Webb County’s top elected official switches to Republican Party
Tano Tijerina was elected as a Democrat to lead Webb County, which includes Laredo. It is among many border counties that Trump won in November. Full Story
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Alejandro Serrano
General Assignment Reporter
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Alejandro Serrano is a general assignment reporter for The Texas Tribune. Before joining the Tribune in the fall of 2022, he reported on a variety of topics for the Houston Chronicle, including education and the Houston Independent School District. The Long Island, New York native received his bachelor's degree in journalism from Northeastern University. He is based in Houston and speaks fluent Spanish.
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![Webb co. Judge Tano Tijerina.]()
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A 2006 study found undocumented immigrants contribute more than they cost Texas. The state hasn’t updated it since.
A comptroller’s report found that deporting the estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants living in Texas in 2005 would have cost the state about $17.7 billion in gross domestic product. Full Story
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![Leticia Quintanilla is undocumented and resides in Houston. Quintanilla states that she's been more cautious about traveling since the recent threat of immigration raids in Houston. June 23, 2019.]()
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Feds can’t destroy razor wire Texas installed near Eagle Pass, appeals court rules
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had sued the Biden administration after Border Patrol agents had cut the razor wire. 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.]()
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Trump’s border czar pick supports using Texas ranch for mass deportations
Gov. Greg Abbott also announced that the state is adding more floating barriers to the Rio Grande. Full Story
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![The Rio Grande seen through dense brush nearby the Starr-Camargo bridge in Starr County, which connects Rio Grande City with Camargo, Tamaulipas.]()
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Texas’ top elected officials signal Texas could cut border spending after Trump takes office
With Donald Trump returning to the White House, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have both recently signaled new openness to winding down the state’ border security operation. Full Story
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![People in Piedras Negras, Mexico, are seen taking photos, through recently-installed concertina wire, of the U.S. side as Border Patrol agents patrol Rio Grande in Eagle Pass on Nov. 8, 2021.]()
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“Uncharted territory”: Trump’s anti-immigration plans could take center stage in Texas
Texas is positioned better than any state to help Trump carry out his ambitious anti-immigration agenda. But it is also vulnerable to those policies’ impacts. Full Story
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![Former President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference before the border wall in Pharr on June 30, 2021.]()
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Election Day updates: South Texas continues dramatic shift toward Donald Trump, GOP
Texas might not be a swing state, but many of its races will have major consequences to the national political landscape and on the lives of everyday Texans. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line at the Houston Community College Southeast voting location in Houston on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.]()
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Texas buys two ranches near the border, including a huge property next to Big Bend National Park
A Starr County property was purchased to build border wall, while Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said the state has many options for a sprawling ranch in West Texas. Full Story
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![A ridge in South Brewster County overlooking Big Bend National Park on Jan. 23, 2024.]()
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Former Eagle Pass detective sentenced to 10 years in prison for running migrant stash houses
Hazel Eileen Diaz received nearly $40,000 in cash and money transfers for letting human smugglers use her rental properties. Full Story
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![The city of Eagle Pass, seen from Piedras Negras, Mexico, on Saturday, June 8, 2024.]()
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If it survives in court, Texas’ immigration law could upend immigration enforcement nationwide
Texas challenged federal supremacy by creating a state crime for illegal entry into the U.S. The courts will decide whether it’s constitutional — and whether other states can follow Texas’ lead. Full Story
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The sun rises behind new fencing installed at the Texas-Mexico border to prevent migrants from crossing the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas, on April 2, 2024. REUTERS/Cheney Orr]()
Credit: REUTERS/Cheney Orr