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.
Demographics
Explore population trends, diversity, and data shaping Texas communities, politics, and policy.
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Demographics
Judge Rejects Paxton Bid to Block Syrian Refugees
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.
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Criminal Justice
Emotional Testimony Targets Plan to License Detention Centers
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.
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Demographics
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.
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Demographics
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.
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Demographics
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.
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Demographics
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.
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Criminal Justice
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.
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Demographics
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.
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Demographics
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.
