The latest demographics news from The Texas Tribune.
The number of people apprehended by immigration agents while trying to enter Texas illegally dropped by more than 35 percent during the federal government’s 2015 fiscal year, according to new Department of Homeland Security figures. Full Story
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At the Sabine Creek Ranch in Rockwall County, owners Eddie and Sarah Walker are preparing a special Christmas Eve dinner with tamales for their 179 guests, all unaccompanied minors who recently crossed the Texas-Mexico border. Full Story
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College campuses always seem to attract controversy, but in 2015 Texas universities seemed to have more than their normal share. Full Story
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If non-Texans were still unsure how much the state's Republican lawmakers oppose President Obama's immigration and border security policies, 2015 likely cleared that up. Full Story
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A top operative for U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela is headed for U.S. Rep. Gene Green's already heated re-election campaign against challenger — and failed Houston mayoral candidate — Adrian Garcia. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz sounds a lot like billionaire businessman Donald Trump these days when it comes to illegal immigration. But his deport-now-ask-questions-later approach represents a stark change from what he advocated in 2013. Full Story
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Crafted carefully, state laws can be written that would allow Texas to crack down on undocumented immigrants and illegal border crossers without running afoul of the U.S. Constitution, a state attorney told lawmakers recently. Full Story
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Despite Texas Republicans’ laser focus on keeping Syrian refugees from being resettled here, the head of the state's Department of Public Safety says he’d prefer a wider lens that focuses on all countries connected to “Islamic extremist terrorism.” Full Story
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Because of a recent spike in minors crossing the border illegally in the Rio Grande Valley, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that he is ordering the Texas National Guard to stay in the area through December. Full Story
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Lost in the debate over the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case is this: For UT-Austin, more than racial preferences in admissions are at stake. If the university loses, the entire way it selects its incoming freshman class could be at risk. Full Story
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In this special edition of the Political Roundup: Texas lawmakers introduce and advance legislation in Washington to create new curbs on Syrian refugees entering the country. And the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in two Texas cases. Full Story
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The Dallas County Sheriff fired back at what she called inaccurate rumors on her immigration policies during an interim House committee hearing Thursday. Lawmakers also heard about an ill-conceived law that is hindering the state's identification of criminals. Full Story
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A practicing Roman Catholic, Gov. Greg Abbott often cites the spiritual underpinnings of his political positions. His stance on barring Syrian refugees from Texas is his latest break with many leaders of his faith. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s second attempt to immediately block the arrival of additional Syrian refugees was even shorter-lived than the first. A federal judge on Wednesday quickly rejected his request. Full Story
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As state officials consider licensing two private detention facilities as approved residential centers for undocumented children, they heard several hours of testimony in opposition to the move Wednesday. Full Story
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U.S. Supreme Court justices dissected UT-Austin's unusual admissions procedures on Wednesday, questioning whether Texas' flagship campus should keep using race as a factor when evaluating some of its applicants. Full Story
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The eyes of higher education will be upon the University of Texas at Austin v. Fisher on Wednesday, as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments about the future of affirmative action. Full Story
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Federal resettlement numbers show a refugee population in Texas that is mostly from Myanmar — which the U.S. State Department still classifies as Burma — and Iraq, with most living in the state’s major metropolitan areas. Full Story
A federal judge in Dallas said Monday it will be several weeks before he takes up a case in which Texas is suing the federal government and a refugee nonprofit over Syrian refugees, according to a lawyer connected to the suit. Full Story
A special U.S. immigration policy provision allows Cubans to apply for legal residency status after living in the country for a year. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar says that the provision needs another look. Full Story
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