Deported South Texas DACA recipient returned to U.S. freed after detainment

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.

by Uriel J. García, The Texas Tribune May 8, 2026May 8, 2026

In January, days after Trump’s inauguration, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order ordering “all appropriate state agencies to assist federal actors working under the direction of the Trump Administration with carrying out functions under federal immigration laws.”

Texas News

Civil rights groups sue to stop Texas law that lets local and state police deport people

Senate Bill 4, set to go into effect next week, empowers state authorities bring charges against people for illegally crossing the border — traditionally a power reserved for the federal government.

by Sanford Nowlin May 4, 2026May 4, 2026

Under pressure from Gov. Greg Abbott, Houston, Austin and Dallas have changed policies on how police officers handle ICE warrants.

Texas News

ICE warrants were central to Abbott’s immigration dispute with Texas cities. Here’s how they work.

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.

by Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune May 3, 2026May 3, 2026

A Laredo storefront displays “store closing” signs across its windows on April 9, 2026. Business owners say the distance between open stores has made it harder to attract consistent foot traffic.

Texas News

Once thriving, Laredo’s growth stalls under Trump’s immigration crackdown

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

by Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune May 1, 2026May 1, 2026

rawing created by a member of Hayam El Gamal’s family. The family was re-arrested on Saturday after being freed on April 23.

San Antonio News

ICE releases El Gamal family after re-arresting mother and 5 children, attorney says

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.

by Lomi Kriel, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica April 28, 2026April 28, 2026

News

South Texas mariachi brothers released by ICE will perform with country star Kacey Musgraves

The brothers released from immigrant detention near San Antonio will open for the Grammy-winning Texas native at Gruene Hall in May.

by Stephanie Koithan April 28, 2026April 28, 2026

Texas News

After outcry over border wall changes, CBP removes map of barrier from website entirely

After portions of physical barrier reappeared in Big Bend National Park on Border Patrol’s map last week, the agency has since struck the map from its website, leaving Texans scratching their heads.

by Stephanie Koithan April 27, 2026April 27, 2026

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers make a traffic stop in southeast Austin on Aug. 7, 2023.

Texas News

Texas police can arrest people suspected of entering country illegally, federal court rules

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.

by Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

The border wall cuts across a stretch of land.

Texas News

Judges in every Texas border county urge White House transparency on border wall

County Judges representing the entire Texas-Mexico border are urging the feds to communicate with local officials on border wall plans, which so far have changed drastically without notice.

by Stephanie Koithan April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

A 5-year-old girl detained in Dilley drew herself and her family trapped in a cage.

San Antonio News

Judge orders immediate release of El Gamal family after 10 months in Dilley detention facility

After nearly a year in the San Antonio-area prison camp, the family’s attorney says they’re the longest-detained immigrant family in the United States.

by Stephanie Koithan April 23, 2026April 23, 2026

News

Physical border wall reappears on map of Texas’ beloved Big Bend National Park

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol quietly updated its map Tuesday to show portions of a physical border wall in the national park again, directly contradicting prior assurances from officials.

by Stephanie Koithan April 22, 2026April 23, 2026

San Antonio News

New San Antonio ICE detention site to open in September, letter says

The facility is projected to hold between 500 and 1,500 people at any one time.

by Michael Karlis April 17, 2026April 17, 2026

Texas News

Caravan from San Antonio heading to Dilley detention site to protest conditions there

This weekend’s demonstration comes after U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said the privately run migrant detention center is operating under heightened secrecy.

by Michael Karlis April 17, 2026April 17, 2026

Meenu Batra was detained by ICE in March.

Texas News

Longtime immigration court interpreter arrested by ICE at South Texas airport

The state’s only licensed Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu legal interpreter is now languishing in a Raymondville detention center. She’s lived in America for 35 years.

By Gaige Davila, The Texas Observer April 16, 2026April 16, 2026

Zaena Zamora, executive director of the reproductive-justice group the Frontera Fund, speaks during a SXSW panel discussion.

Texas News

Texas’ abortion ban is hitting immigrant communities hardest, especially those in South Texas

Heightened immigration enforcement has created an additional layer of fear and risk for South Texans seeking abortion care.

by Michael Karlis April 14, 2026April 14, 2026

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer inspects an outbound vehicle at a checkpoint in 2024.

San Antonio News

Report: DHS deported a U.S. citizen arrested near San Antonio

The man, picked up in the Texas Hill Country town of Fredericksburg, said officers refused to see his documents and threatened him with fraud charges.

by Sanford Nowlin April 13, 2026April 13, 2026

An ICE officer monitors a detention facility in Buffalo, New York.

San Antonio News

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones again urges feds not to proceed with San Antonio ICE lockup

‘I did not receive a response from your predecessor; however, I hope to have a more productive and transparent engagement with your office,’ Jones wrote to the new DHS secretary.

by Sanford Nowlin April 9, 2026April 9, 2026

ICE conduct an arrest at workplace enforcement.

Texas News

Report: Migrant child sexually assaulted while in federal custody in Texas

The girl’s father only learned of the alleged assault after filing a habeas petition.

by Michael Karlis April 6, 2026April 6, 2026

Children walk between structures at the Dilley detention camp in this ICE file photo.

San Antonio News

Groups warn Trump isn’t stopping jailing migrant families, demand Dilley’s closure

The number of migrants held at a controversial camp near San Antonio has dropped, but that doesn’t mean the feds plan to stop detaining families.

by Sanford Nowlin April 3, 2026April 3, 2026

Texas News

Judge rules Trump illegally canceled immigration status of 900,000 who followed entry guidelines

The landmark federal ruling restores the status of those who sought asylum through the CBP One app before the White House abruptly canceled it last April.

by Stephanie Koithan April 2, 2026April 2, 2026