Congressman Joaquin Castro checks on Liam Conejo Ramos during the child's detention at Dilley's South Texas Family Residential Center.

San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro to return to Dilley, says Liam Conejo Ramos ‘did not look well’

‘I told him we would do everything that we could to get him out of there,’ the Democratic congressman said at a Wednesday press conference.

by Stephanie Koithan January 29, 2026January 29, 2026

San Antonio News

Joaquin Castro, Jasmine Crockett demand halt to ICE funding at San Antonio press conference

‘No, we won’t fund this nonsense,’ Crockett said on the steps of City Hall. Castro said he wants to ‘disband ICE’ and impeach Kristi Noem.

by Stephanie Koithan January 28, 2026January 28, 2026

Texas News

U.S. agrees not to deport 6 witnesses in homicide of migrant held in Texas center

The 55-year-old man died Jan. 3 at an ICE lockup in El Paso after being ‘physically restrained by law enforcement,’ the El Paso medical examiner ruled.

by Sanford Nowlin January 28, 2026January 28, 2026

Gov. Greg Abbott puts on a happy face during one of his U.S. border cosplay sessions.

Assclown Alert

Assclown Alert: Urging ICE to ‘recalibrate’ with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

Abbott’s remark is a bloodless cop-out meant to distance himself from a catastrophe he’s cheered on.

by Sanford Nowlin January 28, 2026January 28, 2026

Masked ICE agents arrest a man during a raid last year in Arlington, Virginia.

Texas News

South Texas construction group accuses ICE of warrantless raids, endangering neighborhoods

The top official with the South Texas Builders Association said ICE agents have been captured on video speeding through subdivisions and putting kids at risk.

by Sanford Nowlin January 27, 2026January 27, 2026

Mourners visit a makeshift memorial at the site where federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026.

Texas News

GOP Sen. Cruz, Rep. McCaul call for investigation after federal agents fatally shoot man in Minneapolis

Other Texas Republicans have called for the Trump administration to double down on sending immigration officers to Minnesota and blamed Democrats for the violence, while others have remained silent.

by Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune January 27, 2026January 27, 2026

News

After weekend’s ICE killing, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott becomes latest Republican to distance himself

Following the slaying of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti, Abbott says ICE must ‘recalibrate’ its mission and stop ‘causing all the kinds of problems and fighting in communities.’

by Stephanie Koithan January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

The Texas Observer identified the operator of the online GlomarResponder account as James “Jim” Joseph Rodden, who works as an assistant chief counsel for ICE in the Dallas area.

Texas News

Congressman tries to cut pay of ICE prosecutor with racist X account to $1

Last week, the prosecutor James Rodden returned to Dallas immigration court a year after the Observer’s original investigation into his social media. Congressman Marc Veasey’s amendment did not receive a committee vote Wednesday.

by Steven Monacelli, The Texas Observer January 24, 2026January 24, 2026

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, speaks during a 2022 appearance in Zapata County.

San Antonio News

South Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar just voted to give ICE even more funding

The Laredo congressman joined Republicans and six other Democrats in voting to give billions more to the agency, even as public furor builds over its aggressive enforcement actions.

by Stephanie Koithan January 23, 2026January 23, 2026

An aerial view of the Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss in El Paso, on Sept. 7, 2025.

News

Immigrant’s death in ICE custody ruled homicide by El Paso medical examiner

Immigration officials initially said the 55-year-old Cuban detainee died of ‘medical distress’ but later changed the cause to suicide. The medical examiner ruled he was suffocated while being restrained.

by Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune January 22, 2026January 22, 2026

Amber Hamilton walks to her car to drive to the airport after waiting through two days of flight cancellations due to icy conditions in Dallas on Feb. 2, 2023.

Texas News

An arctic storm is expected to blanket the state. Here’s what Texans can expect.

Texas is preparing for the coldest temperatures of the season, and forecasters are warning of possible power outages and icy roads in much of the state.

by Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune January 22, 2026January 22, 2026

Masked ICE agents lead a crying man in handcuffs out of San Antonio immigration courtroom after he showed up for his hearing.

San Antonio News

Senator rips ICE for arresting asylum seekers as they show up to San Antonio court hearings

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, said he saw agents round up people trying to seek legal status ‘the right way’ as they attended required immigration hearings.

by Michael Karlis January 21, 2026January 21, 2026

San Antonio News

Hundreds protest at San Antonio City Hall against Trump’s first year in office

Students from at least two SA high schools also walked out of class as part of the national day of protest.

by Sanford Nowlin and Michael Karlis January 21, 2026January 21, 2026

San Antonio demonstrators voice their anger about ICE detentions during a protest earlier this month.

News

A third immigrant held at Texas detention center has died

The latest death since December at El Paso’s Camp East Montana is a 36-year-old Nicaraguan who died of apparent suicide.

by Sanford Nowlin January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

Austin Police Department officers and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents guide a van out of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building in downtown Austin on April 1, 2025.

Texas News

As immigrant arrests rise, here’s what to know about ICE operations in Texas

The Trump administration is going all in on accelerating mass deportation efforts. Here’s how ICE operations look in Texas, home to an estimated 2 million undocumented immigrants.

by Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

Immigration

We found more than 40 cases of immigration agents using banned chokeholds and other moves that can cut off breathing

A Minnesota woman holds up a sign during a demonstration 10 years ago. Some of the same chokeholds that came under scrutiny then are being employed by ICE agents.

by Nicole Foy and McKenzie Funk, ProPublicaJanuary 16, 2026January 16, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security Seal located outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Headquarters in Washington, DC on Feb. 15, 2015.

Texas News

ICE prosecutor who runs racist X account returns to Dallas immigration court

James Rodden, identified by the Observer last year as the operator of an account that routinely posted hateful statements, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.

by Steven Monacelli, The Texas Observer January 15, 2026January 16, 2026

News

Texas congresswoman Jasmine Crockett calls for Kristi Noem’s impeachment

Crockett, who’s running for Senate, joined with Robin Kelly and a coalition of 70 House members to call for Noem’s removal as ICE amps up its aggressive enforcement actions.

by Stephanie Koithan January 15, 2026January 15, 2026

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a public appearance.

San Antonio News

Gov. Greg Abbott claims San Antonio immigrant rammed ICE vehicles, injured agent

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons discussed the alleged incident on Fox News, which showed video of the suspect’s vehicle boxed in by ICE vehicles at a San Antonio Walmart.

by Stephanie Koithan January 14, 2026January 14, 2026