Southwest
Texas passes constitutional amendment explicitly prohibiting noncitizen voting
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Texans overwhelmingly approved a proposal to amend the Lone Star State constitution to stipulate that individuals who are not U.S. citizens are not permitted to vote in the state.
Unofficial results indicate that the proposition decisively passed by just under 72% of the vote.
SJR 37, which is linked to the ballot proposition, indicates that the language, “persons who are not citizens of the United States” will be added to the constitution’s list of classes of people who are not allowed to vote in Texas.
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The Texas flag flies over the circuit prior to the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of the United States at the Circuit of the Americas on Oct. 18, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
The state’s election code already indicates that an individual must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible to register as a voter in the state.
Federal law generally deems it unlawful for aliens to vote in elections for president, vice president, presidential elector, House, Senate, delegate from Washington, D.C., or resident commissioner.
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Voting booths are seen at Glass Elementary School’s polling station in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Nov. 8, 2022. (MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)
“It is now in our Constitution that only US citizens can vote in Texas elections,” Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, declared in a post on X.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott poses on the field prior to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between the Texas Longhorns and Arizona State Sun Devils at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 1, 2025. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Abbott also weighed in on Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral contest.
“Join me for a moment of silence for NYC. Thoughts & prayers,” the governor wrote, adding the praying hands emoji in a post on X.
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Southwest
Texas voters approve requiring judges to deny bail for certain violent felony charges
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Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday that requires judges deny bail to defendants charged with certain violent felonies.
Proposition 3, also known as Senate Joint Resolution 5 (SJR 5), expands bail denial eligibility to those charged with murder, capital murder or certain aggravated assault, kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault, indecency with a child and human trafficking.
Judges shall deny bail to defendants they believe are likely to skip court or pose a clear threat to public safety, according to the amendment.
Judges will then have to provide a written order explaining their decision.
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Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday that requires judges to deny bail to defendants charged with certain violent felonies. (iStock)
More than 60% of Texas voters supported Proposition 3 at the ballots, according to data compiled early Wednesday morning.
A woman carries a sample ballot as she walks to a polling station in San Antonio, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Critics of the amendment argue it violates the freedoms of those accused of certain crimes, especially those who are falsely accused, and drives up the state’s already overcrowded jails, the Texas Tribune reported.
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Supporters of the state’s broader bail reform crackdown have said the amendment will improve public safety by keeping high-risk defendants in custody before trial and improve current bail laws that fail to protect public safety.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announces a new public safety initiative to combat violent crime in Greater Houston during a press conference in Houston, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Gov. Greg Abbott posted his support for Proposition 3 on social media last month.
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“Murderers belong behind bars. Not set free to kill again like what happened in Houston and other places,” Abbott wrote. “Proposition 3 on the ballot this November needs your vote to ensure Texas keeps the most dangerous criminals behind bars.”
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Southwest
Fury erupts after accused teen sex predator dodges prison; families swarm courthouse demanding judge’s head
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Backlash is intensifying in Oklahoma after a teenager accused in a series of violent sex assaults avoided prison time, prompting swarms of people to protest outside a courthouse amid renewed scrutiny of how the justice system handled the case.
Images show more than a hundred people gathering outside the Payne County Courthouse Wednesday carrying signs demanding justice after 18-year-old Jesse Butler avoided prison under Oklahoma’s youthful offender law, The Oklahoman reported.
“Ponca Tribal Victim Services is standing in solidarity with survivors demanding Justice!,” the organization wrote in a post on Facebook. “Jesse Butler needs to be held accountable! Payne county Judge Susan Worthington should be disbarred.”
The demonstrations followed days of anger online and in the community after Butler, who pleaded no contest to multiple sex assault charges, received a 78-year sentence that was suspended under Oklahoma’s youthful offender law, allowing him to remain free if he completes court-ordered rehabilitation.
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Demonstrators gather to protest the Jesse Butler case outcome outside Payne County Courthouse in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
A spokesperson for Stillwater Public Schools told Fox News Digital that staff had met with police last week to prepare for possible protests, designating areas for demonstrators and media and placing extra officers on campus “out of an abundance of caution.”
“We condemn sexual assault and violence in all its forms,” the school district shared in a statement. “Our thoughts, prayers and hopes for justice are with the victims in our community and everywhere.”
The Stillwater Police Department said in a release it is working with Stillwater Public Schools to investigate “recent phone calls and messages to the district regarding the enrollment of student Jesse Butler.”
“While the language used in the phone calls and messages are vague and not directed at specific school sites, students or staff, all concerning communications and any potential threats are taken seriously and investigated fully,” the department wrote.
FAMILIES OUTRAGED AFTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN VIOLENT SEX ASSAULT CASES AVOIDS PRISON AS YOUTHFUL OFFENDER
A protester raises a sign that says “Hold Jesse Responsible” during a demonstration outside the courthouse in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Authorities said additional patrols have been added out of an abundance of caution. Butler, who was previously a Stillwater student, does not attend in person and is barred from school property and events, police confirmed.
A newly released body camera video shows the moment Butler was arrested last year, part of an investigation that began after multiple girls accused him of brutal sexual assaults.
WATCH: Police bodycam shows arrest of Oklahoma teen Jesse Butler
Then 17, Butler pleaded no contest to 10 rape-related charges and one count of violating a protective order. Although he received a 78-year sentence, the term was suspended under Oklahoma’s youthful offender law, allowing him to remain free if he meets strict rehabilitation terms.
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Victims’ families and community members have condemned the outcome. Some protesters on Wednesday held signs noting Butler’s connection to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where his father is the former director of football operations.
Opponents of Jesse Butler hold signs denouncing the court’s decision outside the Payne County Courthouse in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“As a mom, I never thought I’d have to watch my daughter fight this kind of battle, one where she had to prove she was the victim over and over again,” one mother told KOCO. “The justice system failed her.”
One victim said Butler strangled her, and a doctor warned that she could have died had it lasted “seconds longer,” according to a police affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Jesse Butler in a baseball uniform before the criminal allegations came to light. (Risin Baseball)
The Payne County District Attorney’s Office said the decision to pursue the case under the youthful offender law was based on Butler’s age at the time of the crimes. The office said the law allows supervision “until the defendant’s 19th birthday” and gives a chance for rehabilitation “while still holding him accountable.”
Rep. Justin “JJ” Humphrey, R-Okla., called the ruling “unacceptable” and said he plans to petition for a grand jury review.
“If that don’t set you on fire, your wood’s wet,” Humphrey previously told Fox News Digital. “You know what I mean? You’ve got a bad deal. That sets me on fire.”
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Court documents show Butler remains under Office of Juvenile Affairs supervision, required to complete therapy, counseling, more than 100 hours of community service, daily check-ins and weekly sessions. He’s banned from social media and subject to curfew restrictions.
If Butler violates any terms, the court could enforce his full 78-year sentence. His next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 in Payne County District Court.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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Southwest
ICE operation prevents ‘nightmares and PTSD’ in massive Texas operation
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal and Texas officials carried out a massive 10-day operation in Houston that resulted in over 1,500 arrests, including of aggravated felons, gang members, sexual predators, a murderer and others.
In a Wednesday statement, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Office Director Bret Bradford announced that “despite the conditions becoming increasingly dangerous for our officers as a result of the spread of violent political rhetoric and intentionally false information,” agents arrested 1,505 illegal aliens in a southeast Texas operation that ran Oct. 22-31.
Bradford said the arrests of gang members, child predators and other violent criminals “prevented countless Houstonians from having to suffer from the nightmares and PTSD that come with being a victim of violent crime.”
These arrests came after another ICE Houston operation in August resulted in 822 arrests and another in February and March that led to 543 arrests.
MASSIVE ICE OPERATION NETS GANG MEMBERS, MURDERERS, CHILD PREDATORS: ‘WREAKED HAVOC’
In total, the October operation resulted in the arrests of 17 documented gang members, 40 aggravated felons, one convicted murderer and 13 sexual predators, according to the ICE statement. Offenses committed by those arrested included 115 aggravated assaults, 142 DWIs, 55 drug offenses and 31 weapons offenses. The agency also said that 255 of those arrested had been previously deported from the U.S. at least once.
Nearly one-third of those arrested have been ordered removed from the U.S. by an immigration judge, according to ICE.
The agency highlighted some of the worst of the worst offenders nabbed in the operation, which included Selvin Joel Lara Diaz, a 35-year-old previously deported child predator and Mexican mafia member. According to ICE, Lara Diaz was convicted of raping and impregnating his own minor sister. He was arrested hiding in the shelves of a Houston-area grocery store.
Another, Marlon Odir Gomez Hernandez, a 29-year-old suspected MS-13 gang member from El Salvador, had previously been arrested in his home country for aggravated extortion. ICE officials chased Gomez Hernandez into a washateria where he climbed through the ceiling panels and became wedged in a sign on the side of the building, according to the agency.
ICE REVEALS STUNNING STATISTIC AFTER EXPOSING HALLOWEEN WEEKEND’S ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ARRESTS
Marlon Odir Gomez Hernandez, a 29-year-old suspected MS-13 gang member from El Salvador, attempted to escape ICE officials by running into a washateria where he climbed through the ceiling panels and became wedged in a sign on the side of the building, according to the agency. (ICE)
A third, Rony Andy Martinez Lopez, 27, from Honduras, was arrested during the operation after being previously deported and convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and cruelty towards a child.
Vongphachan Phothisome, a 53-year-old from Laos, was also arrested and has been convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Salvador Ramirez-Carrillo, a 46-year-old from Mexico, had previously been deported four times. He is a member of the Paisas gang and has been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest with a vehicle.
Another, Rey David Bautista-Antonio, a 27-year-old also from Mexico, was arrested and has been convicted of three DWIs.
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Left to right from top: Selvin Joel Lara Diaz, Salvador Ramirez Carrillo, Rony Andy Martinez Lopez, Vongphachan Phothisome, Rey David Bautista Antonio. (ICE)
Bradford said that thanks to the “unwavering commitment” of the ICE agents to “defend this community from foreign criminal invaders and other illegal aliens who undermine our rule of law, a previously deported Mexican Mafia gang member convicted of raping and impregnating his underage sister who is also wanted in Mexico for murder is no longer free; A four-time deported Paisas gang member arrested for DWI and convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest with a vehicle is no longer beating up law-abiding Americans or driving intoxicated on our roadways; and five other criminal alien child predators are no longer free in the community preying on innocent children.”
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“While it’s impossible to put a measure on the crimes that will never happen as a result of their efforts during this operation, I can tell you with certainty that they’ve saved lives and prevented countless Houstonians from having to suffer from the nightmares and PTSD that come with being a victim of violent crime,” said Bradford.
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