The latest immigration news from The Texas Tribune.
After her brother was gunned down in 2012, Jessica Mejía and her mother wanted to legally migrate to the U.S. But like millions of migrants who want to move to the U.S., they discovered how difficult it is. Full Story
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Two immigration bills advanced in the Senate on Thursday evening. A bill that would increase the minimum sentence for smuggling migrants passed with bipartisan support and will head to the House. Full Story
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Even as the president says the barriers don’t work, his administration says it will waive environmental laws to build them quickly. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott announced the items lawmakers can consider when they return Monday. His agenda also includes COVID vaccine mandates and the Colony Ridge development outside Houston. Full Story
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The funding bill was a long shot, but far-right U.S. representatives said it didn’t go far enough in promoting their priorities, including border security and defunding investigations into Donald Trump. Full Story
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After conservative media portrayed the Colony Ridge development north of Houston as a haven for illegal immigrants, Gov. Greg Abbott said the upcoming special legislative session will look into the issue. Full Story
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Fifty-three migrants died in what remains the nation’s deadliest human smuggling event. Eight children and one pregnant woman were among the victims discovered in the sweltering trailer parked next to an isolated road in 2022. Full Story
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Mexican immigration officials said they will negotiate with five countries’ governments to ensure they will take back their citizens. The agreement was announced after shelters in El Paso said they are over capacity. Full Story
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Thousands of migrants have crossed the border into Eagle Pass and El Paso in recent days, the highest number since the emergency health order known as Title 42 expired in May. Full Story
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Emilio Gutiérrez Soto fled with his son to the U.S. border in 2008 after his reporting on the Mexican military led to threats. He was working on a Michigan farm when he got the news that his asylum request was finally approved. Full Story
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The solider helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan. As a refugee, he hoped to save his life by joining his brother in Houston. Full Story
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The UT poll also touched on a range of other topics, including Texas voters’ opinions on the upcoming presidential election and the U.S. Senate race. Full Story
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Nearly three months after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of the 1,000-foot line of buoys and mesh in the Rio Grande, an Austin federal judge ordered the state to remove the barrier and stop building further obstructions in the river. One day later a higher court sided with Texas. Full Story
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The lawmakers’ remarks came after an investigation published Tuesday by Military Times and The Texas Tribune revealed how Texas Guardsmen at the state’s border with Mexico spied on migrants via WhatsApp and allegedly mishandled secret documents. Full Story
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Four members of the unit working on Gov. Greg Abbott’s border mission have been punished after whistleblowers reported the surveillance operation violated long-standing rules against state-run spy operations. Full Story
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The Texas Military Department confirmed Friday the National Guard member who is accused of shooting across the Rio Grande and wounding a man was placed on paid leave. Full Story
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In a court hearing over the barrier near Eagle Pass, the U.S. Justice Department argued it was installed without federal authorization, while lawyers for the state said it notified the proper authorities. Full Story
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The migrants, mostly from Venezuela, voluntarily took the bus ride from Brownsville to Los Angeles even as Tropical Storm Hilary crossed into Southern California. Full Story
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The lawsuit alleges that four migrants who were arrested under Operation Lone Star remained locked up as long as six weeks after their criminal trespassing cases were dismissed or they served their sentences. Full Story
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After a 3-year-old began showing signs of distress, the bus of asylum-seekers traveling from Brownsville to Chicago pulled over and an ambulance was called. The child later died at a hospital in Illinois. Full Story
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