Connect with us

News from the South - Texas News Feed

Report: Nearly 50,000 border crime arrests reported in Texas in 2023 | Texas

Published

on

www.thecentersquare.com – By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-21 06:54:00

(The Center Square) – According to the most recently available data, there were nearly 50,000 border crime arrests reported statewide in Texas in 2023 by local law enforcement agencies.

Eighty percent of arrests occurred in 20 counties, according to an annual Texas border crime report published by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The majority of border crime arrests, 8,621, were reported in Harris County, the largest county in Texas, where Houston, the county seat, is a primary destination for illegal border crossers and hub for cartel and gang activity, The Center Square has reported.

The next greatest number of arrests were reported in Dallas County (6,247), followed by El Paso County (3,245); Tarrant County (3,144) and Hidalgo County (2,611), rounding out the top five.

Arrests in Travis (2,300), Bexar (1,717), Collin (1,520), Denton (1,313) and Cameron (1,171) counties rounded out the top 10 with the greatest number of reported border crime arrests.

Of the top 20 counties reporting the most border crime arrests, only five are located at the Texas-Mexico border.

The majority of reported border crime arrests were in counties where the largest cities are located: Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio – all considered hubs and gateways for drug and human trafficking and smuggling, law enforcement officers have explained to The Center Square. The cities are also home to employers who hire illegal foreign nationals for cheap labor, often at restaurants, hotels, laundromats, in the construction and hospitality industries, officials have told to The Center Square.

Arrest offenses totaled 46,793 statewide in 2023, according to the report.

The greatest number of arrest offenses were traffic offenses and DWIs (12,338), assault (8,122), dangerous drugs (4,043), obstructing police (3,365), larceny (3,160), federal offenses (2,708), public order crimes (1,617), trafficking and smuggling (1,251), invading privacy (882), burglary (753) and weapon offenses (740).

“Border crime impacts all areas of Texas,” the Texas Department of Public Safety states. “As the data contained in these pages demonstrates, criminal illegal aliens account for a significant number of serious offenses in Texas. These criminals harm Texans and affect our safety and security.”

The report compiles data submitted by local law enforcement agencies for offenses and arrests reported to DPS using data collected through Texas’ Uniform Crime Reporting program.

Texas Government Code defines “Border crime” as “(a)ny crime involving transnational criminal activity that undermines public safety or security … committed by a person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and is not lawfully present in the United States” or that “is coordinated with or related to activities or crimes that occur or are committed in the United Mexican States.”

A border crime arrest refers to criminal offenses committed by foreign nationals who are in the U.S. illegally, as identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The report doesn’t include all arrests of illegal foreign nationals because not everyone arrested is in the DHS database. An individual’s lawful status is determined by matching fingerprints to a DHS database. If the arrestee’s fingerprints aren’t yet in the DHS database at the time of their Texas arrest, DHS isn’t able to biometrically verify their status and that information isn’t included in the report, DPS explains.

The data covers Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, with data updated as of March 30, 2024.

State law requires DPS to prepare and submit an annual report on border crime to the state legislature every year.

“Texas is fortunate to have a high number of law enforcement agencies that contribute to the UCR program,” DPS said; 1,401 Texas agencies contributed data to the UCR program. “Without their participation, reports such as this would not be meaningful.”

The post Report: Nearly 50,000 border crime arrests reported in Texas in 2023 | Texas appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com

News from the South - Texas News Feed

Frustrated with poor play against UTEP, Arch Manning will 'get back to basics'

Published

on

www.kxan.com – Billy Gates – 2025-09-14 22:29:00

SUMMARY: Texas quarterback Arch Manning and coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledge the team’s underwhelming offensive performance in a 27-10 win over UTEP. Manning completed 11 of 25 passes for 114 yards with a touchdown and an interception, frustrating fans expecting a stronger showing at home. Despite a rough first half with 10 consecutive incompletions, Manning showed flashes of promise and scored twice on the ground. Sarkisian emphasized Manning’s mental struggle rather than physical injury and expressed confidence in his growth and consistency. Manning committed to improving fundamentals and handling in-game pressure ahead of tougher matchups, including their SEC opener against Florida on Oct. 4.

Read the full article

The post Frustrated with poor play against UTEP, Arch Manning will 'get back to basics' appeared first on www.kxan.com

Continue Reading

News from the South - Texas News Feed

Texas nursing students return from life-changing internship in Africa

Published

on

www.kxan.com – Esmeralda Zamora – 2025-09-14 13:12:00

SUMMARY: Two Texas nursing students, Tom Strandwitz and Valerie Moon, participated in Mercy Ships’ inaugural nursing internship aboard the Africa Mercy hospital ship in Madagascar. Selected from nationwide applicants, they gained hands-on experience in various departments, providing free surgeries and care in underserved regions. Their travel expenses were covered by over $11,000 raised through community GoFundMe campaigns. Both students were deeply impacted by patient interactions, such as cataract surgeries restoring sight and building trust with families. The internship broadened their perspectives on global health care. They plan to continue careers in intensive care and public health, with hopes to return to international nursing missions.

Read the full article

The post Texas nursing students return from life-changing internship in Africa appeared first on www.kxan.com

Continue Reading

News from the South - Texas News Feed

Austin becoming FEMA-approved emergency alert authority, planning 1st test alert

Published

on

www.kxan.com – Abigail Jones – 2025-09-13 12:16:00

SUMMARY: On Monday, Sept. 29, Austin will conduct a test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), becoming a FEMA-approved alerting authority able to send emergency alerts via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to cell phones and Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages to TV and radio. This coordinated test at 3 p.m. will cover the city across its three counties—Travis, Hays, and Williamson. The alerts will clearly indicate a test and require no action. IPAWS allows authenticated, geotargeted emergency notifications without subscription, enhancing public safety communication. More details are available at ReadyCentralTexas.org and Ready.gov/alerts.

Read the full article

The post Austin becoming FEMA-approved emergency alert authority, planning 1st test alert appeared first on www.kxan.com

Continue Reading

Trending