Texas Tribune: Congressional Inaction Leaves Border Communities Hoping for Funds Congress left towns and counties on the Texas-Mexico border hanging last week when it adjourned without sending a supplemental budget measure to the president. The local governments have used their own resources since last spring to care for thousands of undocumented immigrants flooding into their communities from Cen... Read more »

WOAI: Dynamic of Immigration Crisis Changing as Shelters Close Posted Tuesday, August 5th 2014 @ 6am The closing of shelters for illegal immigrant unaccompanied minor children at Lackland Air Force Base and elsewhere show the changing dynamics of the months long border crossing crisis, officials tell News Radio 1200 WOAI. U.S. Rep Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo), who has been a leader in this issue, says... Read more »

Texas Dem. warns partisan battle over border aid 'could be just a warmup' U.S. Border Patrol agents load a group of adult and minor immigrants onto a van near Anzalduas Park, southwest of McAllen, on June 11. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar warned agencies dealing with the border influx will have to make "some painful choices" since Congress didn't pass a bill to send them aid before it went to recess. WA... Read more »

Tonight, the House of Representatives passed border supplemental funding that gives state and local governments and law enforcement affected by the current border crisis the opportunity to apply for reimbursements. Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) worked to include this provision in the bill and last week sent a letter to the Appropriations Committee and the Federal Emergency Management Agency r... Read more »

Dems criticize 'lawless' Texas militias By Mike Lillis - 08/01/14 09:18 AM EDT Texas Democrats are pushing back against armed militias gathering at the southern border. In a letter to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the lawmakers warn that the presence of the vigilantes — many clad in military-style fatigues and carrying assault rifles — will only exacerbate the problems facing authorities, as... Read more »

Do something The U.S. Capitol Building stands in Washington, D.C., U.S., before sunrise on Tuesday, July 29, 2014. Democrats in Congress are trying again to prevent the federal government from awarding contracts to companies that save taxes by moving their legal addresses outside the U.S. So-called inversions are transactions in which a U.S. company shifts its legal address to a country such as Ir... Read more »

Do border apprehensions drop during the summer? July 31, 2014 | Updated: July 31, 2014 7:58pm DAMIAN DOVARGANES, AP In recent weeks, the White House has cited a drop in the number of illegal immigrants apprehended at the border as possible evidence that its efforts to stem the influx of Central Americans are working. Shortly before Gov. Rick Perry announced last week he was sending the National Gu... Read more »

Following Rep. Cuellar’s letter last week to the Appropriations Committee requesting reimbursements for local communities, the Appropriations Committee today introduced legislation to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border that provides the ability for local governments to apply for reimbursement. “I thank Chairman Hal Rogers, Chairman John Carter, and the Committee for working wit... Read more »

Cornyn Demands Action On Border Bill Posted Wednesday, July 30th 2014 @ 5am by KTRH’s Corey Olson Texas Senator JohnCornynis calling out Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) as time is running short for Congress to pass a bill to fix the crisis at the southern border. At a Tuesday news conference on Capitol Hill, Cornyn said there is bipartisan support in both the House and Senate for the bill... Read more »

Crossing the Line: Government, charitable groups respond to border crisis — an analysis Nannette Kilbey-Smith Wilson County News July 30, 2014 The stream of undocumented immigrants crossing into the United States from Central and South America shows no sign of abating; with many of the undocumented immigrants already here, the question is no longer about stemming the tide, but how to care for tho... Read more »