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.
Demographics
Explore population trends, diversity, and data shaping Texas communities, politics, and policy.
Supreme Court Justices Question UT-Austin’s Affirmative Action Policy
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.
Affirmative Action at UT and Beyond at Stake in Supreme Court Case
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.
Syrians Small Fraction of Refugees Reaching Texas
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.
Judge: No Hearing This Week in Refugee Case
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.
Cuellar: Time to Change Cuban Immigration Policy
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.
21 Syrian Refugees to Arrive in Texas Next Week
Twenty-one Syrian refugees — including a dozen children — are set to be resettled next week in Dallas and Houston, according to the federal government. Texas had filed a lawsuit seeking to block the arrival of refugees from that country.
Abbott Holding the Line on Syrian Refugees
After unsuccessfully demanding that private resettlement groups stop helping Syrian refugees move to Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration is now insisting that the federal government turn over background information on them.
Texas Denied 30-Day Extension in Immigration Case
The Obama Administration won a small but significant battle on Tuesday when the U.S. Supreme Court denied Texas’ request for an extra 30 days to respond to the White House’s petition for review of a controversial immigration case.
As Detained Immigrants Hold Hunger Strikes, Results Aren’t Guaranteed
How effective are hunger strikes by immigration detainees? Recent evidence seems to suggest they work for some groups but make matters worse for others.

