RACE & IMMIGRATION

Enlarge photo illustration by: Todd Wiseman / Bobby Fiend

Homeland Security Secretary: New Border Measures Coming

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said on Tuesday that a new border security task force is coming to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of President Obama's executive action on immigration. Republicans however, warned Johnson that he should prepare for another surge of illegal migration like the one Texas saw over the summer.

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Revisiting the Hurting for Work Series

Enlarge photo by: Brandon Thibodeaux

In San Antonio, Ambitions Rising Among Hispanic Democrats

State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte and state Rep. Mike Villarreal — both Democrats from San Antonio — will face-off in the race to become the city's next mayor.
Enlarge photo by: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte and state Rep. Mike Villarreal — both Democrats from San Antonio — will face-off in the race to become the city's next mayor.

Nothing better demonstrates San Antonio's distinction as a political springboard for Hispanic Democrats than the political turnover triggered when Mayor Julián Castro left to join the Obama administration.

Obama's Immigration Plan Could Affect Thousands in Texas

President Barack Obama meets with advisors in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Aug. 4, 2014.
Enlarge photo by: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama meets with advisors in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Aug. 4, 2014.

President Obama on Thursday said he will use his executive authority to grant millions of undocumented immigrants a work permit and a reprieve from deportation proceedings. Reactions from Republicans were swift and outraged.

 

Border Surge Could Continue Through August

Texas Department of Public Safety officers patrol Anzalduas Park as part of Operation Strong Safety. Texas National Guard soldiers deployed to the area on Monday will help DPS in its mission, officials said.
Enlarge photo by: Julián Aguilar
Texas Department of Public Safety officers patrol Anzalduas Park as part of Operation Strong Safety. Texas National Guard soldiers deployed to the area on Monday will help DPS in its mission, officials said.

The surge of state law enforcement on Texas’ southern border will continue through August if an $86 million request made by the state’s top leaders is approved next month by budget writers. 

 

 

Changing Demographics Create a Battleground in North Texas District

A nod to the city's changing demographics, the masthead for a branch of Jefferson Dental Clinics in Irving, Texas includes a large Spanish-language sign on its storefront that reads, “A friend of the Hispanic family.”
Enlarge photo by: Cooper Neill
A nod to the city's changing demographics, the masthead for a branch of Jefferson Dental Clinics in Irving, Texas includes a large Spanish-language sign on its storefront that reads, “A friend of the Hispanic family.”

Democrats are hoping to take advantage of the shifting demographics in Irving to flip Texas House District 105, which has been held by a Republican for more than a decade. 

State Fights Release of Race Records

Glenn Johnson, 55, was injured in a smelting accident near Amarillo in 1997 in which a furnace filled with molten metal exploded, crushed him and left major burns over 90 percent of his body. His left arm was amputated and all but two the muscles in his right forearm were removed.
Enlarge photo by: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson
Glenn Johnson, 55, was injured in a smelting accident near Amarillo in 1997 in which a furnace filled with molten metal exploded, crushed him and left major burns over 90 percent of his body. His left arm was amputated and all but two the muscles in his right forearm were removed.

The Texas Department of Insurance is fighting the Tribune’s request for records that could shed light on why the agency has failed to collect racial data on injured workers, despite a 1993 law that requires it. 

The Ford Foundation and the Hunt Family Foundation have supported coverage of immigration, demographics and the border region at The Texas Tribune.

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Immigration After the Election

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Obama Action on Immigration Could Benefit Texas Economy

The Rally for Immigration Reform on Congress Avenue near the Texas Capitol on Feb. 22, 2013.
Enlarge photo by: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
The Rally for Immigration Reform on Congress Avenue near the Texas Capitol on Feb. 22, 2013.

With the midterm elections behind him, President Obama said he was ready to take executive action to prevent many undocumented immigrants from being deported, which analysts said could benefit Texas' agricultural, construction and service industries.