https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/alejandro-serrano/The latest news by Alejandro Serrano.enWed, 18 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/18/texas-dps-venezuelan-el-salvador-tren-de-aragua-deportation/Lawyers for Pedro Luis Salazar-Cuervo deny he is a gang member and say the DPS accusation hinges on a photo they found of him standing next to a man with tattoos.By Alejandro SerranoWed, 18 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/18/texas-dps-venezuelan-el-salvador-tren-de-aragua-deportation/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/17/texas-border-wall-funding-ends-abbott-trump/Texas officials suggested the federal government could pick up construction. However, during President Trump’s first term, his administration built about one-third of what the state was able to put up in the same amount of time.By Zach Despart and Alejandro Serrano, Graphics by Yuriko SchumacherTue, 17 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/17/texas-border-wall-funding-ends-abbott-trump/State-built border wall under construction near the banks of the Rio Grande in Zapata Co. on Sept. 23, 2024.A section of state-built border wall under construction near the banks of the Rio Grande south of Laredo in Zapata Co. on Sept. 23, 2024.Ben Lowy for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/dan-patrick-texas-thc-ban-republican-gop-backlash/It’s an unusual situation for the lieutenant governor, long viewed by GOP activists as a stalwart conservative responsible for driving the Legislature rightward.By Alejandro SerranoTue, 10 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/dan-patrick-texas-thc-ban-republican-gop-backlash/Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks about Senate Bill 3 during a press conference in the Texas Capitol on May 28, 2025. Patrick, flanked by state lawmakers, argued the bill's ban on THC products would be a service to Texans, saving their lives.Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks about Senate Bill 3 during a press conference in the Texas Capitol on May 28, 2025. Patrick, joined by representatives from the House and Senate, spoke about the bill and how its passage would be a service to Texans, saving their lives. The bill is set to head to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, which Patrick said he wasn’t worried about.Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/08/texas-ice-protests-houston-san-antonio/The protests in Texas followed days of unrest in Los Angeles, where President Donald Trump sent National Guard troops in response to demonstrations.By Alejandro SerranoSun, 08 Jun 2025 20:19:19 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/08/texas-ice-protests-houston-san-antonio/Protesters cross over a bridge as they march toward Houston's Hermann Park on Sunday during a demonstration in response to nationwide immigration enforcement raids and deportations.Protestors cross over a bridge as they march towards Houston's Hermann Park during a protest in response to recent news of nationwide ICE raids and deportations on Sunday, June 8, 2025.Antranik Tavitian for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-immigration-raid-hays-county-austin-venezuelan-gang/People at the raided house say they rented it for a birthday party and deny any connection to the gang. One man says law enforcement accused him of being in Tren de Aragua because of his tattoo.By Alejandro SerranoWed, 04 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-immigration-raid-hays-county-austin-venezuelan-gang/A Venezuelan father, who asked not to be named, and his 5-year-old son at their home in Austin on May 17, 2025. The man, his wife and two kids were swept up in an ICE raid in late March.Austin, Texas - 5/17/25: A family of four swept up in the ICE raids in Austin. The parents, who are both in ankle monitors, have upcoming court dates and are fearful for what's to come. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas TribuneIlana Panich-Linsman for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/02/texas-thc-ban-greg-abbott-dan-patrick/Abbott faces pressure from both sides of the aisle. The prohibition was a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, but some hemp farmers and veterans want it killed.By Jasper Scherer and Alejandro SerranoMon, 02 Jun 2025 17:47:02 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/02/texas-thc-ban-greg-abbott-dan-patrick/Displaying boxes of petitions, members of the Texas Hemp Business Council hold a press conference calling for Gov. Greg Abbott to veto Senate Bill 3, which would ban THC products, on June 2, 2025.Displaying boxes of petitions, members of the Texas Hemp Business Council hold a press conference calling for Gov. Greg Abbott to veto SB 3, a bill which would ban THC products, at the Texas Capitol on June 2, 2025.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/01/texas-immigration-enforcement-sheriffs-287g-bill/Senate Bill 8 would further expand the state’s role in enforcing immigration laws, long the sole jurisdiction of the federal government.By Alejandro SerranoSun, 01 Jun 2025 18:33:19 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/01/texas-immigration-enforcement-sheriffs-287g-bill/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/24/texas-legislature-sheriffs-ice-agreements/The House approved Senate Bill 8, which mandates sheriffs request formal partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for designated deputies to serve administrative immigration warrants at their jails.By Alejandro SerranoSat, 24 May 2025 17:21:43 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/24/texas-legislature-sheriffs-ice-agreements/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/22/texas-undocumented-immigrants-study-senate/The only time the state conducted such an assessment two decades ago, it found that undocumented Texans contributed more to the state’s economy than they cost the state.By Alejandro SerranoTue, 22 Apr 2025 16:59:59 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/22/texas-undocumented-immigrants-study-senate/Gov. Greg Abbott arrives at a press conference at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass on Feb. 4, 2024, after the state took control of the park located along the Rio Grande as part of its border crackdown.Gov. Greg Abbott arrives at a press conference with several other states leadership at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass on Feb. 04, 2024.Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/21/texas-border-security-spending-operation-lone-star/Some are questioning whether lawmakers should commit billions more to border security with illegal crossings dwindling and a Trump immigration crackdown.By Alejandro SerranoMon, 21 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/21/texas-border-security-spending-operation-lone-star/Shelby Park, until recently occupied by state troopers and the Texas National Guard, sits next to the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass.Shelby Park, until recently occupied by the Texas National Guard and other state agencies, sits aside the Rio Grande on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in Eagle Pass.Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/14/texas-operation-lone-star-jail-jim-hogg/Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas was able to close the Jim Hogg County facility because of Trump’s immigration policies. Records reveal that the reality is more nuanced.By Alejandro SerranoMon, 14 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/14/texas-operation-lone-star-jail-jim-hogg/A U.S Customs and Border Protection agent and Val Verde Sheriff’s deputy meet along a rural section of state border wall on Aug. 21, 2024, outside of Del Rio.A U.S Customs and Border Protection agent and Val Verde Sheriff’s deputy meet along a rural section of state border wall under construction Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, outside of Del Rio.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/02/texas-tren-de-aragua-ice-sting-hays-county/Authorities did not say how the individuals arrested in Hays County may be tied to the Venezuelan gang. It was also unclear what criminal charges people may face, though drugs were seized.By Alejandro SerranoWed, 02 Apr 2025 14:03:02 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/02/texas-tren-de-aragua-ice-sting-hays-county/A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent’s badge in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building in downtown Austin.A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent’s badge in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building in downtown Austin, Texas, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/19/texas-critical-race-theory-ban-lawsuit-coppell-schools/The attorney general office’s lawsuit is based on an undercover video published in February by a conservative activist group.By Alejandro SerranoWed, 19 Mar 2025 17:21:47 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/19/texas-critical-race-theory-ban-lawsuit-coppell-schools/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Coppell ISD for allegedly breaking the state's "critical race theory" ban.The Texas flags hangs at a classroom, on Aug. 7, 2024.Trace Thomas for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/17/texas-legislature-immigrants-ice-partnerships-sheriffs-requirement/Some sheriffs worried that Senate Bill 8 could create an unfunded mandate, while civil rights advocates warned about possible racial profiling.By Alejandro SerranoMon, 17 Mar 2025 13:33:28 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/17/texas-legislature-immigrants-ice-partnerships-sheriffs-requirement/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/17/texas-jim-hogg-operation-lone-star-booking-facility-closing/The state opened the facility in Jim Hogg County in 2022.By Alejandro SerranoMon, 17 Mar 2025 10:42:35 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/17/texas-jim-hogg-operation-lone-star-booking-facility-closing/A pedestrian films a video of Texas National Guard soldiers repairing concertina wire along the U.S.-Mexico border on Feb. 29, 2024 in Brownsville.A pedestrian films a video of Texas National Guard soldiers repairing concertina wire along the U.S.-Mexico border after a migrant swam north across the Rio Grande to the United States Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Brownsville. President Joe Biden visited Brownsville on Thursday, receiving briefings from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, USCIS, and ICE along the border before giving remarks at the Brownsville Border Patrol Station.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/14/texas-immigration-migrant-detention-centers/The feds are adding thousands of beds to hold families in Texas, which reportedly holds the most immigrants of any state at its 21 detention centers.By Alejandro SerranoFri, 14 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/14/texas-immigration-migrant-detention-centers/The South Texas Family Residential Center, an immigrant detention center in Dilley, about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio, is being reopened to hold migrant families facing deportation.The South Texas Family Residential Center is an immigrant detention center in Dilley, about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio.Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/13/texas-fema-federal-grants-immigrants/A letter sent this week claims the grant recipients, including many Texas cities and counties, may have illegally “induced” undocumented immigrants to enter the country.By Uriel J. García, Alejandro Serrano and Berenice GarciaThu, 13 Mar 2025 16:12:36 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/13/texas-fema-federal-grants-immigrants/Migrants walk from a Department of Homeland Security tent facility in front of the McAllen bus station to Catholic Charities RGV Humanitarian Respite Center on April 22, 2021.Migrants walk from a DHS tent facility in front of the McAllen bus station to Catholic Charities RGV Humanitarian Respite Center on April 22, 2021.Jason Garza for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/13/texas-paxton-investigation-dallas-sanctuary-city/Attorney General Ken Paxton said a recent statement by Dallas’ interim police chief raised concerns that the city might be violating a state law against so-called sanctuary city policies.By Alejandro SerranoThu, 13 Mar 2025 13:57:35 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/13/texas-paxton-investigation-dallas-sanctuary-city/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on January 6, 2025. Paxton announced Thursday that his office is investigating the city of Dallas for allegedly violating Texas' ban on so-called sanctuary cities.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton addresses the crowd during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on January 6, 2025.Photo by Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/12/texas-legislature-immigration-bills/From requiring law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal officials to forcing state contractors to use E-Verify, here’s how immigration bills fared in this year’s legislative session.By Alejandro Serrano and Uriel J. GarcíaWed, 12 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/12/texas-legislature-immigration-bills/Migrants apprehended by state troopers after crossing the Texas-Mexico border are brought to the International Bridge in Eagle Passand handed over to Border Patrol custody on May 28, 2022.People who were apprehended by state troopers after crossing the border were brought to the International Bridge in Eagle Pass, where they were handed over to Border Patrol custody on Thursday, May 28, 2022.Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/06/texas-dilley-immigration-detention-center-families-reopen/The Biden administration shuttered the Dilley facility last year because of high operating costs. It’s expected to hold immigrant families under the Trump administration.By Alejandro SerranoThu, 06 Mar 2025 10:26:08 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/06/texas-dilley-immigration-detention-center-families-reopen/The South Texas Family Residential Center, an ICE detention center in Dilley, in 2020. After being shut down by the Biden administration, the facility is being reopened by the Trump administration.South Texas Family Residential Center, an ICE detention center in Dilley on Sept. 30, 2020.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune