Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) announced that Starr County has received $1.2 million in federal funds from the Department of Homeland Security’s Stonegarden program to support local law enforcement for equipment and over-time pay.  Statewide, Texas received $20 million in law enforcement funding of the $55 Million nationwide. “These additional funds will help reimburse… Read more »

Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) announced that Webb County has received $2.89 million in federal funds from the Department of Homeland Security’s Stonegarden program to support local law enforcement for equipment and over-time pay.  Statewide, Texas received $20 million in law enforcement funding of the $55 Million nationwide. “These additional funds will help reimburse… Read more »

The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office is planning to sit down with Border Patrol to figure out how to divide money between local police departments and county constables. There is about $1.3 million less to divide up this fiscal year than last. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security awarded Hidalgo County with more than $4.6 million. This year they awarded just $3.3… Read more »

Tras una charla con el congresista Henry Cuéllar, él asevera que el reembolso derivado de los gastos por la ayuda humanitaria para la ciudad de McAllen y otras entidades del Valle del Río Grande se encuentra en el limbo. Meses atrás, Cuéllar había anunciado que McAllen era elegible para solicitar fondos federales para reembolsar los más de 300 mil dólares que han gastado para ayudar a… Read more »

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) joined Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX), Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), and Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) in efforts to give states more flexibility in how they use federal transportation funds, allowing them to invest more into border infrastructure. Reps. Hurd, McCaul, and Cuellar introduced H.R. 3181 in the House, and Sen. Cornyn worked to include similar… Read more »

State Sen. Juan Hinojosa says the city of McAllen and Hidalgo County will get reimbursed for the monies they spent last year providing humanitarian relief to undocumented refugees from Central America. Hinojosa said that as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Finance he was able to add language to the new state budget to make sure homeland security federal funds can be passed on by the… Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX), working with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX), announced today the introduction of legislation which will give states more flexibility in how they use federal transportation funds, allowing them to invest more into border infrastructure. “This is an important bill, one that will undoubtedly… Read more »

We have seen substantial progress in some aspects of reforming our nation’s broken immigration system. It is in no way complete and we continue to lament the fact that Congress refuses to take up this issue in its entirety.   For the past year, The Monitor’s Editorial Board has dissected pieces of this complicated issue and offered various suggestions and solutions. We are… Read more »

We could soon see progress on a pressing economic issue that would benefit Texas and the rest of the nation immensely — the lifting of the oil export ban.   “The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will meet within the next two weeks to consider lifting the 40-year-old ban on exporting crude oil,” The Hill newspaper reported on Friday. “Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska,… Read more »

In light of the tragic death of Kate Steinle, who was killed by an illegal immigrant in San Francisco, Congress is debating legislation to deal with so-called sanctuary cities. The thought was that these local ordinances would allow illegal immigrants to report crimes without fear of deportation. Well, this skirting of federal immigration law has reaped some awful results. Yesterday, the… Read more »