Law enforcement officers who serve on Operation Lone Star get a $500,000 death benefit for their survivors if they die on duty. But National Guard troops on the same mission don’t get a dime from the state for their families if they die.
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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Immigration
Hundreds of frustrated Venezuelan migrants block bridge linking El Paso and Juárez
Migrants rushed through the toll booths on the Juárez side of the bridge Sunday afternoon after rumors spread that the border was temporarily opened.
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Texas Legislature 2023
House unveils bill giving state authority to “repel” and return migrants crossing from Mexico
House Bill 20 by state Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, would test the boundaries of the state’s ability to enforce immigration law, which courts have historically ruled falls under federal purview.
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Politics
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy offers warm reception to Biden border proposal as Democrats recoil
The Austin Republican’s tacit approval only adds fuel to the fire for Texas Democrats recoiling at the report that the Biden administration could detain asylum-seekers.
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Higher Education
UTEP gave research role to former Border Patrol official accused of sexual harassment
Tony Barker received an unpaid fellowship to make him “less risky” for other universities to hire him, emails show.
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Climate Change in Texas
Texas heat-related deaths reached a two-decade high in 2022 amid extreme temperatures
A Texas Tribune analysis of state data found that at least 279 people in Texas were killed by heat last year, and a large portion of those deaths were likely migrants who died after crossing the border.
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Politics
Asylum-seekers who cross the border illegally to be deported under new Biden administration rule
The new rule is designed to push migrants to seek asylum at official border crossings or through other legal channels rather than crossing the border illegally and then requesting asylum.
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Politics
Texas border Republican accuses GOP of using immigration crisis for politics
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales said in an interview with the Washington Examiner that his fellow Republicans benefit politically from a sustained border crisis. The attack indirectly alluded to U.S. Rep. Chip Roy’s contentious border security bill.
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Politics
Mexican political parties are courting voters living in Texas ahead of Mexico’s presidential election
Mexican migrants in Texas could play a role in choosing the country’s next president next year, and Mexican political leaders are setting up outreach networks — including one in Dallas — to court expat voters.
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Immigration
U.S. Supreme Court cancels arguments over Title 42, the pandemic-era policy to quickly turn away migrants
The case is expected to become moot in May when the Biden administration lifts the nation’s COVID-19 emergency order. Once that order lifts, Title 42 is expected to automatically end.