Who are the undocumented immigrants in Texas?
The estimated 1.7 million undocumented people in Texas are now targets of the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration crackdown. Here’s what we know about them. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9394287cfb93197a2d429f9a0b79cd3a/lead_undocumented-immigrants.png)
-
![There are estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants in Texas. That's one in 20 Texans.]()
Credit: Yuriko Schumacher/The Texas Tribune -
U.S. claims migrants held at Guantanamo are “worst of the worst.” Their families say otherwise.
The Trump administration has flown about 100 immigrants from El Paso to Guantanamo Bay. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune identified nearly a dozen of them and spoke to relatives of three of them. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/77611d8c3f2bbd5f408ca100232708cb/GB%202_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg)
![Two men in shackles are loaded onto a flight to Guantanamo Bay in a photo released by the Department of Homeland Security.]()
Credit: Department of Homeland Security -
Texas could sell 100 miles of border to feds, Abbott says
Abbott is in Washington this week to lobby Congress for $11 billion to compensate Texas for money spent on his Operation Lone Star, to secure the border during the Biden Administration. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/35d80aa19e51d2433c99ee4f02cb302b/0213%20Greg%20Abbott%20Interview%20LJ%20TT%2010.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott answers questions regarding Operation Lone Star, congressional leadership and his plans for Texas to work with the Trump administration among other things on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at The Royal Sonesta Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.]()
Credit: Luke Johnson for The Texas Tribune -
Donald Trump’s immigration executive orders: Tracking the most impactful changes
ProPublica and The Texas Tribune took a snapshot of the blitz of executive orders Trump has signed since taking office by tallying nearly three dozen from his first day. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/04412c9ea37bfe51f48419fb5094d72a/2025-01-25%20Donald%20Trump%20REUTERS.jpg)
![Silhouetted speaker U.S. President Donald J. Trump on stage facing bright lights, with raised arms and two transparent screens on either side.]()
Credit: Leah Millis/Reuters -
U.S. can have our wall, bases and detention cells, Abbott tells Trump
The governor said the state resources are available to the federal government and requested that the U.S. reimburse Texas for the border hardening measures under Operation Lone Star. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ddafae7baa88e48bb86049a80428a9bb/1119%20Abbott%20Trump%20Endorsement%20EG%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Former President Donald Trump greets and shakes hands with Gov. Greg Abbott at the South Texas International Airport in Edinburg, on Nov. 19, 2023, after the governor announced his endorsement of President Trump. “We need Donald J. Trump back as our president of the United States of America,” the governor said.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Border security, birthright citizenship, asylum: How Trump’s moves could overhaul immigration
The president is making good on his campaign promise with attempts to beef up security at the border and limit immigration. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c096f1cfaa21ae42da6a217e272f39c7/Trump%20Oval%20Office%20REUTERS.jpg)
![U.S. President Donald Trump signs documents as he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria -
Many Texas schools take “wait and see” approach to Trump’s mass deportation plans
Schools near the border say it’s hard to prepare for the unknown. Immigration advocates say they should help communities understand students’ rights. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8005c301e16a0c17b0a569ce901186b0/Elementary%20File%20Photo%20JW%20TT%2032.jpg)
![A student draws in an art classroom in Texas.]()
Credit: Jennifer Whitney for The Texas Tribune -
Trump to tap Texas “border czar” to lead U.S. Border Patrol, report says
Mike Banks, a former Border Patrol agent, has served in his current role as a special advisor to Gov. Greg Abbott since January 2023. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8ad2af0f3b59094482ef00c681b0ad17/0221%20Abbott%20Border%20Brief%20MG%20TT%2004.jpg)
![Texas Border Czar Mike Banks at a news conference regarding border security at the Texas DPS regional headquarters in Weslaco on Feb. 21, 2023.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Look back at some of the best Texas Tribune reads of 2024
Our journalists brought life to the experiences of everyday Texans, held powerful institutions accountable and surfaced stories that went beyond the daily news cycles. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ddd52b72d99f5099a9b191bed3a7449e/0424%20Texas%20Capitol%20AP%2001.jpg)
![The dome of the Texas State Capitol on Thursday, April 24, 2014.]()
Credit: Anneke Els Paterson for The Texas Tribune -
As landowners resist, Texas’ border wall is fragmented and built in remote areas
At least a third of landowners approached by state officials have refused to let wall be built on their properties. That’s forced the state to largely build on ranchland in remote areas, or erect sections that are full of gaps. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5faff2c7055d22a670a095adb7ff234b/20240923_TexasTribune_Border_DroneA_0207.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Ben Lowy for The Texas Tribune -
Trump’s near sweep of Texas border counties shows a shift to the right for Latino voters
The former president captured 55% of Latino voters in the state, according to exit polls. He also won 14 out of the 18 counties within 20 miles of the border, a number that doubled his 2020 performance in the Latino-majority region. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/bfe0d5cdbc335bb65117055c9cd7f51e/20241105-Wissmath-Del-Rio-2660_A.jpg)
![Gabriel Garza, left, augmentee with the sheriff’s office, congratulates, Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez, right, after the final vote counts for the night were announced around 10pm at Val Verde County Courthouse on election day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Del Rio, Texas. Martinez was in the lead ahead of his opponent Rogelio “Roger” Hernandez 7,926 votes to 6,033.]()
Credit: Salgu Wissmath for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica -
A pro-gun, anti-abortion border sheriff appealed to both parties. Then he was painted as soft on immigration.
Immigration is not part of Joe Frank Martinez’s job. But in Del Rio, like in other majority Latino communities across the country, the issue is high on voters’ minds and is disrupting long-standing political allegiances. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0cee3c698ba4e9622ed438703cec88fb/immigration%20del%20rio%20PROMO_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_quality_95_embedColorProfile_true.jpg)
![The memory of nearly 20,000 primarily Haitian immigrants arriving at the border is seared into the minds of Del Rio residents. Many fear it could happen again, making immigration one of the key issues in Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez’s race for reelection and disrupting local politics.]()
Credit: From left: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune, Liz Moughon/ProPublica, Gerardo del Valle/ProPublica -
Eagle Pass residents rally to have state return Shelby Park
Residents say they can no longer access the park after the state seized it against the city’s wishes in January. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/982b612e43a9c94438cf57d2b1c1e161/0928%20Shelby%20Park%20Rally%20SF%2001.JPG)
![Protesters march toward Shelby Park on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. A rally was held near Shelby Park protesting the current occupation of the park by the Texas Department of Public Safety as part of Operation Lonestar. The park, which became a global focal point for illegal border crossings, was once open to the public but is now closed to the public and heavily fortified.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Many Americans say immigration is out of control, but 24 hours on the Texas-Mexico border showed a new reality. Will it last?
The Texas Tribune and The Associated Press visited five locations along the 1,254-mile span to separate the facts from the political narrative during a heated election year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b51157eb7b950fab3d1f5253bca468df/4%20-%200809%20RGV%2024%20Hours%20VGC%20TT%2010.JPG)
![Christina Smallwood, foreground, and Andrés García, Border Patrol agents and Public Affairs officers look for migrants underneath the vehicular McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge in Hidalgo, Texas, early Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Alejandro Mayorkas joins Texas Tribune Festival lineup
The U.S. Homeland Security Secretary will be interviewed by Laura Barrón-López of “PBS News Hour.” Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7e49169648262f620d5670277cf38a90/TTF24-Mayorkas-T2-3000x2000_01-v1.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Texas GOP leaders paint Harris as a disaster on border security
Everything wrong with border security is the fault of the Democratic vice president, these Republicans say. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/69876030070d3f1f63a05e20fabcd738/1008%20Kamala%20Harris%20Visit%20EL%20TT%2003.jpg)
![Vice President Kamala Harris speak about abortion rights with Mini Timmaraju, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Julieta Garibay, Senior Capacity Building Director for Groundswell Fund, at the LBJ Museum in Austin on Oct. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Immigration is taking center stage in Texas’ Senate race. Here’s what Colin Allred’s and Ted Cruz’s records show.
Poll after poll shows Texas voters rank immigration and the border as the most pressing issues. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6f409ecfc2d53e5921024819a9c9e51f/0217%20Colin%20Allred%20McAllen%20MGO%20TT%2013.jpg)
![U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, speaks to supporters during a stop for his U.S. Senate campaign in McAllen on Feb. 17, 2024. Rep. Allred is running against Texas Senator Roland Gutierrez for the March 5 primary election in hopes to be the Democratic candidate that goes head to head with incumbent Ted Cruz for the general election in November.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
At half a mile a week, Gov. Greg Abbott’s border wall will take around 30 years and $20 billion to build
The state has built about 34 miles of wall spread out across at least six counties on Texas’ 1,254-mile border with Mexico. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0f8ad20782031c1ee6397ae985844e79/Abbott%20RGC%20Border%20Presser%20JG%20TT%2014.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott looks at crane lifting a section of the border wall in place after giving a press conference at Rio Grande City on Dec. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
Biden to unveil new protections for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, DACA recipients
Texas has more than 95,000 DACA recipients and about 1.6 million undocumented residents overall. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8f17fd5bc24b875a9633a34a3d2212d2/DACA%20Dreamers%20REUTERS%20TT%2004.jpg)
![Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court as justices heard oral arguments regarding the Trump administration’s bid to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2019.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst -
Texas immigrants’ rights groups sue Biden administration over asylum restrictions
Both Democrats and Republicans have criticized the order, which limits asylum requests when illegal border crossings ramp up. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/441145a649ddc86c96142fa52258ac75/0527%20Juarez%20Stakeout%20PR%20TT%2014.jpg)
![A Texas National Guard Soldier stands guard next to concertina wire along the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico on May 27, 2024.]()
Credit: Paul Ratje for The Texas Tribune