxton wanted to limit forum shopping. Now lawyers say he’s improperly seeking favorable courts.
ProPublica and The Texas Tribune have identified at least 30 lawsuits filed by the attorney general over the past nine years that have a tenuous connection to the counties in which they were filed.
Posted in
Redistricting Texas 2025
Texas Supreme Court rejects Abbott’s request to remove Democratic Rep. Gene Wu from office over redistricting protest
More than 50 Democrats, including Wu — the House Democratic leader — left the state last August to shut down the Legislature and stall passage of the GOP’s map.
Posted in
Immigration
Trump administration sues Catholic diocese to seize land on religious site near El Paso for border barrier
The lawsuit argues that 14 acres on Mount Cristo Rey, which features a 29-foot-tall statue of Jesus, are needed for barriers and other technology to secure the border.
Posted in
Health care
State asks to continue monitoring Dallas-area foster care contractor until August
The state said EMPOWER needed more time to improve conditions after two children died under the contractor’s care over the years.
Posted in
Health care
Hours after statewide ban is reinstated, smokeable hemp is temporarily back on Texas shelves, court rules
After a dizzying string of court actions on smokeable hemp this week, Texas 15th Court of Appeals agreed to allow the sale of the drug.