Abbott, O’Rourke spar over immigration, abortion and Uvalde shooting in debate
The one-hour debate took place in Edinburg. It was the only scheduled debate between the two candidates before the November election. Full Story
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James Barragán is a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune with a focus on accountability reporting. Prior to joining the Tribune, James worked as a statehouse reporter for The Dallas Morning News and had previous stints at the Austin American-Statesman and the Los Angeles Times. In 2021, he was a finalist for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Reporting for his coverage of Texas politics during the COVID-19 pandemic. James was selected as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard in 2023-24. A Southern California native, James received his bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA. He is based in Austin and is a native Spanish speaker.
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![Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke, left, and Gov. Greg Abbott during a debate in Edinburg on Sept. 30, 2022.]()
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Immigration, abortion and economy expected to take center stage when Abbott, O’Rourke debate Friday
The debate, the candidates’ first and likely only one before the November election, begins at 7 p.m. Central time in Edinburg. Full Story
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![Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beto O'Rourke, left, and Gov. Greg Abbott.]()
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Watch: Republicans gain ground all along the Texas-Mexico border by emphasizing border security
In these historically Democratic border areas, some voters are turning to the Republican party, while others remain unmoved. Full Story
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![Freddy Arellano and Republican candidate Armando Rosales speaks to local Eagle Pass resident while dropping off yard signs.]()
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Migrant encounters at the border are higher today than they were before Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star began
The number of migrant encounters at the Texas-Mexico border has climbed from 109,456 in March 2021, the month the mission began, to 116,976 in August — a failure of Abbott’s office’s stated desire to “stop this revolving door and deter others considering entering illegally.” Full Story
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![Department of Public Safety agents oversee a group of three undocumented migrants as they continue the process of arresting them after they were caught in private property as part of Operation Lone Star in Kinney County near Brackettville, on Nov. 8, 2021.]()
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Long the subject of rhetoric, migrants have now become props in political theater
A long-reliable political playbook of highlighting immigration in election season has been escalated by Govs. Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis. Full Story
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![Dozens of migrants, including several family units, leave on a New York City-bound bus outside a shelter in El Paso on Aug. 31, 2022. The city and county of El Paso are sponsoring (to be reimbursed by FEMA) the voluntary trips to relieve pressure on local resources and shelters.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
New York Mayor Eric Adams slams Greg Abbott for refusing to coordinate migrant busing effort
In an interview for The Texas Tribune Festival, Adams called the Texas governor’s program shipping migrants to his city “inhumane” and “un-American.” Full Story
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![New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivers keynote remarks at the opening of Concordia annual summit at Sheraton Times Square in New York on Sept. 19, 2022.]()
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Judge dismisses attempt to discipline Texas AG Ken Paxton’s top aide for trying to overturn the 2020 election
The State Bar of Texas brought the complaint after the aide worked on a suit to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in four states. Full Story
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![First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster speaks during an Attorney General press conference in the William Clements Building in Austin on June 9, 2022.]()
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Texas AG Ken Paxton could be deposed about securities fraud accusations after election
The deposition is part of a lawsuit that is separate but related to the attorney general’s seven-year-old securities fraud indictment. Full Story
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![State Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at his primary election results watch party in McKinney on March 1, 2022.]()
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Texas reduces National Guard members deployed to Operation Lone Star border mission
Abbott said there’s over 5,000 guard members still assigned to the border. He initially said he had deployed 10,000. Full Story
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![Asylum-seeking migrants walk as they are escorted by National Guard officers, after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico, at Eagle Pass on July 26, 2022.]()
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Along the Texas-Mexico border, GOP enthusiasm mounts as Democrats defect over immigration concerns
Among voters near the Texas-Mexico border, immigration and border security are a leading cause for flipping from Democrat to Republican. Full Story
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![Judge Dale Carruthers looks over the Rio Grande at the edge of her 17,000 acre property. Last year, a hunter stumbled upon the body of a migrant on her property.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo/The Texas Tribune