Border Report – State of Texas: Immigration crackdown brings concern over impact on workers

AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Immigration enforcement operations targeting worksites have led to arrests and deportations of workers across the country.  Some of the people caught up in the raids have been working in the U.S. for years. 

The action sparked protests in cities around the country, including in Texas. But the backlash to the immigration crackdown goes deeper than protests in the streets.  Businesses and farmers have also pushed back.  At a news conference on Thursday, President Donald Trump acknowledged some of the concerns raised about the effect of the deportations on farm workers.

“We can’t take farmers and take all their people and send them back because they don’t have, maybe what they’re supposed to have, maybe not,” Trump told reporters.  “And what is happening, they get rid of some of the people because, you know, you go into a farm and you look, and people don’t, they’ve been there for 20, 25 years, and they’ve worked great, and the owner of the farm loves them and everything else, and then you’re supposed to throw them out.”

“I think we can’t do that to our farmers. And leisure too, hotels. We’re going to have to use a lot of common sense on that,” the President added.

Fernando Rustrian Herrera is one of thousands of migrants deported since President Trump took office in January.  The 18-year-old from Guatemala was detained by ICE agents at a checkpoint while heading to work at a construction site in Houston.

“I had my apartment in Houston, and saw raids taking place. I saw people families which some had papers and others did not. They would take them, and those with papers, they called them up to court, but they tricked them. They sent them back anyway,” Rustrian said, speaking through an interpreter.

Rustrian is now staying at a migrant shelter in Juarez, Mexico. Enrique Serrano helps run the city’s migrant assistance center. He said many deportees arrive devastated after losing everything they built in the U.S.

“They are people that had been in the United States a long time. They had a job, they had homes and properties. Some even opened up a business in the United States, and they were doing good. They are sad because it’s going to be very difficult for them to return to the United States soon, they practically have to start here from zero,” Serrano said.

Rustrian says he plans to work in Mexico while waiting for conditions in the U.S. to improve. Despite being deported, he says he harbors no ill feelings toward the Trump administration. But he believes the deportations hurt both migrant workers and the people who want them out.

“As [Trump] harms us, he also harms himself because all of the things being built in the United States are being built not by Americans, but by migrants,” Rustrian said.

An estimated 1,500 migrants remain in government and church-run shelters in Juarez. The Trump administration has suspended asylum except in extreme hardship cases.

Meanwhile, federal officials are expanding efforts to crack down on illegal border crossings. Last week, U.S. troops started detaining migrants as part of the Deep South Campaign. The campaign includes zones known as National Defense Areas, or NDA’s. Those are military domains established along segments of the border wall.

People who enter an NDA face penalties as if they had unlawfully entered a military base.  Most migrants trying to cross illegally would face immediate removal. Justin R. Simmons, interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas said NDA’s and other examples of heightened enforcement have sharply curtailed illegal crossings.

“The crossings and the encounters by Border Patrol over the last several years were several thousand a day. That’s dropped to 60 to 70 per day,” Simmons said. “That’s an amazing decline in encounters. So it shows what we’re doing here is working.” 

After Dream Act reversal, undocumented students in Texas face tuition uncertainty

More than a week has passed since the Texas Dream Act was struck down, and schools still do not have clear answers about changes to undocumented student tuition rates.

Undocumented students lost the ability to receive in-state tuition earlier this month after the Trump administration sued Texas, accusing it of violating federal law. The administration said the Dream Act, which passed the Texas legislature with bipartisan support in 2001, was in violation of a 1996 federal law. Because Texas agreed, the suit was settled within hours, and it is unclear if the decision will be appealed.

For some undocumented students, the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at Texas public universities may be the difference between receiving a college education or not being able to afford one.

Edilsa Lopez is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and attended the University of Texas at Austin for her undergraduate degree. She said that because noncitizens are not eligible for federal aid, the Dream Act was essential for her ability to afford college.

“Having in-state tuition for us was such a blessing, because we didn’t have to pay three times the in-state tuition rate,” Lopez said. “Even then, we had a situation that was still very difficult for us, just because of the limited amount of financial aid available to us, undocumented students.”

The out-of-state tuition rate ranges from double to nearly quadruple that of in-state tuition, depending on the school. Out-of-state students at UT and Texas A&M University pay the highest amounts, over $40,000 per year.

Lopez was brought to the United States from Guatemala at age 12, fleeing poverty and homelessness. Even after arriving in the U.S., she said, she experienced homelessness after her mother had to leave the U.S., leaving Lopez to care for herself and her sister.

Lopez said going to college was transformative for her life, as she now works for a Fortune 500 company as an accountant.

“I was brought here [at a] very young age… and so education for me was very important, and I only had one thing in mind, which is to graduate from college,” Lopez said. “And so it was difficult in itself, but having in-state tuition and then graduating from college changed my life completely. I am now a professional financial accountant.”

While in high school, Lopez said she didn’t know about college, but her educators urged her to pursue it. She ended up in the top 10% of her class, making her eligible for automatic admission to most public universities in the state.

Now, Lopez worries for the undocumented students following in her footsteps. She said that even before the Dream Act was reversed, she at times struggled to pay for her education.

“At the very end, I wasn’t able to get all the money that I needed to graduate from college, and I almost dropped out,” Lopez said. “But it was thanks to my high school teachers who really supported me, and they always believed in my potential, that they sort of helped me and did a fundraiser for me.”

State Rep. Ramon Romero, D-Fort Worth, shares Lopez’s concerns about the future for undocumented students — especially those who are currently in the middle of their college education.

Romero, who chairs the Mexican American Legislative Caucus in the Texas House, worries that Texas may lose good students to other states if they can no longer afford a college education in Texas.

“How would we not continue to support those that we have invested, likely over $100,000 into that child, if they were with us through K through 12,” Romero said. “It’s a lot of money to invest and then see them walk away and go to a different state. So we don’t want this talent to leave.”

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry signed the Texas Dream Act into law in 2001. He defended the law during a 2011 Republican presidential debate.

“If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they have been brought there by no fault of their own, I don’t think you have a heart,” Perry said during the debate, drawing cheers from the audience.

In an interview after the court decision to end the Dream Act, Perry had a different view. He cited dissatisfaction with how the Biden administration dealt with border security as changing public opinion about children who were brought to the country illegally.

“They basically had a open border policy,” Perry said of the Biden administration. “That has tainted everything all across this country, and I think it made it easy for people to stand up and say, look, what was a thoughtful approach to how we deal with people who don’t have the legal right to be in this country 25 years ago to today is completely different.”

Perry said that until the issue of immigration is resolved, programs like the Dream Act are unlikely to come back into place.

“The American people basically said, you know what, until we get that fixed, these other programs are not going to go forward. And I will tell you, I think that’s probably the proper way,” Perry said.

State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, pointed out the economic impact that allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition generates for Texas. She said in 2021 alone, 20,000 undocumented students paid about $80 million in tuition to state universities.

“I think … we’re going to take a financial hit from this, because these are students that may choose not to go to school,” Alvarado said.

One temporary solution, proposed by State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, is for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to give undocumented students a temporary designation that allows them to receive in-state tuition until the legislature can address the matter in its next session. Romero said he agrees with Howard.

In a statement, THECB Spokesperson Mike Eddleman said the agency does not have an update to share, but is looking into the matter.

“Currently, we are evaluating the scope of the ruling and are actively working to ensure that any THECB rules, policies, and programs comply with the law,” Eddleman said.

In the meantime, universities in Texas have to decide how to proceed with billing students for the fall semester. So far, most do not have updates to share.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley spokesperson Melissa Vasquez said, in a statement, that the university understands the decision may affect students’ existing financial plans.

“As UTRGV continues its review of the impact of the consent judgment, students who may be affected will be notified directly,” Vasquez said.

A spokesperson for Midwestern State University said that MSU is currently reviewing the impact of the decision. A spokesperson for UT Austin said it did not have updates to share. The Texas A&M University System will hold a meeting Friday to discuss the change, according to a spokesperson from West Texas A&M University. Other public universities around the state did not respond to requests for comment.

The sudden nature of the decision not only complicates the path forward for universities and students, but it also raises eyebrows at the prospect of collusion between the federal government and the state.

Alvarado was frustrated by the timing of the decision, right after the legislative session concluded.

“It’s kind of like a boyfriend that cheated on you,” Alvarado said. “Everybody was recognizing the importance of keeping the in-state tuition for these students, and then as soon as we turn our backs and go home, then they circumvented the legislative process.”

Romero called the whole process “shady,” but said the path forward has to involve more than talking about the issue.

“We’re at a time when President Trump is really using every single lawyer at his disposal … to go around and circumvent the priorities of the state of Texas,” Romero said. “Am I upset? Yes, but we can’t just stay upset. We have to do something about it.”

Undocumented students will be faced with the reality of being charged significantly more for higher education, and possibly not being able to afford it, if lawmakers or THECB are unable to find a solution before the fall semester. For Lopez, who said she learned English specifically so that she would be able to get an education, that would have made a difference in her life trajectory.

“I mean, the only thing we want in this country is literally opportunity for an education,” Lopez said. “We want to be able to contribute back to the state we have lived here our entire lives.”

Texas to expand psychedelic research with $50M ibogaine investment

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation Tuesday that invests $50 million into clinical research of ibogaine — a naturally occurring psychedelic substance that could treat post-traumatic stress disorder, opioid use disorder and other mental health conditions.

For years, veterans and others suffering from PTSD have sought ibogaine treatment in Mexico, where the substance is not heavily regulated. In the United States, ibogaine is classified as a Schedule 1 drug, the most restrictive drug category. Other drugs classified under Schedule 1 include psilocybin, LSD and heroin.

According to the legislative summary of SB 2308, the implications for those with opioid use disorder are lifechanging; a single administration of ibogaine in a controlled setting has been shown to stop withdrawal symptoms and reduce drug cravings long-term.

“Preliminary reports also suggest benefits in cognitive function, mood regulation, and sleep among individuals with [traumatic brain injury] and PTSD—conditions prevalent among U.S. veterans,” the bill text read.

The new legislation will create a program within the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to support Texas-based trials of ibogaine through the FDA. Ibogaine is not currently FDA-approved due to its Schedule 1 classification.

“Texas has positioned itself as the global leader of Ibogaine research and development which is critical,” Bryan Hubbard said before attending the bill signing ceremony. Hubbard leads the American Ibogaine Initiative. Hubbard said after he learned about the treatment’s potential, he committed himself to getting lawmakers on board.

“I came to commit myself to doing whatever was necessary to advance a therapeutic that can restore the mind, body and spirit of an individual who has been walled off in the isolation of addiction,” Hubbard said.

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry has been a high profile advocate for expanding Ibogaine research. He worked closely with Hubbard to push for the legislation.

“Brian Hubbard is just the absolute genius on this,” Perry said. “He has the experience, the knowledge, the understanding of how to run these clinical trials. And from my perspective, that’s the real key here.”

Perry said he and Hubbard are partnering on ways to expand clinical trials around the country. Together, they’ve created a 501c3 called Americans for Ibogaine. Perry said Veteran Marcus Luttrell is one of the board members.

“There are a lot of other states that are going to be interested in this, and that’s going to give us the ability to really expand the clinical trials across the country,” Perry said. He hopes that data from clinical trials could lead to Ibogaine being rescheduled from Schedule 1 down to Schedule 3 classification, potentially making it more accessible for medical use.

“I was very skeptical at first, but I was open minded, I listened, I studied, and I came to believe that it is the or could be a major, widespread solution for a lot of issues that we face in this country,” Perry said. “Not only the PTSD and what we put our war fighters through for the last 20 years, but for addictions, for some of the neurodegenerative diseases of Parkinson’s, MS, potentially Alzheimer’s and dementia.”

“God bless Texas for getting behind this and for making it a reality in the Lone Star State,” Perry added.

SB 2308 will fund research through gifts, grants or donations and will require equal matching funds by the recipients, which will include Texas medical facilities “equipped for cardiac-intensive monitoring” by a supervising physician, among other qualifications.

There are health concerns linked to Ibogaine. A study by the National Institutes of Health cited the risk of deadly cardiac complications. State Senator Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, who authored the legislation, addressed that issue after the bill signing.

“This will be administered in hospital type facilities where you have proper cardiac capabilities. You have all the various things that need to be done when treating a patient with Ibogaine that we know of already today,” Parker said.

  So anything but recreational. This is very serious, very substantive.”>

“By advancing ibogaine research, Texas has the opportunity to lead in neuroscience innovation, address urgent veteran health needs, and shape the future of mental health treatment nationwide,” the bill text reads.

Texas in recent years has become more open-minded to the use of psychedelic substances in treating mental health conditions.

“There’s definitely been a shift in the openness and the receptivity of the field to this type of research,” said Greg Fonzo, Ph.D., co-director of the McGill Center for Psychedelic Research & Therapy at Dell Medical School.

“People who do undergo this treatment process, some of them respond well and have a benefit in terms of symptom reductions and feeling better,” Fonzo told KXAN earlier this year.

Nephew of General Cavazos upset over Army post name change back to Fort Hood

Two years ago, an Army post in Killeen, Texas, was redesignated to honor General Richard Edward Cavazos, a native Texan, war hero and Medal of Honor recipient.

The post was one of nine U.S. Army installations redesignated in 2023 based on the Naming Commission’s recommendations to remove the names, symbols, displays, monuments and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America, according to the U.S. Army’s website.

Now, it’s one of several of those whose names are being restored back to their previous names. President Donald Trump announced the move at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Tuesday.

“For a little breaking news, we are also going to be restoring the names to Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Brucker, Fort Polk, Fort AP Hill, and Fort Robert E. Lee,” Trump said while addressing soldiers at Fort Bragg. The seven installations he listed had their names changed in 2023. The President said they will be restored to what he called their historic names.

“We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change,” Trump added.

The same day, the U.S. Army issued a release stating that it would “take all necessary actions to change the names of seven Army installations in honor of heroic Soldiers who served in conflicts ranging from the Civil War to the Battle of Mogadishu.”

Fort Cavazos was initially named Fort Hood after Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood. The post will again be renamed, back to Fort Hood, but with a different namesake: World War I Col. Robert B. Hood.

According to the Army, Col. Hood received the Distinguished Service Cross for his “extraordinary heroism” during WWI during an “intense shelling” near Thiaucourt, France.

Congress passed legilation in 2021 to require renaming military installations that honored anyone who served in the Confederacy. The changes President Trump announced are skirting that law by choosing honorees with the same last name as Confederates previously honored.

“It’s a slap in the face,” a family member of Gen. Cavazos said Thursday.

Albert Ochoa, an Austin resident and retired teacher, is a nephew of Gen. Cavazos. He said he and several of his family members are upset about Trump’s call to rename the post once again.

Ochoa said he and the general “go way back.” He explained that Cavazos was raised by his mother on King Ranch, and Ochoa grew up having a personal relationship with the general.

Ochoa called Cavazos a “family man, through and through,” and described him as a dedicated soldier.

“He was a great man, really, a soldier’s soldier,” Ochoa said. “So, you know, I can’t tell you enough about how he dedicated his life to the army and to be disrespected like this goes beyond anything I can think of.”

Ochoa said that when the post was redesignated as Fort Cavazos, it was a celebration for him and his family. He said more than 100 relatives of Cavazos went to the redesignation ceremony.

“It was an affirmation of his career and the dedication he had to this country and the Army,” he said. “You got to understand discrimination was still very big, and he was Hispanic… but he went on to become the first Hispanic four-star general [and was] quoted in Schwarzkopf books.”

Ochoa said he was “dumbfounded” when his son sent him an article about the base being named back to Fort Hood. “To me, it’s a slap in the face to the Army and all the veterans who served before. Trump… doesn’t know a thing about war, strategy, tactics, the Army, armed forces, period.”

He’s not just upset about the renaming of the Killeen post, either. Ochoa mentioned the other posts affected by the decision and said, “in effect, he’s saying that the Confederacy was OK.”

Ochoa said regardless of the name change, he wants people to remember what the base stood for and its stance as one of the major bases in the country.

“Changing the name is not going to change what it was about or what it did for this country,” Ochoa said. “A name change isn’t going to make that much of a difference. You know, it’s disrespectful. We don’t, we don’t agree with it, but, you know, it’s a slap in the face to all Army veterans that have ever served there… But it’ll continue, regardless of how it’s treated.”

KXAN also reached out to media contacts at Fort Cavazos to ask for comment on the name change back to Fort Hood. We will update this story if we receive a response.

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