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

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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

Scammers target volunteer fire department helping flood victims

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www.kxan.com – David Barer – 2025-07-17 12:31:00

SUMMARY: The Office of Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating scammers who targeted the Center Point Volunteer Fire Department’s flood relief fundraiser after the devastating July 4 flood in Kerr County, which caused over 100 deaths. Scammers created fake Venmo accounts to divert donations, though Venmo shut them down quickly. Paxton vowed to use full authority against such fraud. The fire department’s genuine fundraiser continues via GoFundMe and mail donations. The Better Business Bureau warns of sophisticated AI-driven scams cloning websites and hijacking links. Donors are urged to verify payment sites, avoid wiring money, research charities, and be cautious of urgent appeals to prevent fraud.

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The post Scammers target volunteer fire department helping flood victims appeared first on www.kxan.com

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Democratic doctor challenging GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz

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feeds.texastribune.org – By Gabby Birenbaum – 2025-07-17 06:00:00


Ada Cuellar, an emergency physician from Harlingen, announced her campaign for Texas’ 15th Congressional District, becoming the first Democrat to run for this South Texas seat targeted in the 2026 midterms. The district, represented by Republican Monica De La Cruz since 2022, stretches from Hidalgo County to near San Antonio and leans Republican by 7 points. Despite Democrats’ struggles among Latino voters, who constitute about three-quarters of the district, Cuellar aims to challenge De La Cruz by focusing on healthcare affordability and opposing recent Medicaid cuts. Redistricting could alter the district, but its majority Hispanic population remains key to Democrats’ 2026 strategy.

Harlingen doctor becomes first Democrat to challenge GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz for South Texas congressional seat” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.


Ada Cuellar, a Harlingen-based emergency physician, launched her campaign for Texas’ 15th Congressional District on Thursday, becoming the first Democrat to run for the South Texas seat that her party is targeting in the 2026 midterms.

Anchored in Hidalgo County along the border and running north to the edge of San Antonio, the district — represented by Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg — has been emblematic of Democrats’ recent struggles throughout the Rio Grande Valley and with Latino voters generally. De La Cruz first won office in 2022, becoming the first Republican to represent the district after it was redrawn to favor Republicans.

The seat has been in Democrats’ crosshairs ever since. But South Texas was the epicenter of a national rightward shift in 2024 among Latinos, who make up about three-quarters of the 15th District’s eligible voting-age population, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. President Donald Trump was the first Republican to win Hidalgo County in decades, improving from a 28% vote share in 2016 to 51% last year.

Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will likely face an uphill battle. De La Cruz won reelection by 14 points in 2024, despite the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and other national groups targeting it as a potential pickup. The district leans Republican by a 7-point margin, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.

While Cuellar — who has no relation to Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo — is the first candidate to officially announce, Tejano music star Bobby Pulido has also been floated as a potential candidate. Pulido said he planned to enter politics in 2026, and he has been heavily recruited by Democrats, according to Politico.

Cuellar lives outside the district boundary, in the district of Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen. She is from Weslaco and went to college in Edinburg.

Members of Congress do not have to live in the district they represent, though residing outside the boundaries can open candidates to attacks from their opponents.

De La Cruz is the only Texas Republican the DCCC currently lists among its 2026 targets. But the spectre of redistricting, which could put more seats in play and upend the state’s political map, is hanging over both parties. South Texas is a key area where Republican map-drawers will likely try to draw friendlier seats by targeting De La Cruz’s Democratic neighbors, meaning the contours of the 15th District could change.

Under any new map, the district’s population is likely to remain overwhelmingly Hispanic — meaning Democrats will need to reverse their recent slide to have any chance of recapturing the seat.

Cuellar, a 43-year-old Rio Grande Valley native, believes Latino voters, in particular, were looking for change last cycle as they felt the bite of high costs fueled by inflation. She believes Democrats can position themselves as the party of change in 2026, especially on issues like health care, after Republicans including De La Cruz voted for Medicaid cuts as part of Trump’s recently enacted megabill.

“People are frustrated with health care costs, inflation, the economy, how difficult it is to succeed,” Cuellar said. “And I think a lot of frustrations were directed towards the Democratic Party.”

National Republicans expressed confidence they would hold onto the seat.

“Monica De La Cruz remains a steadfast advocate for the people of South Texas, consistently delivering commonsense results,” Zach Bannon, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement. “Voters are eager to send her back to Washington to continue her work and will resoundingly reject any out of touch Democrat in the race.”

Democrats flipped the U.S. House in 2018 — including through pickups in Texas — largely by talking about Republicans’ efforts to quash the Affordable Care Act. Democrats hope to follow a similar playbook in 2026 by homing in on the Medicaid and ACA cuts in the megabill. Groups have been actively recruiting physicians like Cuellar to run for office as part of that pitch.

During her campaign, Cuellar said she also plans to discuss the need for a county hospital and more doctors in the district, along with plans to make health care more affordable.

Disclosure: Politico has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.


The lineup for The Texas Tribune Festival continues to grow! Be there when all-star leaders, innovators and newsmakers take the stage in downtown Austin, Nov. 13–15. The newest additions include comedian, actor and writer John Mulaney; Dallas mayor Eric Johnson; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; New York Media Editor-at-Large Kara Swisher; and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Get your tickets today!

TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/17/ada-cuellar-democrat-monica-de-la-cruz-south-texas-congress/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

The post Democratic doctor challenging GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz appeared first on feeds.texastribune.org



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This article from The Texas Tribune leans Center-Left, primarily due to its emphasis on Democratic perspectives, framing of Republican actions, and favorable attention to Democratic candidate Ada Cuellar’s campaign. While the article includes factual data and references to Republican figures like Rep. Monica De La Cruz, the narrative highlights Democratic strategies, critiques of Republican policies (especially Medicaid cuts), and Cuellar’s policy priorities without equally presenting counterpoints from her Republican opponent. The language is measured and journalistic, but the thematic focus and selection of quotes subtly favor Democratic viewpoints.

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Court orders release of Uvalde school shooting records

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feeds.texastribune.org – By Ayden Runnels – 2025-07-16 15:17:00


A Texas appeals court judge has ordered Uvalde County and its school district to release records related to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, upholding a prior trial court decision. Eighteen news organizations, including The Texas Tribune, sued in 2022 for access to body camera footage, 911 calls, and communications. Uvalde County DA Christina Mitchell opposed releasing records due to ongoing criminal proceedings against former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo, facing felony child endangerment charges. Judge Velia Meza ruled that these legal actions do not justify withholding the records. The ruling aims to promote transparency about the delayed police response during the tragedy.

Appeals court orders release of Uvalde school shooting records” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.


A state appeals court judge on Wednesday ordered Uvalde County and its school district to release records and documents related to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, affirming a previous trial court order.

A coalition of 18 news organizations, including The Texas Tribune, sued the City of Uvalde, Uvalde County and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District in 2022 for access to body camera footage, 911 call records and communications made during the school shooting. Law enforcements’ response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed, has been scrutinized extensively for failures in communication that delayed response time while the shooter was still in two classrooms with children.

Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell had opposed providing the records, pointing to criminal proceedings against former Uvalde school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo that she said could be hampered by the documents’ release. But Judge Velia Meza with Texas’ Fourth Court of Appeals wrote in the opinion for the case that the criminal proceedings and a separate lawsuit were not enough reasons to withhold the records.

“In response, these entities offered only minimal justification — citing a grand jury investigation and a civil lawsuit — without providing legal or evidentiary support for withholding the information,” Meza wrote.

Arredondo is facing several felony charges of child endangerment, with a trial date set for October.

In a statement, Laura Prather, a media law attorney with Haynes Boone representing the news organizations, said the ruling sends a clear message to government officials that “vague legal claims” cannot be used to withhold records.

“The public has waited more than three years for answers about what went wrong that day,” Prather said. “This decision brings us one step closer to those answers and preventing future tragedies.”

A spokesperson for the Uvalde school district said its school board and superintendent have scheduled a discussion about the requested records during their public meeting on July 21. The Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment. The order from Meza did not specify when the records would need to be released.


The lineup for The Texas Tribune Festival continues to grow! Be there when all-star leaders, innovators and newsmakers take the stage in downtown Austin, Nov. 13–15. The newest additions include comedian, actor and writer John Mulaney; Dallas mayor Eric Johnson; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; New York Media Editor-at-Large Kara Swisher; and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Get your tickets today!

TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/16/uvalde-school-shootings-records-release/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

The post Court orders release of Uvalde school shooting records appeared first on feeds.texastribune.org



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article primarily presents factual reporting on a legal decision involving the release of records related to the Uvalde school shooting. The tone is neutral and focused on public interest and transparency without showing ideological leanings or framing the story to favor a particular political viewpoint. It reports on actions taken by courts, law enforcement, and media organizations without editorializing or expressing bias. While the topic touches on sensitive issues like law enforcement accountability, the coverage remains straightforward and balanced, adhering to journalistic standards of impartiality.

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