South Texas Archives - San Antonio Current

Mexican man dies in ICE custody in Laredo, at least the 20th fatality this year

Webb County’s medical examiner said Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez died from ‘natural causes’ although the full autopsy is pending. He’s at least the fifth person to die in Texas ICE detention this year.

by Lomi Kriel, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica June 25, 2026June 25, 2026

A 63-year-old man died in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Laredo this month, marking at least the fifth death in Texas ICE detention centers this year, a quarter of the nationwide total, as the fatalities have skyrocketed to a record pace not seen in decades. According to a notification ICE officials sent congressional […]

Beachgoers at Boca Chica near the SpaceX complex on Sept. 1, 2024.

Texas Supreme Court rejects attempt to block beach closures for SpaceX launches

The state constitution preserves public access to Texas beaches, but it doesn’t give private groups the right to sue to enforce that access, the court ruled.

by Terri Langford and Chuck Lindell, The Texas Tribune June 22, 2026June 22, 2026

Texas’ fight against the New World screwworm will be nasty and brutish

And with any luck, it will also be short.

by Christopher Collins, The Texas Observer June 17, 2026June 17, 2026

Children walk between structures at the Dilley detention camp during Trump's first term in office.

A Texas immigration lawyer breaks down family detention, habeas corpus and Senate Bill 4

The revival of the Dilley detention center and a scorched-earth approach to immigration arrests has led advocates to embrace a novel strategy rooted in old law.

by Davila, Gaige June 13, 2026June 13, 2026

A SpaceX rocket on the launchpad at Starbase on Feb. 3, 2026.

Conservation groups sue to stop SpaceX’s South Texas land deal

The groups suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife want to preserve land that holds an endangered ocelot. They also argue SpaceX’s test launches send rocket debris into the refuge lands.

by Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune June 12, 2026June 12, 2026

Gov. Greg Abbott signs an emergency declaration related to the New World screwworm at a news conference at the Texas Emergency Operations Center on Friday, June 5, 2026.

Second screwworm case in Texas confirmed, as Abbott expands state disaster declaration

A screwworm outbreak would threaten the state’s cattle industry and potentially increase already high beef prices nationwide.

by Stephen simpson and Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune June 6, 2026June 6, 2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday confirmed the county's first case of New World screwworm in South Texas.

First U.S. screwworm case confirmed in South Texas

Officials tested a sample from La Pryor in Zavala County at a lab in lowa, confirming the infestation, Secretary Brooke Rollins said.

by Berenice Garcia and Ayden Runnels, The Texas Tribune June 4, 2026June 4, 2026

Photo exhibition of Tejano icon Selena opens Thursday at Briscoe Museum

The show at the downtown San Antonio museum features images photographer John Dyer captured of the singer between 1992 and 1994.

by Kat McKinney June 3, 2026June 3, 2026

Researchers measure a horned lizard found thriving in the wild.

San Antonio News

Horned lizards raised at San Antonio Zoo found thriving in the wild

Thanks to the zoo’s conservation efforts, the Texas State Reptile seems to be making a comeback.

by Kat McKinney June 3, 2026June 6, 2026

State lawmakers and their families bow their heads during the invocation on the House floor during the opening ceremony of the 89th Texas legislative session at the Capitol in Austin on Jan. 14, 2025.

National Democrats aim to flip 12 Texas House seats under newly expanded target list

Republicans would have just a 76-74 majority in the Texas House if the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee succeeds in flipping its targeted GOP districts.

by Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune June 3, 2026June 3, 2026

From left: Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar poses with his brother, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Gov. Greg Abbott in downtown Laredo on Feb. 23, 2019.

Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar faces removal attempt following federal fraud indictment

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

by Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune May 11, 2026May 11, 2026

In parched Texas, a state fund to boost water projects falls almost $3 billion short of demand

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.

by Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune May 9, 2026May 9, 2026

José Contreras Diaz

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

A photo of best friends Joshua Orta and Ruben Ray Martinez at Orta’s grave in San Antonio on April 16, 2026. Orta died in a car accident in February. He was a passenger in the same car when ICE shot and killed Martinez in South Padre Island a year earlier.

San Antonio News

How the unreported killing of an American by ICE shattered two San Antonio families

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.

by Lomi Kriel, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica May 4, 2026May 4, 2026

The SpaceX Starship is seen on its launch pad from the shore of Boca Chica Beach ahead of its 10th flight test on the morning of Aug. 24, 2025.

South Texas residents suing SpaceX over alleged home damage

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

by Ayden Runnels, The Texas Tribune May 1, 2026May 1, 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.

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

The border wall cuts across a stretch of land.

Trump’s new tool to speed up wall construction may be a trap for Texas landowners

The administration is using a new kind of ‘right-of-entry’ request that allows building earlier in the legal process. Property owners could be signing away more than they realize, attorneys say.

by Jason Buch, The Texas Observer April 27, 2026April 27, 2026

A Texas Commission on Environmental Quality investigator tested wastewater from Tesla’s Robstown lithium refinery on Feb. 12.

Independent testing where Tesla’s lithium refinery discharges wastewater found toxic metals

The drainage district that commissioned the test has now sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Elon Musk-owned carmaker’s operations, near Corpus Christi.

by Arcelia Martin, Inside Climate News April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

Texas families increasingly lack access to child care options, a new report found.

The number of child care deserts in Texas is growing

While East Texas areas are struggling with a chronic lack of care, hope is being seen in the South and West.

by Jess Huff, The Texas Tribune April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

Diana Padilla has spent a decade teaching Rio Grande Valley residents how to farm and was set to expand across the rest of the state, first in Kaufman County.

She won a $7M grant to teach Texans how to farm. Then the Trump administration yanked it over DEI.

Diana Padilla has spent a decade teaching Rio Grande Valley residents how to farm and was set to expand across the rest of the state, first in Kaufman County.

by Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune April 19, 2026April 19, 2026