The Texas agriculture commissioner on his book and campaign to highlight what he sees as a crisis on the border, his opinions on which immigration policies work and which don’t, and why Americans shouldn’t believe it when they are told the border is secure.
Immigration
In-depth reporting on border issues, policies, communities, and the impact of immigration across the state, from The Texas Tribune.
The Polling Center: Cruz Beats Drum on Immigration
If Ted Cruz seems to be marching out of step with GOP leaders attempting to lower the volume on the party’s immigration rhetoric, results from the last UT/Texas Tribune poll suggest the drumbeat he’s listening to is the one being played by his voters.
El Paso Again Tops List of Safest U.S. Cities
El Paso again ranks as the safest city of its size, according to a report released the same day that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visited the border city.
Lege Could Ban Drones Over Private Property
State Rep. Lance Gooden says he will carry legislation to make it illegal to use a drone to capture video or photographs of private property without the consent of the property’s owner or occupant.
Apprehensions, Narcotics Seizures Increase at Border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized about 1.7 million pounds of narcotics in Texas in fiscal 2012, about 270,000 pounds more than their counterparts in Arizona, New Mexico and California combined.
Joaquin Castro: Current Immigration Laws Create “Ugly Realities”
At a meeting of state business leaders Thursday, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said that current immigration laws create “ugly realities” and that Gov. Rick Perry “will never say the border is secure.”
Obama Plan for Immigration Reform Inspires Some, Irks Others
President Obama on Tuesday offered his own plan for immigration reform, and his proposal earned both praise and criticism in Texas.
The Polling Center: The GOP’s Sticky Immigration Problem
A proposed federal immigration reform poses a test for Texas Republicans: Their leaders, compared to politicians from other states, tend to be more moderate. But those leaders stand at the front of a GOP that is hostile to some of the proposal’s key points.
Report: Employee Misclassification Costs State Millions
A study on conditions in the construction industry says that more than 40 percent of construction workers in Texas — about 300,000 — are either misclassified or paid under the table.
The Brief: Jan. 29, 2013
A major new federal immigration proposal has corralled bipartisan support, but Texas Republicans aren’t biting.



