South Padre Island officials worried about FEMA’s potential disaster spending cuts
The Trump administration is proposing limits to the recreational facilities — including beaches — that are eligible for federal assistance. Full Story
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![The beach in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on South Padre Island.]()
Credit: Eddie Seal for The Texas Tribune -
As Trump celebrates military, Texans protest president’s aggressive immigration enforcement
Demonstrations in McAllen, Midland, Odessa, Austin and elsewhere in Texas were largely peaceful, as some protests went well into the night. Full Story
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![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.]()
Credit: Antranik Tavitian for The Texas Tribune -
Trump aides want Texas to redraw its congressional maps to boost the GOP. What would that mean?
The plan would shift voters from safely red districts into blue ones. Members of the state’s Republican delegation aren’t sold on the idea. Full Story
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![The newest drafts of the statewide congressional districts in Texas outside the Senate Chamber in the Texas Capitol in Austin on Sept. 30 2021.]()
Credit: Dimitri Staszewski for The Texas Tribune -
Hundreds protest in Austin against nationwide ICE detentions
Thirteen people were arrested on various charges during the protest Monday, which ended when officers fired tear gas into a crowd that neared a federal building. Full Story
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![Demonstrators march in front of the Capitol in Austin during a protest against ICE on Monday, June 9, 2025.]()
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Trump’s use of Enemy Aliens Act against alleged gang members is illegal, El Paso judge rules
The judge’s order prohibits the federal government from using the act to deport people in a large swath of Texas who are accused of being Tren de Aragua members. But the ruling did not order anyone’s release from custody. Full Story
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![The Richard C. White Federal Building in El Paso, Texas on June 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
First trial of immigrant accused of trespassing on Texas border military zone ends in acquittal
The trial of the Peruvian woman was the first test of the Trump administration’s new policy aimed at prosecuting immigrants who crossed the border illegally with military-related charges. Full Story
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![Near Marker 4 east of the Texas-New Mexico state line, a sign, illegible from the Mexican bank of the Rio Grande, warns that the U.S. Department of Defense has taken over the area, May 12, 2025.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters -
Months after detaining 47 people accused of being Tren de Aragua in Austin, authorities offer no evidence of gang ties
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. Full Story
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![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 Tribune]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas Tribune -
Trump administration knew most deported Venezuelans had no U.S. convictions
Homeland Security records reveal that officials knew that more than half of the 238 deportees to El Salvador were labeled as having no criminal record in the U.S. and had only violated immigration laws. Full Story
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Credit: Adriana Loureiro Fernández for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica -
Texas businesses feel the pinch from Trump’s tariffs, Fed survey finds
The higher taxes on imports will shrink Texas businesses’ profits and raise costs for consumers, business owners say. Full Story
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![A ReadyOne Industries worker sews the fabric to make Army camouflage pants at the sewing factory in East El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.]()
Credit: Gaby Velasquez/El Paso Time/USA Today Network via REUTERS -
Everything we know about the 3 people who want to run Starbase, Texas’ next city
All three — running unopposed — have longstanding connections with SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company headquartered in South Texas. Full Story
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![People take photos in front of a Starbase sign at SpaceX Starbase near Brownsville, Texas, on April 16, 2023.]()
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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to lead Trump’s commission on religious liberty
The commission includes Ben Carson, “Dr. Phil” McGraw and religious figures. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speak at a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden at the White House on May 1, 2025 in Washington, D.C.]()
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Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta confirmed as Trump’s ambassador to Italy
The Texas billionaire has said he will drop his position at Landry’s, but will continue his ownership of the Houston Rockets. Full Story
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![University of Houston President Renu Khator talks with the U of H board of regents Chairman Tilman Fertitta at the university on Feb. 21, 2024.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Trump is spending billions on border security. Some residents living there lack basic resources.
The president has reportedly urged Congress to pass $175 billion for border security. But residents of Del Rio, Texas, and Douglas, Arizona, say basic needs — like safe drinking water and hospital access — aren’t being met. Full Story
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![A section of border fence along a dirt road. The fence is high metal staves with barbed wire along the top.]()
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“The Valley matters to us”: Texas Democratic Party leader makes first pitch to reclaim South Texas
In 2024, President Donald Trump won all four counties in the Rio Grande Valley, once considered a reliable Democratic stronghold. Full Story
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![Newly elected Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder addresses attendees at a town hall event in McAllen on April 12, 2025. The event organizers invited CD-15 Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz to the event, but she did not attend.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Federal judge rules against Trump, halts deportation of Venezuelans held in Texas under wartime act
The ruling extends a temporary restraining order for three Venezuelan migrants detained in South Texas who are facing deportation. Full Story
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![A man crosses a jet bridge as Venezuelan migrants arrive on a flight after being deported from the United States, at the Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela on March 30, 2025.]()
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Meet the tent company making a fortune off Trump’s deportation plans
Deployed Resources, a privately held tent company, is set to operate a new ICE tent camp to hold people awaiting deportation in El Paso, Texas. Full Story
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![A large, soft-sided migrant processing facility, meant to process and house large numbers of migrants, is located on the outskirts of El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.]()
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West Texas, oil companies brace for downturn following Trump’s tariffs
Supply chain disruptions and policy decisions can significantly change these costs for oil companies — and consumers. Full Story
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![The last remnants of the sunlight begin to set behind a trailer home and pump jack Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in West Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
As DOGE rips through the federal government, Texans wonder what it means for them
Dozens of federal offices were expected to close in Texas, but the reality continues to shift. Full Story
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![Downtown Nacogdoches on October 3, 2022 in Nacogdoches.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Trump wants to dismantle the Education Department. That could hurt students with disabilities in Texas.
In a state with a checkered history with federal special education law, advocates say Texas students will see an erosion of their disability rights protections. Full Story
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![Odessa High School students walk between classes on Sept. 13, 2023, in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Tariffs creating uncertainty in Texas as report shows slower revenue growth since late 2024
Respondents to a Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas survey expressed concern about a reduction in consumer demand and a potential recession. Full Story
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![A parklet with diners outside of City Tavern along Elm Street in downtown Dallas near the Santander Tower, on Nov. 07, 2023. Texas metros have a glut of vacant offices space driven by the rise of remote work, overbuilding and other factors during the pandemic. One option companies are doing to combat the changes, is to convert office space into residential housing.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune