State / Local

DEPORTATIONSAmid Trump Immigration Crackdown, Texas Reins in Border Spending and Shifts Focus to Deportations
By Alejandro Serrano
With border crossings at record lows, state authorities are being sent to arrest people accused of committing crimes in Texas after entering the country illegally.
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GUNSGuns Kill More U.S. Children Than Other Causes, but State Policies Can Help, Study Finds
By Nada Hassanein
More American children and teens die from firearms than any other cause. Black children, especially, suffer when laws allow more guns to circulate, researchers found. There are more deaths — and wider racial disparities — in states with more permissive gun policies, according to a new study.
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RISKY POLICINGWith Troops in Los Angeles, Echoes of the Kent State Massacre
By Jennifer Mascia
The 1970 shooting of student demonstrators underscores the risks of President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the military against protesters, a history professor explains.
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DEPORTATIONSLocal Police Join ICE Deportation Force in Record Numbers Despite Warnings Program Lacks Oversight
By Rafael Carranza and Gabriel Sandoval
ICE officials tout an unprecedented expansion of its 287(g) Program, driven by agreements that allow local officers to function as deportation agents during routine policing. But advocates warn such agreements come at a high cost to communities.
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IMMIGRATIONStates, Sheriffs Puzzle Over Trump’s Error-Filled List of Immigration Sanctuaries
By Tim Henderson
A list of 14 states, 298 counties and 200 cities deemed immigration sanctuaries by the Trump administration has disappeared from a government website but continues to hang over the heads of officials who face threats of losing federal funding. “The list is gone. Am I satisfied that it was rectified? Yes. Am I satisfied that it’s over? No,” said Sheriff Charles Blackwood of Orange County, North Carolina.
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LAND SALESTexas Moves Close to Ban on Some Land Sales to Foreigners
By Sameea Kamal
The House has approved a conference committee report that lists sales to certain people from China, North Korea, Russia and Iran as threats to national security.
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CRIMESurge of ICE Agreements with Local Police Aim to Increase Deportations, but Many Police Forces Have Found They Undermine Public Safety
By W. Carsten Andresen
The federal 287(g) program allows ICE to train state and local authorities to function as federal immigration officers. The use of 287(g) has surged since January, and as a criminal justice scholar, I believe this surge sets a dangerous precedent for local policing, where forging relationships and building the trust of immigrants is a proven and effective tactic in combating crime. The expansion of 287(g) will erode that trust and makes entire communities – not just immigrants – less safe.
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WATER SECURITYAs the Rio Grande Runs Dry, South Texas Leaders Look to New Water Supplies to Sustain Growth
By Berenice Garcia
The tension between water supply and demand has been an issue for decades. And now, city and county leaders throughout the Valley believe the problem has come to a head.
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SALES BANTexas House Advances Bill That Would Prohibit Land Sales to People and Entities from Certain Countries
By Sameea Kamal
The legislation had only pertained to countries the government deemed national security threats. A last-minute change would let the governor add more countries to the ban.
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ENERGY SECURITYTexas May Put Restraints on New Big Businesses Hoping to Tap into the Energy Grid
By Carlos Nogueras Ramos
Texas will need a lot more energy in the future. According to ERCOT, the state’s energy demand may double in six years.
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CRITICAL MINERALSU.S. Senate Committee Advances Kelly's Critical Minerals Bill
By Zachery Schmidt, The Center Square
A bill seeking to improve America’s mineral supply chain is heading to the U.S. Senate floor. The Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025, introduced by Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, would remove disparities between separate critical materials lists from the Department of Energy and Department of Interior. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the bill last week.
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WATER SECURITYHow California’s Farmers Can Recharge the Aquifers They’ve Drained
By Frida Garza
Agriculture requires a lot of water. In the drought-stricken Central Valley, researchers have found a win-win for growers.
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DISASTERSFlood Risk Increasing in Pacific Northwest
By Felicia Spencer
The next great earthquake isn’t the only threat to the Pacific Northwest. A powerful earthquake, combined with rising sea levels, could significantly increase flood risks in the Pacific Northwest, impacting thousands of residents and properties in northern California, Oregon, and Washington.
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WATER SECURITYProtecting Florida’s Water Infrastructure from Cyber Threats
INL and the state of Florida are collaborating on an innovative cybersecurity initiative aimed at protecting Florida’s water infrastructure from cyber threats.
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IMMIGRATIONTexas May Study the Impact of Immigration Again, but Focus Only on Costs
By Alejandro Serrano
The only time the state conducted such an assessment two decades ago, it found that undocumented Texans contributed more to the state’s economy than they cost the state.
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