The Texas Tribune: Berenice Garciahttps://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/berenice-garcia/The latest news by Berenice Garcia.enFri, 27 Jun 2025 17:22:43 -0500“It will affect all families”: Challenges await Texas parents if birthright citizenship endshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/texas-parents-challenges-citizenship-donald-trump/The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship to take effect in certain states in 30 days.By Uriel J. García, Berenice Garcia, Carlos Nogueras Ramos and Terri LangfordFri, 27 Jun 2025 17:22:43 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/texas-parents-challenges-citizenship-donald-trump/Fate of birthright citizenship order unresolved after Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctionshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/birthright-citizenship-supreme-court-donald-trump-texas/The ruling was a partial victory for President Donald Trump who has made immigration his signature issue.By Uriel J. García, Carlos Nogueras Ramos, Berenice Garcia and Associated PressFri, 27 Jun 2025 09:34:04 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/birthright-citizenship-supreme-court-donald-trump-texas/The Supreme Court building in Washington on Jan. 15, 2025.The Supreme Court building in Washington on Jan. 15, 2025.Luke Johnson for The Texas TribuneGov. Greg Abbott orders preemptive strike on screwworm in Texashttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/25/texas-screwworm-greg-abbott/Abbott ordered two Texas agencies to begin working together and with residents and business leaders to stop the spread of the invasive fly before it even starts.By Berenice GarciaWed, 25 Jun 2025 18:03:26 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/25/texas-screwworm-greg-abbott/Texas is taking steps to prevent the screwworm, an invasive fly, from entering the state. The screwworm posies a large threat to the state's cattle industry.Cattle at a ranch in Cedar Creek on March 28, 2021.Evan L'Roy/The Texas TribuneTo fight screwworm, the U.S. is opening a South Texas facility to disperse sterile flieshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/18/texas-screwworm-facility-brooke-rollins/Screwworm is a parasitic fly that targets warm-blooded animals and has the potential to disrupt Texas’ $15 billion cattle industry.By Berenice GarciaWed, 18 Jun 2025 17:36:25 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/18/texas-screwworm-facility-brooke-rollins/The U.S. is opening a facility in the Rio Grande Valley to help stop the spread of the screwworm, a parasitic fly that could threaten the state's cattle industry.Cattle are brought across the U.S.-Mexico border at the livestock import/export facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico on January 22, 2021.Justin Hamel for The Texas TribuneSouth Padre Island officials worried about FEMA’s potential disaster spending cutshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/16/texas-fema-beach-restoration/The Trump administration is proposing limits to the recreational facilities — including beaches — that are eligible for federal assistance.By Berenice GarciaMon, 16 Jun 2025 12:34:12 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/16/texas-fema-beach-restoration/The beach in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on South Padre Island.The beach in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on South Padre Island.Eddie Seal for The Texas TribuneAs Trump celebrates military, Texans protest president’s aggressive immigration enforcementhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/14/texas-protests-anti-trump-immigration-no-kings/Demonstrations in McAllen, Midland, Odessa, Austin and elsewhere in Texas were largely peaceful, as some protests went well into the night.By Berenice Garcia, Carlos Nogueras Ramos, Ayden Runnels and Jessica Shuran YuSat, 14 Jun 2025 15:40:48 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/14/texas-protests-anti-trump-immigration-no-kings/Beth Vaughan, center, chants as protesters march up Walker Street during a “No Kings” protest at Houston City Hall on June 14.Beth Vaughan, at center, chants as protestors march up Walker Street during a No Kings protest at City Hall, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Houston.Antranik Tavitian for The Texas TribuneA look at the wins rural Texas scored in this year’s legislative sessionhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/05/rural-texas-legislation/Lawmakers sought to close gaps in education and support funding for agriculture, disaster preparedness and health care this year.By Jayme Lozano Carver, Carlos Nogueras Ramos, Jess Huff and Berenice GarciaThu, 05 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/05/rural-texas-legislation/The Texas State Capitol on March 17, 2025.The Texas State Capitol on March 17, 2025.Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune“I still lose sleep”: GOP Rep. Drew Darby reflects on voucher vote, THC ban and special sessionhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/03/texas-san-angelo-rural-lawmakers-legislative-session-impact/The San Angelo Republican, at a Texas Tribune event, also weighed in on water and energy policy.By Berenice GarciaWed, 04 Jun 2025 08:27:30 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/03/texas-san-angelo-rural-lawmakers-legislative-session-impact/Texas Legislature gives new city of Starbase authority to shut down local beach for SpaceX launcheshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/01/texas-legislature-starbase-elon-musk-spacex-beach/Local organizations strongly opposed the measure, hosting phone banking events to urge lawmakers to vote against the bill.By Berenice GarciaSun, 01 Jun 2025 16:43:28 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/01/texas-legislature-starbase-elon-musk-spacex-beach/A visitor stands on a dune at Boca Chica Beach near the SpaceX launch site on Aug. 8, 2024.A visitor stands on a dune at Boca Chica Beach near the SpaceX launch site on Aug. 8, 2024.Ben Lowy for The Texas TribuneStarbase, Texas' newest city, has liftoff; seeks $1.5 million loan from Elon Musk’s SpaceXhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/30/starbase-texas-spacex-loan/City leaders held their first public meetings this week since voters approved the South Texas city’s incorporation.By Berenice GarciaFri, 30 May 2025 15:35:01 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/30/starbase-texas-spacex-loan/Starbase could shut down Boca Chica Beach more frequently under Texas legislationhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/24/starbase-spacex-boca-chica-beach-texas-legislature/The Texas Senate agreed Friday to make it easier for the new city, home to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to shutter the beach during rocket launches.By Berenice GarciaSat, 24 May 2025 12:58:33 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/24/starbase-spacex-boca-chica-beach-texas-legislature/It’s “Texas Time”: Legislature OKs permanent daylight saving time, but Congress must also acthttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/22/texas-daylight-saving-time/Federal action would be needed to make the change legal. Lawmakers at both the state and federal levels have debated the question for decades.By Berenice GarciaThu, 22 May 2025 17:28:54 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/22/texas-daylight-saving-time/Texas lawmakers want the state to end changing the clocks back and forth. But Congress must act first.Sunrise over the historic Alamo in San Antonio.Robin Jerstad for The Texas TribuneTexas braces for an imminent screwworm infestation, a threat to the state’s cattle industryhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/21/texas-screwworm-cattle-industry-border/U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz hope to fund an operation to kill the parasitic fly before too much damage is done.By Berenice Garcia and Jess HuffWed, 21 May 2025 14:20:58 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/21/texas-screwworm-cattle-industry-border/The U.S. has once again suspended live animal imports at the southern border as fear of screwworm grows.Cattle are brought across the U.S.-Mexico border at the livestock import/export facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico on January 22, 2021.Justin Hamel for The Texas TribuneSpaceX wins federal approval to launch more rockets in South Texashttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/16/spacex-faa-launch-approval-starbase-texas/The federal approval comes after vote from residents — mostly SpaceX employees — to form a new city at the Rio Grande Valley beach.By Berenice GarciaFri, 16 May 2025 15:07:09 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/16/spacex-faa-launch-approval-starbase-texas/As the Rio Grande runs dry, South Texas leaders look to new water supplies to sustain growthhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/15/texas-water-rio-grande-valley-drought/Leaders hope to treat groundwater and capture more rain as the water from one of the nation’s most iconic rivers becomes less reliable.By Berenice GarciaThu, 15 May 2025 13:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/15/texas-water-rio-grande-valley-drought/An aerial view of the Tres Lagos neighborhood in McAllen on May 12. Developed by Rhodes Enterprises, the community includes thousands of homes, restaurants and the McAllen campus of Texas A&M.An aerial view of the Tres Lagos neighborhood development in McAllen on May 12, 2025. Thousands of homes span the development which includes restaurants and a food truck park.Michael Gonzalez for The Texas TribuneSpaceX workers in South Texas vote yes to create City of Starbasehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/03/spacex-starbase-texas-vote-elon-musk/Critics of Elon Musk and SpaceX say that a new city will give more power to a company they believe is harming the environment.By Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune, and Lauren McGaughy, Texas NewsroomSat, 03 May 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/03/spacex-starbase-texas-vote-elon-musk/Everything we know about the 3 people who want to run Starbase, Texas’ next cityhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/02/texas-spacex-starbase-election-candidates-elon-musk/All three — running unopposed — have longstanding connections with SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company headquartered in South Texas.By Berenice GarciaFri, 02 May 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/02/texas-spacex-starbase-election-candidates-elon-musk/U.S., Mexico agree to new deal that sends water to South Texashttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/29/mexico-texas-water-deal-donald-trump/The latest development in a years-long push by South Texas farmers and officials to get Mexico to fulfill a 1944 treaty would still fall short of what is owed.By Berenice GarciaTue, 29 Apr 2025 15:03:43 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/29/mexico-texas-water-deal-donald-trump/Starbase, the SpaceX site, is likely Texas’ next city. What happens next?https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/24/starbase-texas-election-space-x/City leaders, who will be elected in May, will have just a short window to decide what services to provide, like police or fire, and how to tax residents.By Berenice GarciaThu, 24 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/24/starbase-texas-election-space-x/“A global loss”: Millions of Texans mourn the death of Pope Francishttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/21/texas-pope-francis-death-catholic-church/Some churchgoers in the Rio Grande Valley remembered the leader of the Catholic Church as a forward-thinking figure who cared for everyone.By Berenice GarciaMon, 21 Apr 2025 19:30:06 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/21/texas-pope-francis-death-catholic-church/Jeanie Piña, 67, pays her respects in front of the image of Pope Francis at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle in San Juan on Monday, April 21, 2025.Jeanie Piña, 67, pays her respects in front of the image of Pope Francis at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle in San Juan, Texas on Monday April 21, 2025. Gabriel V. Cárdenas for The Texas TribuneGabriel V. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune