Austin, TX

Texas border deployment going through 'realignment': officials

Published

2 months ago

September 20, 2024

Texas border deployment going through 'realignment': officials

Hearing held on Texas/Mexico border

Illegal border crossings in South Texas are down and the state is in the process of making some adjustments to Operation Lone Star. The revamping was discussed during a Senate hearing at the state capitol.

AUSTIN, Texas – Illegal border crossings in south Texas are down, and the state is in the process of making some adjustments to Operation Lone Star.

Details about the revamping came out Thursday during a hearing before members of the State Senate Committee on Border Security. The committee is gathering information to prepare for the regular session, which starts in January.

Officials with the State National Guard revealed that two of the four operation base camps, one in Laredo and one north of Eagle Pass, will be shut down. A base camp near Del Rio is also being downsized.

The change is because of the new and larger forward base camp that opened in Eagle Pass earlier this year. Morale among guard members reportedly has improved after mission assignments got better focus and facility upgrades were made by the state.

Major Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the Adjutant General for the State of Texas, told the committee that 18 different states have sent National Guard members to Texas to help with Operation Lone Star.

“What we say to these states is, we will obviously accept all the help we can get. We will ask, we have these types of missions. Is there any type of mission you wouldn’t want to do, or you would like to do? Would you like to send an engineering set of personnel to do engineering and put up a barrier, or do you want to do security points? And then we go through kind of a negotiation process that goes through a state process that would occur during any state declared emergency and solidify that and then they come out. So, we’ve had states that have come out, agreed to come for a whole year, some that have agreed to come for just a few months,” said Suelzer.

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The committee was also told that deployments of state troopers have also been reduced to seven-day rotations. Recent trooper academy graduations are helping to address a staffing shortage, which is now at 540 vacancies, and that has reduced longer deployments.

However, DPS Director Steve McCraw and others who testified said more resources are needed to address the stress related to the continued deployments.

“There was a time one of our operations, we called it Operation Strong Safety. And many members called it Operation Imminent Divorce. And that because it was a longer-term deployment at the time, and we had to send larger numbers, and we didn’t have the benefit of being able to enhance trooper positions in the area of operation. So, there’s no question that it’s very difficult to be, you know, all places at all times and maintain the level of intensity that need to be in and still have family life and be able to be, you know, so we can sustain our workforce,” said McCraw.

Operation Strong Safety took place in 2014 during a surge in migrants. The last time there was a force reduction on the border was back in 2022. The committee was told a larger scale back of personnel on the border is not advised because there is still the threat of another surge in illegal crossings and El Paso remains a hot zone, especially for a dangerous gang known as TDA.

“They’re still probing. They are still cutting fences. They are still trying to create the type of gaps we saw before, and rush hundreds in, and take that combative, riotous type of stance that they’ve done before. So, they have not gone away,” warned McCraw.

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During the hearing, McCraw noted there was a 56,000% increase in the number of Venezuelans apprehended in Texas between 2000 and 2023. According to McCraw, since February 2021, there have been over 93,000 arrests in Texas of individuals classified as criminal migrants. Several cases involve things like drunk driving, but 4,100 cases involved felonies like sexual assault and murder. Since 2021, about $11 billion has been allocated to Operation Lone Star.

Immigration advocates who testified Thursday called it a wasteful program and a boondoggle. Jaime Puente, director of Economic Opportunity, claimed Operation Lone Star has not significantly affected the number of migrants apprehended compared to other border states like Arizona.

“State leadership continues to establish policy based on dehumanizing rhetoric and unverified claims of success. Texans deserve policies that harness the productive power of people seeking refuge and asylum in the United States, not the wasteful, destructive policies of Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star,” said Puente.

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Austin, TX

This Texas city ranks among 10 best to live in the US. See full list, how others scored

Published

5 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

This Texas city ranks among 10 best to live in the US. See full list, how others scored

A Texas city has been named among the top ten U.S. cities to live in over the next two years.

Ten Texas cities were included in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Places to Live list. For the annual rankings, U.S. News analyzed 150 major cities in the U.S. based on quality of life, job market, value of living and people’s desire to live in the area.

How did your city fare on the list? Here’s a breakdown of the data.

LIST: 10 best US cities to live

Texas’ capital secured a spot in the top 10 places to live, as determined by U.S. News.

Naples, Florida
Boise, Idaho
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Greenville, South Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Huntsville, Alabama
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Austin, Texas
Boulder, Colorado

Austin offers healthy balance of work and pleasure, US News says

Austin had an overall score of 6.8 out of 10, compared to Naples’ score of 7.1. The Texas capital also scored 6.8 in the quality of life index, with a value index score of 6.3.

“With the slogan ‘Keep Austin Weird,’ this Texas city is laid-back to the point that if you’re dressing up, it must be a life event,” the U.S. News analysis says. “People here enjoy the outdoors, even more so with their dogs. Austin has a contagious vibrancy and enthusiasm.”

U.S. News notes Austin’s strongest assets are a mix of work and pleasure. The number of companies headquartered in Austin makes it attractive to working professionals, especially those in technology, government, education, and health care. But the capital is far from being “all work, no play.” Its claim as the live music capital of the world invites music lovers to take a listen, whether at the airport, along streets downtown, or at one of the approximate 200 venues throughout the area.

Austin also ranked no. 32 on U.S. News’ Best Places to Retire in 2025 list.

LIST: Best Texas cities to live

Here are the rankings and scores U.S. News gave for the ten Texas cities included in the list:

Ranking	City	Overall Score	Quality of Life	Value Index
#9	Austin	6.8	6.8	6.3
#48	McAllen	6.4	6.6	7.6
#62	El Paso	6.3	6.5	7.3
#77	Corpus Christi	6.2	5.8	7.0
#87	Brownsville	6.2	6.2	7.7
#89	San Antonio	6.1	6.1	6.8
#95	Dallas	6.1	6.4	5.6
#97	Houston	6.1	5.9	6.2
#99	Beaumont	6.1	5.5	7.3
#107	Killeen	6.0	5.9	7.3

Table by Alexis Simmerman/American-Statesman | Data by U.S. News & World Report

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Austin, TX

(2013) Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin •

Published

13 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

(2013) Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin •

Abigail Noel FISHER, Petitioner v. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN et al. No. 11-345. Supreme Court of United States. Argued October 10, 2012. Decided June 24, 2013. Bert W. Rein, Washington, DC, Petitioner. Gregory G. Garre, Washington, DC, for Respondents. Donald B. Verilli, Jr., for … Read More(2013) Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin

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Austin, TX

The drive by No. 3 Texas to top of SEC fueled by defense with Kentucky

Published

23 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

The drive by No. 3 Texas to top of SEC fueled by defense with Kentucky

AUSTIN, Texas — Look under the hood of Texas’ drive to the top of the Southeastern Conference standings in its first season in the league and it is easy to see what generates the horsepower: Defense.

Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) plays Kentucky (4-6, 1-6) on Saturday and the Longhorns rank No. 1 in total defense, No. 1 in fewest passing yards allowed and No. 4 in points allowed per game (11.6). With two games left in the regular season, the Longhorns are tied for first in the SEC and rank No. 3 in the College Football Playoff.

This is from the team that boasted the “All gas, no brakes” motto about explosive offense when coach Steve Sarkisian took over the program in 2021.

“I love it what we’re doing defensively,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t think our guys believe that anyone can move the ball on them, that anyone’s going to score. And that’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

Texas has allowed 10 points or less five times this season, which started with a shutout and includes two games of not allowing a touchdown. The secondary has surrendered just three passing touchdowns while taking away 15 interceptions. Senior cornerback Jahdae Barron leads the team with four.

“The experience of our secondary is what has led to this,” Sarkisian said of the turnover-to-touchdowns ratio. “We just don’t blow coverages … They make every pass feel contested.”

Texas needs a win in its final two games to stay on track for the SEC championship game and hold a position in the playoff hunt as one of the top four seeds. Kentucky would love to play the spoiler in an otherwise dismal season.

Texas will be Kentucky’s fourth opponent ranked seventh or higher. The Wildcats beat Mississippi in the first one, then lost to Georgia and Tennessee by a total of eight points. The Wildcats have played in a bowl the last eight seasons and need to win their final two games to keep that streak alive.

“I want to finish strong,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said.

Ewers’ final home game?

Texas junior quarterback Quinn Ewers may be playing his final home game at Texas. The three-year starter led the Longhorns to the playoff last season, then opted to return instead of turning pro. An abdomen injury has hampered his season, but Ewers has still passed for 1,898 yards and 21 touchdowns. He avoided a question from reporters if this could be his final home game. Texas will honor its seniors before kickoff.

Inside outside

Texas senior defensive tackle Alfred Collins had the best game of his career last week against Arkansas with a sack, and a forced fumble that helped closed out the victory. At 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, he has emerged as the dominant pocket pusher to compliment the edge rush of standout freshman Colin Simmons, who leads Texas with six sacks.

Waiting for Vandagriff

Ewers and Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff were both ranked among the top high school quarterbacks in the country in the 2021 recruiting class. The Wildcats are waiting for the Georgia transfer to have a breakout game this season. He has passed for 1,542 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. His 243 yards passing in Kentucky’s win over Ole Miss were a career high.

Red zone matchup

Texas had another sluggish game on offense in last week’s win at Arkansas and now faces a Kentucky defense that rates among the best in the country when backed up near its own goal line. The Wildcats rank sixth nationally and best in the SEC in red zone defense.

Terrific tight end

For all of its speed on the edges in the passing attack, it is Texas tight end Gunnar Helm who has been the most reliable receiver from game to game. His 37 catches for a 493 yards lead the team in both categories and he has three touchdowns.

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