Three Texas bills intended to increase oversight of county inmates transferred to out-of-state facilities failed during the 2025 legislative session. Senate Bill 2289, sponsored by Borris Miles, would have required counties to report out-of-state transfers and deaths to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards; related proposals would have required Texas standards, inspections, and investigations of deaths, escapes, and injuries. The measures followed deaths of Harris County inmates at a Louisiana facility and concerns over a $38 million transfer contract. Although SB 2289 passed the Senate, it died in a House subcommittee after failing to receive a hearing. The jail commission subsequently directed counties to report such deaths, but the policy has no deadline, standardized form, or statutory penalty. Miles, González, and Cook plan to pursue legislation again in 2027.

Texas counties, particularly Harris County, routinely transfer about 1,100 inmates a month to out-of-state facilities, but Texas has lacked a reliable system for recording deaths that occur there. Advocacy groups identified mismatches between state death databases and several deaths of Texas inmates in Louisiana facilities that were not documented in Louisiana or federal records. Harris County continues to fund the transfers through a $38 million contract with LaSalle Corrections despite reported safety concerns and the high cost of outsourcing detention. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards has since directed counties to report out-of-state deaths, including past cases, but does not require investigations. Legislative proposals to mandate reporting, investigations and compliance with Texas jail standards failed during the 2025 session.

Texas law enforcement partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement have expanded under Senate Bill 8, requiring sheriffs to enter 287(g) agreements. Detainer activity remains high across the state, with midsize counties showing significant increases even as overall counts remain steady. Data from El Paso reveals long-term detention for individuals with pending local charges, while Harris County’s close ICE coordination accelerates transfers. Counties face rising costs associated with detainer holds despite limited state funding, adding pressure to already reduced budgets.

A Supreme Court ruling in Mullin v. Doe narrowed judicial review over decisions to terminate Temporary Protected Status, affecting large TPS communities in Texas, particularly Venezuelans. The decision strengthens the administration's ability to end TPS designations, creating fixed expiration dates for work authorization and heightening economic risks for Texas, where TPS holders contribute billions to GDP and fill critical labor shortages. Multiple TPS designations have already been terminated, and upcoming deadlines may affect Salvadoran and Haitian workers without updated federal guidance.

Texas hosts a record number of 2026 World Cup matches amid heightened anxiety over immigration enforcement, with federal officials signaling daily ICE and DHS presence at venues. Civil rights groups warn of potential rights violations, while Texas officials attempt to downplay risks despite recent state pressure on cities to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. U.S. travel bans and visa restrictions have affected fans and tournament participants, including the deportation of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan and visa-related hardships for supporters from several countries. Iran’s participation was complicated by geopolitical conflict and visa denials, forcing logistical adjustments and increased security for its matches.

USCIS issued a policy memorandum shifting adjustment of status from a routine process to a discretionary measure, potentially requiring many green‑card applicants to apply from abroad. The agency frames the move as a return to original legal intent, while offering exceptions for applicants providing economic benefit or serving national interests. Attorneys warn that students, visitors, and marriage‑based applicants with overstays face heightened risk, and that leaving the country could trigger multi‑year reentry bars. Texas immigrants are especially affected because all consular processing occurs through Ciudad Juárez, and many families include undocumented members. Advocates express concern that the changes endanger applicants from restricted‑travel countries and Afghans brought under temporary status. USCIS has not clarified key standards or how it will handle over a million pending applications, prompting continued uncertainty.

DACA renewal delays have grown significantly, leaving recipients at risk of losing work authorization despite filing on time, driven in part by expanded USCIS screening procedures. Texas, home to the second‑largest DACA population, faces additional complications due to a Fifth Circuit ruling restricting work permits and ongoing state efforts to curb benefits for undocumented residents. Rising arrests of DACA recipients and federal decisions confirming their vulnerability to removal add to uncertainty. Legislative fixes such as the Dream Act continue to stall, leaving Texas recipients dependent on a strained renewal process amid tightening state restrictions.

A group of House Democrats inspected the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley and called for its closure after observing distressed detained families, including a Venezuelan asylum-seeking family recently arrested by ICE. Lawmakers described the facility as abusive and inhumane, aligning with a Human Rights First and RAICES report urging an end to family detention. Population data shows fluctuating detainee numbers and a high number of recent deaths in ICE custody. CoreCivic, which runs the facility, defended its operations and financial performance despite public criticism and legislative pressure.

Texas’ repeal of the Texas Dream Act means the Class of 2026 includes the first undocumented students graduating without access to in-state tuition, resulting in significantly higher education costs and financial strain. The law was struck down after the Department of Justice and Texas officials coordinated a same-day consent judgment, prompting ongoing appeals centered on whether the policy constituted a residency-based education benefit. New statewide rules now require proof of lawful presence, despite the term’s absence from federal definitions, forcing many students into nonresident status. Tuition hikes have led to increased debt, reduced course loads, and some students leaving school altogether, while student-led and nonprofit fundraising efforts offer limited relief. Any forthcoming appellate ruling will come too late for affected 2026 graduates who already paid elevated nonresident rates.

Texas leadership escalated actions against Houston, Austin, and Dallas over local limits on cooperation with immigration authorities, threatening or freezing more than $200 million in grants and World Cup security funds. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Houston and launched investigations into local police policies, while Governor Greg Abbott issued demand letters requiring policy reversals. Cities amended their ordinances to reduce legal vulnerability but largely maintained new restrictions on detentions based on ICE administrative warrants. Ongoing conflicts over state laws, federal cooperation mandates, and 287(g) participation continue as lawsuits proceed and funding remains at risk.