Texas National Guard soldier won’t face civilian charges in border shooting of migrant
The soldier, serving as part of Operation Lone Star, said he accidentally fired his weapon, wounding the migrant in January. Full Story
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![Asylum-seeking migrants walk as they are escorted by National Guard officers, after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico, at Eagle Pass on July 26, 2022.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Go Nakamura -
Gunman in 2019 El Paso mass shooting receives 90 life sentences
Patrick Crusius pleaded guilty and was sentenced Friday in federal court. He still faces state charges, and the local district attorney says he intends to seek the death penalty. Full Story
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![From left: Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Hanna, defendant Patrick Crusius, defense attorney Joe Spencer, and U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama, during the sentencing hearing of David Crusius in El Paso, on July 7, 2023.]()
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Infant girl among four found dead in Rio Grande
All four of the deceased were found within 48 hours in the Rio Grande, a common but dangerous crossing point into the United States from Mexico. Full Story
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![A row of shipping containers and razor wire placed on the banks of the Rio Grande River by Gov. Greg Abbott to form a makeshift border wall in Eagle Pass on Nov. 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune -
Charges filed against five more people in San Antonio smuggling tragedy that killed 53 migrants
A year after the nation’s deadliest human smuggling event, federal prosecutors say seven people face a maximum of life in prison. One of the suspects, who was not identified, has not been arrested. Full Story
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![Community members gather at a makeshift memorial on Thursday, June 30, 2022 outside San Antonio, TX. Community members paid their respects to the 53 people who died after being left in a truck trailer in a human smuggling operation. Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Tens of thousands of migrants continue to press through dangerous jungle with hopes of reaching U.S. border
The U.S. is part of a multinational effort to stop the flow of American-bound migrants through the deadly Darién Gap bordering Colombia and Panama. So far, it’s not working. Full Story
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![Migrants walk from a canoe that brought them to a Panamanian reception center in the village of Lajas Blancas on June 20.]()
Credit: Robert Moore/El Paso Matters -
At Texas-Mexico border, Ron DeSantis unveils immigration platform with Trump in mind
The Florida governor calls for deputizing local law enforcement to police the border and deport migrants, saying his plan is “more aggressive” than the former president’s proposals. Full Story
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![From left: U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, stands next to Republican U.S. presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a visit to the border community of Eagle Pass on June 26, 2023.]()
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Supreme Court rejects Texas effort to force Biden administration to change deportation policy
Texas and Louisiana sued after the Biden administration told immigration agents to focus on deporting undocumented immigrants who are convicted of felonies or pose a risk to public safety. The Supreme Court said states didn’t have any standing to sue. Full Story
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![Migrants crossing the border in Roma were apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Aug. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn wants the U.S. to train Mexican troops to fight drug cartels
The Republican from Texas introduced the legislation after meeting with Mexico’s president and calling for more cooperation between the two countries. Full Story
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![The Mexican military guards the perimieter of the shelter where an estimated 1700 migrants are currently being held in Piedras Negras. Feb. 12, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrat leads renewed push in Congress to grant citizenship to DACA recipients
With support from several Republicans, U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia hopes migrants brought illegally to the country as children can get out of “limbo.” Full Story
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![After being detained and released by law enforcement, an undocumented immigrant wears an ankle monitor at the Catholic Charities relief center in McAllen on April 6, 2018.]()
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With another DACA court ruling looming, Texas recipients who are now adults worry about their jobs and futures
A federal judge in Houston is expected to rule for the second time that the Obama-era program is illegal. The possible end of DACA could upend the lives of more than 95,000 Texans enrolled in the program. Full Story
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![Itzayana Mondragon sits with her son Dylan at her home in Austin on June 5, 2023. Itzayana is a DACA recipient who worries about the unclear future of the program and her immigration status. Itzayana has been in the U.S. since she was less than a year old and fears the idea of going back to Mexico with her life here.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for the Texas Tribune -
Texas to deploy buoys to deter Rio Grande crossings, Abbott announces
The governor revealed plans for a floating river barrier at a Capitol signing ceremony for six new laws related to border security. The first 1,000-foot section will be set up near Eagle Pass. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott displays SB 1113, one of six bills he signed during a border security bill signing session at the state capitol in Austin on June 8, 2023. “Washington D.C. has failed to do its job to secure the border,” Abbott said “As a result, Texas has had to take unprecedented steps in responding to the crisis caused by the Biden administration on the border, and in response the Texas legislature has stepped up to make sure that we will be able to more robustly respond.”]()
Credit: Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribune -
With Texas House adjourned, Senate takes bigger swing at border enforcement and human smuggling
Rather than accept the House legislation as is, senators passed their own — more expansive — proposals for border security. But unless the House convenes again, the bills can’t go to the governor’s desk. Full Story
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![State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, talks about a bill on the Senate floor at the state Capitol in Austin on March 14, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Dan Patrick says Senate won’t budge on property tax relief — but there’s no House to negotiate with
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says the Senate won’t accept a property tax relief bill the lower chamber left behind before adjourning for the special session. A bill targeting migrant smuggling also appears imperiled. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recaps the 88th Legislative Session with Sherry Sylvester, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, at TPPF Headquarters in downtown Austin, on May 30, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Almost two years since Kabul fell, a frayed refugee system creates obstacles for Afghans in Texas
The refugee system in Texas and nationally is still recovering from major cuts under the Trump administration. The latest casualty is Texas’ largest resettlement agency, Refugee Services of Texas. Full Story
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![Afghan refugees Azita Jawady and her husband Hamid Sadra at their home in Austin on May 17, 2023. Jawady, a former social worker and employee at USAID and Sadra, an artist, fled to Texas from danger they faced from their previous jobs in Afghanistan.]()
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Sheriff files criminal charges over Florida’s transport of migrants from San Antonio to Massachusetts
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office didn’t say who it has accused of unlawful restraint in connection with last year’s flight to Martha’s Vineyard paid for by Florida. On Monday, California announced it’s investigating similar flights from El Paso to Sacramento. Full Story
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![A migrant arrives at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts on Sept. 14, 2022.]()
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigation finds multiple failings in the death of 8-year-old girl in federal custody
After discovering that contracted medical staff ignored the mother’s pleas to take the girl to the hospital as her condition declined, the federal agency said it is taking action to ensure an in-custody death “never happens again.” Full Story
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![A border patrol vehicle on the banks of the Rio Grande in Rio Grande City.]()
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Republican priorities on school choice, border fail, but late-night compromises resurrect others
Rushed agreements and suspended rules rescue legislation on the electric grid and economic incentives for companies, and work is still being done on a property tax proposal. Full Story
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![The state Capitol in Austin is seen behind parking garage lights on the evening of April 18, 2023.]()
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Effort to fix payroll error for state National Guard troops falls short in Texas Senate
The mistake meant about 7,400 soldiers sent to the Texas-Mexico border under Operation Lone Star were hit with higher-than-expected federal income taxes. Full Story
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![Members of the Texas National Guard work 12 to 13 hour shifts guarding the “Texas border wall,” construction crews and materials near Del Rio on Dec. 8, 2021. Thousands of National Guard troops were deployed to Del Rio after an increase in migration at the southern border.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate moves to create new immigration enforcement unit, allow state police to arrest for border crossings
The House has already passed the bill, but the two chambers will need to iron out the differences in their versions before it is sent to Gov. Greg Abbott. Full Story
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![Migrants carry supplies before crossing the Rio Grande River and into the U.S. from Mexico on Monday, May 8, 2023, in Juárez, Chihuahua. Several hundred migrants have been waiting on the U.S. side of the river to be picked up and processed by CBP.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Senate priorities on bail, Ten Commandments in schools stall out in Texas House as key deadline passes
The two chambers have been at odds over property tax relief and school choice, but on Tuesday night, those divisions spilled over into priorities the bodies had previously agreed upon. Full Story
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![Members of the House vote on the House floor during session at the state Capitol on April 11, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune