Immigration

The former president's book features his portraits of 43 immigrants — athletes, public servants, business leaders, educators — in an effort to join those saying, "The system's broken. Let's fix it."

The Biden administration plans to use military bases in San Antonio and El Paso to house a growing number of unaccompanied migrant children in federal custody. It has also considered using Bexar County buildings.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Republicans blame President Joe Biden for the arrival of migrant minors at the border and have raised alarm over the conditions they face in federal custody. Two teens who recently made their way through the border and an emergency shelter in San Antonio paint a different picture.

Bexar County Precinct One Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores, who has volunteered at the Freeman Emergency Intake Site, toured the facility with Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday after he raised concerns about the safety of migrant children sheltered there. TPR News’s Maria Mendez spoke with her on Thursday about the tour.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents encountered nearly 172,000 migrants at the border in March, up 71% from February. The increase included a record number of unaccompanied minors.

Congressman Joaquin Castro led a Democratic delegation on a tour of a temporary shelter for migrant children in Carrizo Springs Friday. It is one of the many facilities the Biden administration opened to house a large number of unaccompanied minors arriving at the border. Castro spoke with TPR's Maria Mendez after the tour.

The county provided details about a formal agreement with the federal Health and Human Services (HHS) department Friday. The expo hall will be divided into three areas: two for housing and one for meals, recreation and entertainment. The children — mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador — are expected to arrive in San Antonio next week.

The U.S.-Mexico border remains closed to many people, including most migrants and asylum seekers, and those allowed in are currently tested for COVID-19. Here’s a rundown of what’s happening at the Texas border and what changes the Biden administration has made.

Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas has embraced a tough stance on immigration. That's a change from his time as state attorney general, when he often spoke about protecting immigrants in Texas.

Abbott detailed the state’s increased law enforcement presence in the area and critiqued President Joe Biden's immigration policies. He also doubled down against federal aid for border communities taking in and testing a rising number of migrants.