Metal recycler sends Navy Veteran coins made from old naval ships
Our story about 92-year-old Navy war veteran Jessie Lara reached people across the country who wanted to thank him for his service. One of those people is Chris Green. He is a Houston native who now lives in Brownsville where he runs a marine recycling company called EMR U.S.A. Green sent Jessie a set of challenge coins made from the metals removed from old U.S. Naval ships when they were recycled.
Texas police officer fatally shot during pursuit of 2 men, police say
Authorities say a Texas police officer was fatally shot after joining a lengthy chase of two men who fled a traffic stop, switched cars and raced through several cities near the U.S.-Mexico border before they were finally arrested hours later.
'Risk it all': Migrant surge as US prepares for Title 42 end
A recent surge of migrants in the Brownsville, Texas, area of the U.S.-Mexico border is highlighting immigration challenges as the U.S. prepares for the end of a policy linked to the coronavirus pandemic that allowed it to quickly expel many migrants.
Texas troopers renew inspections of commercial vehicles at Brownsville border bridge, triggering long delays
Truckers have reported waiting up to 24 hours to cross the border because of the inspections. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered similar inspections last year to stop smuggling, but troopers found no contraband after checking more than 4,000 vehicles.
Federal agency failed to weigh possible environmental impacts of SpaceX rocket launch, lawsuit claims
Environmental groups claim the Federal Aviation Administration let SpaceX do its own environmental assessment before its rocket self-destructed above the Texas coast and debris rained down over a wide area.
โPositive outcomeโ: Ex-Mexico state governor Tomรกs Yarrington sentenced to 9 years in money laundering case
United States District Judge Rolando Olvera sentenced Tomรกs Yarrington Ruvalcaba, former governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico, on Wednesday to 108 months or nine years for money laundering non-drug related proceeds, KPRC 2 learned Wednesday.
Families shaken awaiting word on Americans taken in Mexico during cosmetic surgery road trip
The violent kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico has shaken families across the Carolinas who agonized for days while waiting to learn if their loved ones survived a cosmetic surgery road trip that turned deadly.
Texas border cities plan for cold, busy end to Title 42
Texas officials are preparing relocation, coordination and emergency aid plans ahead of an expected dramatic increase in the number of asylum-seekers crossing the U.S.-Mexico border as pandemic-era immigration restrictions are set to expire this week.
Texas needs to do more to help Hispanic students graduate from college, university leaders say
In a Texas Tribune event Tuesday, university leaders discussed why Hispanic students finish higher education programs at a lower rate than the state average but have better performance in the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso.
After months of store closures and layoffs, border businesses eager to welcome back Mexican customers Nov. 8
For 19 months, business owners along the Texas-Mexico border have seen a drastic drop in customers because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. With land borders scheduled to reopen Nov. 8, they are banking on a return to pre-pandemic sales.
U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, whose seat is targeted by Republicans in 2022, says he will not seek reelection
WASHINGTON โ U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, emerged as a Republican target in 2022 after President Donald Trump performed better than expected along the Texas-Mexico border. Vela was first elected in 2012 and represents much of the South Texas Gulf Coast. Ad"Filemon was extremely dedicated to the people of South Texas during the time he has served in Congress," Borjon added. Vela won reelection in 2020 by nearly 14 percentage points in a district that has generally been considered safe for Democrats. AdBorjon acknowledged that the race to replace him will likely be tougher than in the past, given Republicans' over-performance in South Texas.
Emergency sites for migrant children raising safety concerns
A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. President Joe Bidenโs administration has been sharply criticized for its response to a surge in crossings of unaccompanied immigrant children. โI feel like I have to wait and try again.โThe Biden administration is not expelling immigrant children unaccompanied by a parent or legal guardian. But Pfluger and other Midland officials said the Biden administration wasnโt answering their questions or giving them assurance that officials would keep the surrounding community safe. HHS opened the Midland site without notifying some top local officials who say many of their questions aren't being answered.
Republicans seize on immigration as border crossings surge
Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, is helping the migrants reach their final destination in the U.S. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. Still, the encounters of both unaccompanied minors and families remain lower than at various points during the Trump administration, including in spring 2019. They deride the policies Trump implemented to deter asylum as cruel and inhumane and an abdication of the countryโs humanitarian responsibilities. "The Trump administration did everything in their power for four years to make the already broken immigration system as cumbersome and ineffective as possible. ... You leave yourself nowhere to go.โAdโTheyโre kind of stuck in a corner,โ agreed Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies think tank, which advocates on behalf of more restrictive immigration policies.
Republicans seize on immigration as border crossings surge
Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, is helping the migrants reach their final destination in the U.S. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. Still, the encounters of both unaccompanied minors and families remain lower than at various points during the Trump administration, including in spring 2019. They deride the policies Trump implemented to deter asylum as cruel and inhumane and an abdication of the countryโs humanitarian responsibilities. "The Trump administration did everything in their power for four years to make the already broken immigration system as cumbersome and ineffective as possible. ... You leave yourself nowhere to go.โAdโTheyโre kind of stuck in a corner,โ agreed Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies think tank, which advocates on behalf of more restrictive immigration policies.
Houston Zoo welcomes a new zebra
Thereโs a new zebra in town at the Houston Zoo! The Grantโs zebra, Rosalita, comes to Houston from Brownsville, TX. Rosalita, a Grantโs zebra, came to the Houston Zoo from Brownsville. The Houston Zoo provides support and training for local communities in Kenya to protect wild zebras. AdWhen guests visit the Houston Zoo to see zebras Kapuki and Rosalita, they will also help save wild zebras in Africa.
Gov. Greg Abbott rejects aid from Biden administration in dispute over coronavirus testing for migrants
Abbott and Biden have been fighting for days over coronavirus safety protocols and whose actions have been putting the health of Texans at risk. After Abbott announced this week that he was lifting Texas' statewide mask mandate and capacity restrictions on businesses, Biden called that decision "Neanderthal thinking." Ad"The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities," Abbott wrote in one tweet Wednesday afternoon. He argued in a statement that border security is โstrictly a federal responsibility,โ and thus the Biden administration alone should "test, screen, and quarantine" migrants who may have COVID-19. โInstead of doing their job, the Biden Administration suggested it did not have the sufficient resources and, remarkably, asked Texas to assist them in aiding their illegal immigration program,โ Abbott said.
5 things for Houstonians to know for Thursday, Jan. 28
A federal judge on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Emilio Espejel, File)Here are things to know for Thursday, Jan. 28:1. โHe didnโt mind if he killed usโ: Shots fired as couple caught in street takeover makes daring escapeA Houston couple described a 30-minute nightmare that grew more violent by the second. Federal judge temporarily blocks Bidenโs 100-day deportation moratorium after Texas sues administrationA federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the Biden administrationโs 100-day moratorium on deportations of some undocumented immigrants. Texans expected to hire Ravensโ David Culley as new head coachThe Houston Texans have offered the job of head coach to David Culley.
U.S. Supreme Court will hear cases on border wall funding, "remain in Mexico" policy
In the border wall funding case, the high court will consider a challenge to the Trump administration's use of about $2.5 billion earmarked to pay members of the U.S. military to instead fund construction of part of his long-promised wall on the southern border. That case, Sierra Club v. Trump, was brought by the ACLU on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition. Gloria Smith, managing attorney at the Sierra Club, said the Supreme Court will hear the larger case that challenges the use of both types of Pentagon funding. "Stopping this wasteful and irreversible damage is long overdue, and we look forward to making our case before the Supreme Court,โ she said in a statement. Implemented as a way to deter migrants from seeking asylum, the policy has sent about 60,000 asylum seekers, most of them from Central America and Cuba, across the southern border.
SpaceX looks to build 21st-century resort in tiny Texas town
HOUSTON Boca Chica Village may become a new popular Texas getaway destination as American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company, SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, looks to build its first resort. According to an online job listing, spotted by CNBCs Michael Sheetz, SpaceX is looking to employ a Resort Development Manager to oversee the development of the companys first resort in Boca Chica Village, near Brownsville, Texas. SpaceX is hiring a Resort Development Manager to develop the Boca Chica Village in Texas into a 21st century Spaceport and the companys first resort. https://t.co/AEfUaCIVGr pic.twitter.com/rhJqq2rnIV Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) August 10, 2020Boca Chica Village, once a secluded beach town, is the latest launch site of SpaceXs Starship, and the companys next-generation launch vehicle. RELATED: How a remote Texas village transformed when SpaceX became its neighborAccording to the job listing, the new resort is a part of SpaceXs plan to transform the tiny town into a 21st-century Spaceport.
Hurricane Hanna weakens to tropical storm, rain remains biggest threat to Texas
Some areas in South Texas had already reported receiving up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain, including Cameron County, which borders Mexico and where Brownsville is located. Sherry Boehme, who lives in a condo along the beach in Corpus Christi, said the stormโs approach had increased the anxiety she has felt during the pandemic. Everybody is good and strong and sticks together.โHanna came nearly three years after Hurricane Harvey made landfall northeast of Corpus Christi. More than 43,700 people throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Brownsville, were without power Saturday evening, according to AEP Texas. Other counties and cities throughout South Texas had also opened shelters, with many requiring face masks.
Hanna's rain remains biggest threat to virus hot spot Texas
Chris Headen battles with his umbrellas as Hurricane Hanna begins to make landfall, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Some areas in South Texas had already reported receiving up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain, including Cameron County, which borders Mexico and where Brownsville is located. First responders in Corpus Christi proactively placed barricades near intersections to have them ready to go if streets began to flood, Mayor Joe McComb said. More than 43,700 people throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Brownsville, were without power Saturday evening, according to AEP Texas. Other counties and cities throughout South Texas had also opened shelters, with many requiring face masks.
Longtime Democratic state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. leading over challenger from his left
Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, spoke during during a Senate State Affairs committee hearing on July 23, 2017. According to early returns from the Texas Secretary of State, Lucio was leading Stapleton-Barrera 54%-46%. Another Senate runoff that drew considerable attention was the Democratic race to go against state Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton. Flores fell short in his bid to upset state Sen. Carlos Uresti for the seat in 2016. As of late Tuesday evening, the special election to replace former state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, remained fluid.
Julin and Joaquin Castro criticize Gov. Greg Abbott for reopening Texas too soon
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, in Brownsville in 2018. "If we'd had a better federal response and state response, perhaps we would have already been around the quarter on this," Julin Castro said. Joaquin Castro said the number of beds, hospitals, and infections could have also been significantly reduced. "We're not saying that there would have been no consequences," Joaquin Castro said. All of the money that has been used is been money that's come from the federal government," Joaquin Castro said.
These are the Texas beaches closed to the public because of coronavirus concerns
With stay-at-home protocols in place for most of Texas, residents in need of fresh air flock to beaches only to find them closed due to coronavirus concerns. Other beaches followed suit with Galveston to block off beach access to the public. List of beaches closed in TexasGalvestonGalvestonโs public beaches are closed from March 29 - Apr. BrownsvilleEddie Trevino Jr., Cameron County Judge issued a public service announcement on their response to COVID-19, which includes the closure of all beaches and parks in the Brownsville area. MatagordaAccording to Matagorda County, all beach access points are closed effective March 23, with no end date.