Inside Texas Immigration Detention: Families, Health Concerns and Lasting Impact

byErika Gonzalez

Four months after leaving the family detention center in Dilley, Kelly Vargas’ 6-year-old daughter still wakes up at night asking about “the bad ICE men.” Vargas, a Colombian mother who had lived in New York for more than a year before being detained in late 2025, is now trying to rebuild her life in Bogotá, Colombia. But the effects have stayed with her.
“She doesn’t forget,” Vargas said, adding that her daughter often asks, “Mom, do you remember when we were in jail?”
For nearly two months at a family detention center in Dilley, 70 miles south of San Antonio, mother and daughter lived through what Vargas described as constant illness and fear, including repeated sickness and long nights without sleep. Others in Texas have described similar experiences. Immigration detention centers have drawn growing attention as advocates, lawyers and medical professionals say problems with health care, crowding and oversight are affecting people held in custody.

Reporting Texas TV – March 26, 2026

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their secound newscast for the Spring 2026 semester. Our mission is to empower students with hands-on journalism experience while providing our audience with insightful coverage of campus events, local news, and issues that matter most. By fostering a collaborative environment, we cultivate the next generation […]

Western Wear Goes Global

byMikhelia Williams

In Italy, they call it Texani style.
In New York City, cowboy boots walk runways and concrete sidewalks.
The Western look has traveled far from Texas. The weirder development is that Texas may no longer own it.
On a midafternoon on South Congress Avenue, the look is everywhere.

Ketamine Clinics for Treating Mental Health Issues Are Booming. But Is the Drug Effective?

byAJ Muonagolu

With around 13 clinics in Austin alone, ketamine clinics are rising as an alternative to traditional psychotherapy. Increasingly, Texans are exploring psychedelic therapy in hopes of treating depression, anxiety or other chronic mental health issues. But experts worry about ketamine being used as a one-size-fits-all approach to psychiatric care because of concerns over safety and […]

Hill Country Residents Are Worried About a New Wastewater Treatment Facility. Experts Say It’s Complicated.

byMax Mazoch

Whitney Lauderdale has loved the beauty of the Texas Hill Country for as long as she can remember. It was the place that captured the heart of her grandfather, who purchased the 28-acre Comal County property Lauderdale lives on, and one that she hopes to pass to her two children.
“This is where we plan on spending our forever,” Lauderdale said. 
It’s idyllic. But Lauderdale worries it may not be in years to come.
In the past year, Comal County residents were shocked to learn a new permit for a wastewater treatment facility had been proposed for a development in Fischer in the northern part of the county.

Reporting Texas TV – March 5, 2026

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their mock newscast for the Spring 2026 semester. Our mission is to empower students with hands-on journalism experience while providing our audience with insightful coverage of campus events, local news, and issues that matter most. By fostering a collaborative environment, we cultivate the next generation […]

Climate-Conscious Texans Are Buying 3D-Printed Homes. Commercial Developers Are Next. 

byRachel N. Madison

Most people are still amazed by 3D printers’ ability to print handheld objects. Imagine if you could print an entire house. It turns out that you can.
3D-printing construction company ICON announced an upgraded printing arm, “Titan,” at its South Austin headquarters Wednesday. The new system is designed for large-scale, multi-story commercial development, which will be put in the hands of builders to employ 3D printing across the country.
“We’ve been developing these technologies for eight years now, and the mission of the company is to put new ways to build in the hands of the global construction and building industry,” ICON co-founder and CEO Jason Ballard said.   

Boy’s Bike Crash and a Father’s Frustration: City Urged to Improve Safety of Springdale Road

byNoemi Castanon

Nabil Ezzarhouni and his son Rumi were headed home from their afternoon bike ride through the Southern Walnut Creek trail in January when a car hit the 7-year-old  at the intersection of Lyons and Springdale roads. Austin police and emergency services quickly arrived, checked Rumi and determined that while he had suffered bruises and scrapes, he did not need hospitalization.
Austin has invested over $1.3 billion since 2016 to transform its roads for bike safety, according to Austin Transportation and Public Works. But accidents like the one involving little Rumi are common. In 2025, cars seriously injured 22 cyclists, and five cyclists. So far this year, three bikers have been seriously injured, according to Vision Zero dashboard of traffic safety. 
“We need to ensure bikes are safe and have the right to be driven around without having to take a chance,” Ezzarhouni said. 

Pulido, Teixeira Hope to Ride Fame to Congressional Seats

byNatalia Rodriguez

Ronald Reagan went from actor to governor to president. Donald Trump went from real-estate developer to reality TV star to president. Now, two Texas celebrities, Bobby Pulido and Mark Texeira, hope to join that list as they run for U.S. Congress without holding any prior office.
“Name recognition is huge,” says University of Texas Rio Grande Valley professor Richard Longoria, whose research focuses on celebrity politics. “It’s one of the biggest predictors for people that study electoral politics. Getting a lot of media attention and being well known is a huge advantage, but by itself is not enough.”

As Texas Republicans Tout Their Trump Ties, Experts Say It Could Come Back to Haunt Them

byOISAKHOSE AGHOMO

 As Tuesday’s primaries inch closer, you can’t turn on the TV without seeing ads from Republicans trumpeting their ties and devotion to President Donald Trump.  Candidates are trying to brand themselves as the “most MAGA ever,” calling their constituents to “stand with President Trump” and taking digs at their opponents for not being MAGA enough.  […]

As Gen Z Struggles to Navigate Sex, Texas Makes It Harder to Get Information in Schools

byOisakhose Aghomo

Experts say Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012, is struggling to navigate real-life sex and dating culture in a digital age, and research points to this generation having less sex. Now, their teenage counterparts will have less access to information about sex after parents’ rights groups successfully lobbied for a new law that restricts Texas schools from teaching sex education or providing student health services unless parents have specifically authorized it.

Federal Judge Allows Protesters Lawsuit Against UT to Proceed on First Amendment Claims

byDestiny Lewis

A federal judge has allowed key First Amendment claims to move forward in a lawsuit filed by University of Texas at Austin students who were arrested and disciplined after participating in a pro-Palestine protest on campus in April 2024. The lawsuit, filed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in April 2025, alleges that UT-Austin officials and […]

In Its Second Season, League One Volleyball Builds a Professional Pathway for Athletes

byDestiny Lewis

  League One Volleyball’s Austin franchise, one of the league’s inaugural teams, is now in its second season after winning the first championship in league history behind MVP Madisen Skinner — a three-time NCAA national champion and former standout at University of Texas. The league launched last season as an effort to build a sustainable […]

Texans Demand Special Legislative Session for Data Center Debate

byRachel N. Madison

  Protesters at the Texas Capitol called for the Legislature to stop the rapid spread of data centers Monday, urging representatives to hold a special session to discuss the environmental impacts of the new technology. “My land is being threatened,” said Rena Schroeder, a Republican candidate for a state Senate seat in South Texas. “We […]

ICE Raids Disrupt Workforce and Construction Projects Across Texas

byErika Gonzalez

Early in the morning, Benny Meléndez, owner of the residential construction company BM3, called one of his workers who hadn’t arrived at the job site in the Rio Grande Valley, where they were supposed to pour concrete that day.
“Come. ICE just took him,” the worker’s wife said.
Contractors across South Texas have reported immigration operations near construction sites, with workers being detained while arriving or leaving. And the fear is spreading.

UT System Plans to Boost Space Research as Federal Funding Skyrockets

byRachel N. Madison

NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and the University of Texas System are developing plans to expand their collaboration under a new Space Act Agreement signed in January. Archie Holmes, UT System executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, led the latest round of conversations this month as the partners map out the research collaboration, student […]

Faith Under Fire: How ICE Raids Affect Religious Practice in Texas

byErika Gonzalez

In immigrant congregations across Texas and other states, faith leaders report declining attendance and rising anxiety since the elimination of the federal government’s policy of not conducting enforcement in “sensitive locations.”

Even as Silicon Valley Booms, Venture Capitalists See Unique Opportunities in Texas

bySheldon Munroe

Technology venture capitalists from around the world who converged in Austin recently say the Texas tech ecosystem is still young and creating distinctive investment opportunities in a rapidly expanding digital economy. “What I found in Texas in the last few days, I felt these venture capitalists are so patient and they are looking for solutions […]

Undocumented Immigrants are the Backbone of Texas Agriculture. An Abbott-Endorsed Agriculture Commissioner Candidate Wants to Change That.

byMax Mazoch

Immigration raids have caused unrest in Texas agriculture, the state’s second largest industry. Now, Gov. Greg Abbott’s preferred candidate for agriculture commissioner, the chief advocate for the state’s 230,000 farms, has made stricter immigration enforcement a key tenet of his campaign. “If I was king for a day, and I got to go in and […]

Stricter Auto Registration Rule Hurts Texas’ Economy And Leaves Cars Uninsured: Critics

byNoemi Castanon

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles board voted unanimously to implement its new identification requirement for vehicle renewal and registration despite criticism that it is hurting car sales and vehicle registrations. The new rules, proposed in November, require anyone registering a vehicle to provide Real ID-compliant driver’s license, a U.S. passport, a military ID or […]