INSIDER
Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues
Read full article: Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continuesThe death toll from Hurricane Helene has inched up to 227 as the grim task of recovering bodies continues more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the U.S. Southeast.
Odessa’s mayor ran to help the West Texas city “repent.” Now he wants a second term.
Read full article: Odessa’s mayor ran to help the West Texas city “repent.” Now he wants a second term.Under Javier Joven’s leadership, his critics say, the Odessa City Council has lost focus on municipal issues like roads and water infrastructure.
Migrant apprehensions are down at the Texas border. Have state policies had an impact?
Read full article: Migrant apprehensions are down at the Texas border. Have state policies had an impact?Abbott has credited his Operation Lone Star for a recent drop in migrant encounters on the Texas-Mexico border.
Gov. Abbott deploys more buses to border amid migrant surge
Read full article: Gov. Abbott deploys more buses to border amid migrant surgeGov. Greg Abbott announced that he has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy additional buses to Eagle Pass and El Paso to assist in what he called a “border crisis.”
Texas border cities scramble to shelter thousands of newly-arrived migrants
Read full article: Texas border cities scramble to shelter thousands of newly-arrived migrantsThousands of migrants have crossed the border into Eagle Pass and El Paso in recent days, the highest number since the emergency health order known as Title 42 expired in May.
After 2 years, Galveston County has no plans to stop sending resources to the border
Read full article: After 2 years, Galveston County has no plans to stop sending resources to the borderThe Del Rio sector of our southern border is 350 miles west of Houston and has become the 2nd busiest spot for apprehensions along the southern border.
Effort to fix payroll error for state National Guard troops falls short in Texas Senate
Read full article: Effort to fix payroll error for state National Guard troops falls short in Texas SenateThe mistake meant about 7,400 soldiers sent to the Texas-Mexico border under Operation Lone Star were hit with higher-than-expected federal income taxes.
Texas DPS scraps plan for $1.2 billion active-shooter training facility
Read full article: Texas DPS scraps plan for $1.2 billion active-shooter training facilityThe Texas Department of Public Safety is instead asking lawmakers for $381.5 million to upgrade its current facilities with better technology, dormitories and cafeteria for trainees from across the state.
Afghan soldier arrested at border while seeking asylum has new lawyers, meets with FBI
Read full article: Afghan soldier arrested at border while seeking asylum has new lawyers, meets with FBIAbdul Wasi Safi’s physical and mental health are deteriorating as he waits at a detention center near the border.
Veterans groups plead Afghan soldier’s asylum case in letter to Biden
Read full article: Veterans groups plead Afghan soldier’s asylum case in letter to BidenAfter surviving the fallout from a war in his home country and a global trek, Abdul Wasi Safi was arrested at the Texas-Mexico border on a misdemeanor charge, delaying his chance for asylum.
Mexican government says train poses no threat to skeleton
Read full article: Mexican government says train poses no threat to skeletonMexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History says a prehistoric human skeleton found recently in a flooded cave system along the country’s Caribbean coast was actually discovered and registered by the institute in 2019 and will not be threatened by a nearby tourist train project.
5-year-old girl drowns while crossing Rio Grande to enter Texas, Mexico’s National Immigration Institute said
Read full article: 5-year-old girl drowns while crossing Rio Grande to enter Texas, Mexico’s National Immigration Institute saidA 5-year-old girl has drowned while attempting to cross the Rio Grande to enter Texas.
Maya village's water, future threatened by Mexican train
Read full article: Maya village's water, future threatened by Mexican trainMexico’s ambitious Maya Train project along the country’s Caribbean coast it is threatening the indigenous Maya people it was named for and dividing communities it was meant to help.
In Texas, resentment builds as border crackdown ensnares local drivers, NBC News reports
Read full article: In Texas, resentment builds as border crackdown ensnares local drivers, NBC News reportsThe web of state highway troopers that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has woven at the border has ensnared local drivers pulled over by officers searching for smugglers and people who’ve slipped across the border.
Supreme Court certifies ruling ending Trump border policy
Read full article: Supreme Court certifies ruling ending Trump border policyThe Supreme Court has certified its month-old ruling allowing the Biden administration to end a cornerstone Trump-era border policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.
Report finds 'unnecessary' force by agents at Rio Grande
Read full article: Report finds 'unnecessary' force by agents at Rio GrandeBorder Patrol agents on horseback engaged in “unnecessary use of force” against non-threatening Haitian immigrants but didn’t whip any with their reins, according to a federal investigation of chaotic scenes along the Texas-Mexico border last fall.
Jack Del Rio fined $100K for comments about Capitol riot
Read full article: Jack Del Rio fined $100K for comments about Capitol riotWashington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has been fined $100,000 by the team for his comments about protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Migrants arrive in D.C. on buses sent by GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
Read full article: Migrants arrive in D.C. on buses sent by GOP Texas Gov. Greg AbbottA group of undocumented migrants arrived in the nation’s capital Wednesday on a bus sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, part of the Republican governor’s strategy to oppose the Biden administration’s rescinding of a Trump-era border policy.
Video shows frightening moment before home invasion in southeast Houston
Read full article: Video shows frightening moment before home invasion in southeast HoustonThree armed suspects involved in a southeast Houston home invasion were caught on camera and police are hoping someone can help identify them.
TribCast: Operation Lone Star and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week
Read full article: TribCast: Operation Lone Star and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad weekGov. Greg Abbott’s controversial border mission was subject to a slew of bad news this week, including a major shakeup at the Texas Military Department, whose top leader Abbott replaced.
TribCast: A legal snag for Gov. Greg Abbott's border initiative
Read full article: TribCast: A legal snag for Gov. Greg Abbott's border initiativeIn this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Jolie and Alexa about a potentially influential court case in Gov. Greg Abbott’s effort to arrest migrants at the border and a high rejection rate among applicants seeking to vote by mail.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sues Biden administration over vaccine mandate for Texas National Guard
Read full article: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sues Biden administration over vaccine mandate for Texas National GuardTexas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office said Tuesday that the governor sent a letter on saying he plans to sue the federal government over the vaccine mandate for the Texas National Guard.
2 border agents are fired for offensive Facebook posts
Read full article: 2 border agents are fired for offensive Facebook postsCongressional investigators say two Border Patrol agents were fired from among 60 found to have committed misconduct for participating in a private Facebook group that mocked migrants and lawmakers.
Illegal border crossings fall in September but hit year high
Read full article: Illegal border crossings fall in September but hit year highU.S. authorities say illegal border crossings from Mexico fell in September for only the second time in 17 months, but the federal fiscal year ended with the highest count ever.
‘We suffered a lot to get here’: A Haitian migrant’s harrowing journey to the Texas-Mexico border
Read full article: ‘We suffered a lot to get here’: A Haitian migrant’s harrowing journey to the Texas-Mexico borderAfter witnessing fellow migrants swept away in a Central American river and a sexual assault by armed men, one man wants to put the traumatic journey in the past and find stability for his family in Ohio.
Questions linger over response to surge of Hatiatians showing up in Del Rio
Read full article: Questions linger over response to surge of Hatiatians showing up in Del RioAs the federal government was working to process and remove an estimated 15,000 migrants from under the international bridge in Del Rio, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials held an “on background” conference call with reporters covering the effort.
'Amistad' binds Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña amid migrant crisis
Read full article: 'Amistad' binds Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña amid migrant crisisThe “amistad,” or friendship, that Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, celebrate with a festival each year has been important in helping them deal with the challenges from a migrant camp that shut down the border bridge between the two communities for more than a week.
For many Haitian migrants, journey to Texas started online
Read full article: For many Haitian migrants, journey to Texas started onlineFor the final leg of his journey from Chile to the United States, Haitian migrant Fabricio Jean followed detailed instructions sent to him via WhatsApp from his brother in New Jersey who had recently taken the route to the Texas border.
Man drives from Ohio hoping to help Haitian friend at border
Read full article: Man drives from Ohio hoping to help Haitian friend at borderAn Ohio man is among those who made their way to the Texas border city of Del Rio, where thousands of Haitian migrants set up camp near a border bridge, including many seeking asylum.
Texas border encampment dwindling as more migrants seen being released from custody
Read full article: Texas border encampment dwindling as more migrants seen being released from custodyDepartment of Homeland Security officials said they were making progress in reducing the number of migrants, mostly Haitian, camped under the international bridge in Del Rio.
US special envoy to Haiti resigns over migrant expulsions
Read full article: US special envoy to Haiti resigns over migrant expulsionsU.S. officials say the Biden administration’s special envoy to Haiti has resigned, protesting large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants to their homeland as it is wracked by civil strife and natural disaster.
Some Haitian migrants remain determined to stay in US, while others reconsider
Read full article: Some Haitian migrants remain determined to stay in US, while others reconsiderKPRC 2 Investigates spoke with several Haitian immigrants who remain at an encampment just across from Del Rio in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Acuna. Many there said they were aware of the US Government’s plans for mass expulsions of Haitian immigrants, but are still determined to stay in the US.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s closure of Del Rio bridge disrupts businesses and jobs on Texas side of the U.S.-Mexico border
Read full article: U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s closure of Del Rio bridge disrupts businesses and jobs on Texas side of the U.S.-Mexico borderFederal officials have halted traffic so they can process thousands of Haitian migrants seeking asylum. The closure has made it difficult for the Texas city’s binational employees and business owners to keep normal operations going.
Options shrink for Haitian migrants straddling Texas border
Read full article: Options shrink for Haitian migrants straddling Texas borderGov. Greg Abbott will hold a press conference to discuss the situation in Del Rio on Tuesday. The governor will be joined by Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw, Texas Military Department adjutant Gen. Tracy Norris, and National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd.
Border patrol agents criticized for treatment of Haitian migrants in Del Rio as U.S. tries to dissuade more from coming
Read full article: Border patrol agents criticized for treatment of Haitian migrants in Del Rio as U.S. tries to dissuade more from comingHomeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned would-be migrants that “your journey will not succeed” and promised to investigate the actions of mounted agents at the Rio Grande.
EXPLAINER: Biden uses Trump-era tool against Haiti migrants
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Biden uses Trump-era tool against Haiti migrantsThe Biden administration is relying on a contested Trump-era policy as it disperses thousands of Haitian migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border in and around the small South Texas city of Del Rio.
Feds work to reduce size of camp under Del Rio bridge that’s housing thousands of migrants who fled unrest and natural disasters
Read full article: Feds work to reduce size of camp under Del Rio bridge that’s housing thousands of migrants who fled unrest and natural disastersAgents moved 3,300 of the migrants as of Sunday. That left more than 12,000 people still waiting to be processed.
Biden administration speeds up deportation flights for Haitians in growing Texas migrant camp
Read full article: Biden administration speeds up deportation flights for Haitians in growing Texas migrant campThe situation in Del Rio spiraled this week as more than 15,000 migrants, many of them from Haiti, arrived at the border in recent days, settling in a makeshift camp as they waited for CBP agents to process their petitions to stay in the U.S.
Thousands of Haitian migrants fleeing disaster and unrest seek asylum at Del Rio bridge
Read full article: Thousands of Haitian migrants fleeing disaster and unrest seek asylum at Del Rio bridgeWith an estimated 12,000 migrants already crowded under the international bridge and thousands more expected, Del Rio’s mayor declared an emergency Friday and requested state assistance.
Gov. Greg Abbott backpedals on pledge to shut down border crossings and blames Biden administration for confusion
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott backpedals on pledge to shut down border crossings and blames Biden administration for confusionAbbott’s announcements come as thousands of migrants — mostly from Haiti — have gathered under an international bridge in Del Rio.
After a Texas prosecutor dismissed dozens of migrant trespassing cases, some men were dropped at a border bus station
Read full article: After a Texas prosecutor dismissed dozens of migrant trespassing cases, some men were dropped at a border bus stationOfficials said immigration authorities weren’t interested in taking migrants who had no criminal conviction into federal custody. But without documentation, at least one newly released migrant soon found himself back in detention.
State agency recommends two firms to oversee construction of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Texas-Mexico border wall
Read full article: State agency recommends two firms to oversee construction of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Texas-Mexico border wallThe state is expected to award the contract in mid-September to begin the construction of a Texas-Mexico border wall.
Texas House committee approves bill to spend an extra $2 billion on border enforcement
Read full article: Texas House committee approves bill to spend an extra $2 billion on border enforcementA border sheriff told lawmakers that some landowners who are afraid of migrants crossing their property have asked him, "When can I shoot?"
An 18-year-old Venezuelan was among the first set free from Texas’ new jail for migrants. No one knew what to do with him.
Read full article: An 18-year-old Venezuelan was among the first set free from Texas’ new jail for migrants. No one knew what to do with him.After more than three weeks in jail, a trespassing charge against the man was dropped because state troopers shouldn’t have arrested him under Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security push. He wound up in bureaucratic limbo for days as federal agencies passed the responsibility for resolving his immigration status.
The first migrants arrested in Gov. Greg Abbott's border crackdown have served their time. Federal officials will decide what happens next.
Read full article: The first migrants arrested in Gov. Greg Abbott's border crackdown have served their time. Federal officials will decide what happens next.The Texas governor has derided federal immigration policy as "catch and release." But unless federal authorities now take them into custody, the migrants Abbott ordered state troopers to arrest could soon be freed.
US sues Texas to block state troopers from stopping migrants
Read full article: US sues Texas to block state troopers from stopping migrantsThe Biden administration sued Texas to prevent state troopers from stopping vehicles carrying migrants on grounds that they may spread COVID-19, warning that the practice would exacerbate problems amid high levels of crossings on the state’s border with Mexico.
Gov. Greg Abbott's border security initiative rolls out with confusion, missteps and a whole lot of state troopers in Val Verde County
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott's border security initiative rolls out with confusion, missteps and a whole lot of state troopers in Val Verde CountyThe governor's decision to go all in on border security is evolving rapidly, and many of those on the ground don't know how it's going to work.
US says order coming this week on border asylum restrictions
Read full article: US says order coming this week on border asylum restrictionsA Justice Department attorney says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will issue an order this week about how migrant children are treated under a public health order that has prevented people from seeking asylum at the nation’s borders.
Gov. Greg Abbott announces Texas will begin building border wall
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott announces Texas will begin building border wallGov. Greg Abbott hosted a Border Security Summit Thursday in Del Rio. During the summit, he announced that Texas will build a border wall along the state’s boundary with Mexico
8 immigrants killed when pickup crashes in Texas border city
Read full article: 8 immigrants killed when pickup crashes in Texas border cityDebris is strewn across a road near the border city of Del Rio, Texas after a collision Monday, March 15, 2021. Eight people in a pickup truck loaded with immigrants were killed when the vehicle collided with an SUV following a police chase, authorities said. (Texas Department of Public Safety via AP)AUSTIN, Texas – Eight people in a pickup truck loaded with immigrants were killed when the vehicle crashed into another truck during a police chase that began when the driver refused to pull over for a traffic violation near the Texas border city of Del Rio, authorities said. All eight of the people killed and the surviving passenger of the Dodge pickup were immigrants in the U.S. without authorization, according to DPS. The driver of the Dodge pickup truck, Sebastian Tovar, 24, ran away following the crash, but was later arrested, according to the state agency.
Shoppers get ready for Nutcracker Market
Read full article: Shoppers get ready for Nutcracker MarketHOUSTON – Nutcracker Market 2012 kicks off the Holidays in Houston. Tinseltown Nutcracker Market 2012 is gearing up with plenty of Christmas cheer. More than 300 vendors from all over the nation are in Houston to showcase their unique Holiday gifts. The market hopes to draw more than 100,000 shoppers and expects to see $30 million in total sales over the next few days. The Nutcracker Market starts with a preview party Wednesday night and runs through the weekend at Reliant Center.