As be begins his second decade as governor, Rick Perry’s plan is to deal with the basics: to make sure the state is on a smooth economic path, to pass a balanced state budget, to coax the federal government into loosening its purse strings and tightening its security on the Mexican border.
Immigration
In-depth reporting on border issues, policies, communities, and the impact of immigration across the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Demographics
Gimme Shelter
Gov. Rick Perry’s focus on sanctuary cities — cities that don’t allow their police officers to enforce federal immigration laws — could offer him safe passage through the contentious immigration debate. But it will be tricky.
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Demographics
TribBlog: Abbott Blasts Feds After West Texas Shooting
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott accused the federal government of putting U.S. citizens’ lives at risk following a reported cross-border shooting Thursday in Hudspeth County. During the incident, first reported by the El Paso Times, at least one Mexican gunman allegedly shot toward Hudspeth County workers in rural West Texas who were doing maintenance on a desolate road.
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Demographics
Molly Molloy: The TT Interview
The New Mexico State University librarian and professor on why she painstakingly keeps a daily tally of the killings in Juárez, which surpassed 3,100 in 2010.
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Demographics
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 62
In our session kickoff edition of the TribCast, Ross, Elise, Ben and Reeve discuss the state’s budget morass, so-called “sanctuary city” legislation and their impressions of the newly sworn-in Texas Legislature.
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Guides
Texplainer: What’s an Emergency Item?
Ever hear something about Texas politics or policy and wonder what it is? Or read something that made you think, “I have no idea what that means”? We’re here to help. From questions about why Rick Perry is within his legal right to shoot a coyote while jogging to what the heck “chubbing” is, Texplainer will answer your burning questions. Today: “What’s a Legislative emergency item?”
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Demographics
Perry Pressed on “Sanctuary Cities”
Gov. Rick Perry wants an end to “sanctuary cities,” but in a press conference Wednesday morning, he didn’t name specific cities he wants Texas lawmakers to target. Nor did he address whether the Department of Public Safety’s policy of state troopers not inquiring about the immigration status of people they pull over should be changed.
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Demographics
Dream Deferred?
College students who would have benefited from federal passage of the DREAM Act, which would have provided a pathway to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants, are turning their attention to the Texas Legislature. As Erika Aguilar of KUT News reports, protesters rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday against a number of immigration bills lawmakers will consider.
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Demographics
He Sells Sanctuary
Gov. Rick Perry has designated the elimination of “sanctuary city” policies as one of the 82nd legislative session’s emergency items — but as the Tribune has noted repeatedly in the last year, the state’s in no position to throw stones.
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Demographics
TribBlog: Hispanic Democrats: Lege “Chasing Ghosts”
Hispanic members of the Texas House responded swiftly to Gov. Rick Perry designating abolishing “sanctuary” cities a legislative emergency. “Instead of leading us through a $27 billion dollar budget shortfall that is poised to cripple our schools, our communities and the public health system, we are chasing ghosts,” said Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio.