José Contreras Díaz was one of hundreds of DACA recipients the Trump administration targeted for deportation. He’s one of a few the federal government has allowed to return.

Texas voters have listed immigration and border security among their top issues for years, but recent polling found they are less of a priority than at any point in recent history.

Julie Johnson labels her opponent a “flip-flopper.” Colin Allred said previous votes reflected Rio Grande Valley frustration with Biden-era border policies.

From U.S. Senate to Railroad Commission, the TribCast dives into the most contentious races we'll be watching on May 26

Hill County commissioners’ split vote to issue a moratorium appears to be a first in Texas.

Final approval of the curtailment plan is expected at a future City Council meeting. Experts predict that, without significant rainfall, a water emergency could arrive by September.

The indictment accused Gary Grief of misusing his position to defraud the state in a highly scrutinized $95 million 2023 Lotto Texas drawing.

After the City of New Braunfels went from declaring a mayoral victory to announcing a runoff, council members voted to terminate the city attorney.

The former president greeted patrons while stopping for tacos near the University of Texas at Austin campus — a notable show of support for the Democrats atop the ticket this fall.

The two contests are among the most closely watched U.S. House runoffs in Texas. Menefee, newly elected to Congress, faces longtime Democratic Rep. Al Green in a matchup spawned by GOP redistricting.

A company’s legal home determines which state taxes and laws governing corporations it will be subject to. Some are fleeing Delaware in search of a friendlier environment in Texas.

A North Texas city has become the epicenter of a collision between the GOP’s efforts to win over Indian American voters and some conservatives’ nativist agenda.

Student Ammer Qaddumi is suing the university after he was suspended for his involvement in the 2024 demonstrations, calling it a violation of his free speech rights.

The first subject the Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force addressed was stalking, which is rampant in abusive relationships. Members believe laws can be stronger, and community awareness is necessary.

James Talarico, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee, has pushed to suspend the federal gas tax amid soaring fuel costs. Cornyn previously opposed the idea.

Officials said one victim found in a Union Pacific car was from Mexico and another was from Honduras. Five men and a woman are among the dead.

Thursday’s execution was blocked by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals “pending further order” from the court.

Latino children accounted for the vast majority of students who left public schools this year, according to a new analysis.

The latest version of the El Paso Democrat’s Dignity Act includes a key change to make it more palatable to Republicans. Some have gotten on board, but others are firmly opposed.

Texas was among the first states to heed Trump administration directives to revoke commercial driver’s licenses from some immigrants as a safety measure.

The National Board Certification is widely considered the most demanding for teachers. Texas leaders are examining whether it fits the state’s merit-based system.

Cuellar has denied that he defrauded the sheriff’s office during the COVID-19 pandemic. His brother is Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar.

The City of New Braunfels said it is “deeply sorry” after officials prematurely declared the winner of its mayoral election on May 2.

Houston school administrators say the move would give children who need the support more focused attention. But the U.S. Department of Education worries the plan amounts to segregation.

Texans across the political spectrum opposed wall construction in the national park. Now the agency’s plans include roadways and digital surveillance to monitor the rugged region.

Ten water projects received initial approval to split $1.28 billion in state money this year, but 13 others didn’t make the cut — including one that may supply drought-stricken Corpus Christi.

Two Democrats and two Republicans advanced to May runoffs for the open San Antonio-area seat, which was drawn to favor the GOP yet is considered winnable for Democrats in a wave year.

The governor’s threats have produced quick wins on hot-button issues important to the GOP base – immigration and perceived threats posed by Islam.

José Contreras Díaz, 30, was deported by ICE despite having valid DACA status. ICE returned him to the U.S. but detained him on April 29 after he landed in Texas.

Ricky Armstrong had been interim director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, which monitors county lockups that mainly hold people awaiting trial, since February.

In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration started allowing mifepristone to be delivered by mail. The federal courts are deciding whether to pull that permission.

Local officials in the West Texas city said they are legally unable to comply with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s orders.

Data center construction is unpopular among locals, and a majority of the facilities are being proposed in red, rural counties. That puts Texas Republicans in a tough spot, as the White House has encouraged states to let the centers flourish.

Data centers are largely driving the sudden rise in natural gas power projects on the waiting list to connect to Texas' grid.

Senate Bill 546 requires all Texas school districts to install three-point seatbelts on buses. However, many districts have buses both with and without this requirement, and the state is not paying for the upgrades.

Experts worry graduate students will learn too late about university’s ban on research work related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has appointed new leaders in four districts across the state in recent weeks.

A recent survey of hoteliers in the Dallas area and Houston found anticipated demand is not translating into strong hotel bookings less than 40 days from the start of the tournament.

The primary between predecessor and successor arose from a combination of redistricting and Allred’s move to exit the U.S. Senate race to make way for Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Laredo is working with federal officials to minimize the disruptions a potential wall could pose.

Dozens of bills were rejected over nearly 60 years, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found. Some measures would have prohibited youth camps and new construction in high-risk flood areas.

In the latest series of zigs and zags on hemp regulation, the Texas Supreme Court has paved the way for the Texas Department of State Health Services to ban an alternative form of THC that helped kickstart the state’s $5.5 billion consumable hemp industry.

Nineteen camps had sued over a regulation that required fiber optic connectivity. An agreement with the state allows sites to operate with other broadband internet service.

A new Houston company hopes to build a $1.3 billion facility in the area and wants the city, which is on the brink of a water crisis, to commit to 30 years of purchases.

The Supreme Court weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. What does that mean for Texas?

The lieutenant governor endorsed state Sen. Mayes Middleton over U.S. Rep. Chip Roy for the Republican attorney general nod. And he backed Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright over challenger Bo French.

Police said the shooting was not a random act and that the suspect had been arrested.

The University of Houston survey results were within the margin of error less than a month out from the May 26 election. State Sen. Mayes Middleton had a wider lead in the attorney general primary.

Rahm Emanuel, Tate Reeves, Gina Hinojosa, Erin Harkey and more join us in downtown Austin in September

The 1965 federal law helped Latino and Black voters gain representation in city and school boards across Texas but now that could change.

Families have until July 15 to opt in to the education savings accounts, or ESAs, which launches next school year.

Texas wants all school buses to have 3-point seat belts by 2029-30. But the price tag is high for local districts also facing budget challenges.

Senate Bill 4, scheduled to take effect next week, lets Texas police arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Supreme Court weakened Section 2, the linchpin of the 1965 civil rights legislation that prohibits diluting the electoral power of voters of color. But the statute’s fingerprints can be seen all over Texas’ maps.

Josh Orta was the sole witness of Ruben Martinez’s death to dispute the government’s account. Months later, he died in a crash after learning an ICE agent killed his friend. Their mothers blame the government for their loss.

The Democratic runoff for the Houston-based seat — a longtime bastion of Black political power — pits the Texas delegation’s newest member, Christian Menefee, against one of its longest-tenured, Al Green.

Voters in Highland Park chose to leave Dallas Area Rapid Transit amid complaints that the transit service isn’t worth the cost.

A rematch is scheduled for November, as Ligon’s win only puts him in the seat through January. But the former prosecutor will be heavily favored, given the district’s solidly Republican makeup.

The U.S. senator won the Hawkeye State during the 2016 Republican primaries. This year he used his appearance to blame Democrats for anti-Semitism and call out GOP Trump foes Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The lawsuit filed by 80 plaintiffs Thursday accuse Elon Musk's company of gross negligence and trespassing for loud blasts from 11 rocket tests.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that mifepristone must be obtained in person, a decision the country’s highest court has temporarily blocked.

A drop in international student enrollment and state funding contributed to financial woes at the University of North Texas. Other state colleges face similar challenges.

In March, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick directed state senators to explore ways to close “gambling loopholes” that allow online prediction markets to operate in Texas, raising concerns that state elections and sporting events could be manipulated for profit.

A Travis County district judge has allowed the sale of natural smokeable hemp products, such as flower buds and rolled joints, to continue until July 27.

The proposal is part of a package from the Casar-led Congressional Progressive Caucus focused on cost of living. It’s unlikely to go anywhere but could give Democrats a campaign blueprint.

A Trump administration agency has sued other states that sought to regulate Kalshi, Polymarket and other prediction operations under their gambling laws.

Join us in our pursuit to bring trusted information to Texans. Become a Texas Tribune Member during our Spring Member Drive.

Unlike criminal warrants, ICE administrative warrants don’t require approval from an independent judge. ICE defends the practice, but legal experts say they can have errors and risk wrongful detention.

Hasty, known statewide for his evocative political conversations, is described by his friends as “open-minded and respectful.”

Broadnax, who was convicted of killing two music producers in Garland in a 2008 robbery, is the third inmate executed by the state this year.

Twenty-five campers, two counselors and the Hill Country Christian camp's executive director died in a devastating 2025 flood. Families of victims had criticized plans to reopen.

Texas lawmakers will be able to draw more aggressively partisan maps for the state House, Senate and education board when they return in 2027.

Immigration officials had allowed José Contreras Diaz, 30, to return to Texas on a chartered plane, but immediately sent him to a detention center on Wednesday.

The city's economic growth has taken a dip, falling short of expectations amid a steep decline in international migration, among other factors.

The Houston Democrat was elected earlier this year to finish out the term of Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died in March 2025. The safely blue district was left vacant for 334 days.

Texas voters could nominate as many as six Hispanic Republicans in the state’s most hotly contested congressional races. Party leaders hope that’ll help keep Hispanic voters in the GOP’s corner.

The average price for a gallon of gas in Texas has risen from $2.55 in early February to $3.78 at the end of April.

Former Houston school administrators now work as superintendents or key executives in three districts under Texas’ control. This is Beaumont’s second state intervention in recent years.

While the court did not strike down the provision entirely, Justice Elena Kagan said Wednesday’s ruling made Section 2 of the VRA “all but a dead letter.”

Almost all of the costs for organizing the tournament fall on the cities, whose ability to collect revenue is limited. In Texas, that could leave taxpayers on the hook.

The death row inmate has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution, pointing to a codefendant’s confession in the shooting death of two people.

A Level 1 emergency, which could arrive in September, would limit households to 5,250 gallons a month under proposed restrictions. About 30% of residential customers use more.

Small towns around Corpus Christi worry where they’ll fall on the pecking order if the region’s water runs out.

As Texas lawmakers prepare to tackle the thorny data center issue next session, what can we learn from Virginia's experience?

José Contreras Diaz, 30, was arrested earlier this year during an immigration-related appointment and missed his son’s birth. He was deported to Honduras, the country he left when he was 8.

“I think about the night of the flood every moment of every day,” Edward Eastland said at a committee hearing Tuesday. “We tried our hardest that night and it wasn’t enough to save your daughters.”

The Austin Democrat, who won his party’s nomination in March, led Cornyn and Paxton in two successive polls, though he did not crack 50%.

The May 26 runoff pits incumbent Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, who’s pitching himself as a “proven advocate for Texas energy,” against Bo French, who has cast himself as a “MAGA conservative.”

Texas builders struggle to finish new homes to meet growth as data centers with deeper pockets poach electricians.

Ketamine industry leaders say Texas Medical Board’s proposal to require physician supervision or limit treatments to two people at a time will force clinics to close.

The high court had previously allowed the map to be used temporarily, but Monday’s ruling makes that permanent.

Camp Mystic counselors were not trained in emergency management procedures and unable to communicate with others during the deadly Hill Country floods, an investigator testified during the first public hearing on Monday.

The criminal court decides death penalty case appeals and rules on petitions for those who believe they’ve been wrongfully detained. Alison Fox and Thomas Smith are in the runoff for Place 3’s Republican nominee.

A push to restrict local governments’ power is having downstream effects in tiny towns and big cities like Dallas.

The Texas Tribune’s database of state employees’ compensation has been updated to include salaries as of April. 1.

The summer camp hadn’t prepared counselors and staff with adequate emergency training, an evacuation plan or flood preparedness supplies, the investigator concluded.

A plane carrying the family to Michigan was reportedly on its way back to Colorado after a Texas federal judge ordered a halt to their deportation following his ruling that they be released.

The camp has 45 days to revise its plan as it aims to reopen for campers this summer. Other youth camps also had deficiencies to correct in their plans, according to the agency that must review them.

The conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge Senate Bill 4, the 2023 law that lets state police arrest people suspected of entering the country illegally.

Separately, Amarillo Rep. Ronny Jackson is considering a bid for the top Republican spot on the House Armed Services Committee in the next Congress.