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.
Criminal Justice
Get the latest Texas Tribune coverage on criminal justice, including crime, courts, law enforcement, and reforms shaping the state’s justice system.
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Texas Legislature 2025
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.
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Criminal Justice
Handshakes, murals and ministry: A reopened Texas prison focuses on rehabilitation
The Bartlett Unit in Williamson County will house 1,049 male inmates who will participate in educational programs aimed to help them secure a job after they’ve served their time.
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Robert Roberson
Trial judge in Robert Roberson’s death row case agrees to recusal
Senior District Judge Deborah Oakes Evans recused herself after a challenge to her impartiality over longtime relationships with case prosecutors and judges.
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Criminal Justice
Houstonian Mark Swidan to be released from Chinese imprisonment
The Texan has been imprisoned in China for 12 years on charges of drug trafficking.
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Criminal Justice
Inside the only college class in Texas to help prepare inmates for life after prison
More than 250 Texas prisoners are on the waitlist to join the Lee College reentry class. Programs like these prepare students to find jobs and help lower recidivism.
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News Quiz
Tribune news quiz: What happened in Texas this week?
How closely did you follow the news in Texas this week? Take The Texas Tribune’s news quiz to find out!
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Criminal Justice
Freeman Martin selected to lead the Texas Department of Public Safety
Martin, a senior official, takes the helm of the agency on Dec. 1, replacing retiring director Steve McCraw.
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2024 Texas Elections
Gov. Greg Abbott issues executive order targeting Chinese government operatives in Texas
The order is in response to “Operation Fox Hunt,” a Chinese government initiative intended to root out corruption but in practice has been used to intimidate Chinese citizens living abroad.
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Criminal Justice
Federal appeals court affirms ruling that Caldwell County must hold public bail hearings
The Texas Tribune, the Caldwell/Hays Examiner and Mano Amiga challenged the county’s policy of barring the press and public from bail hearings, saying it violated the First Amendment.