💧🇺🇸 Texas Senate Urges Trump to Demand Water From Mexico Amid Drought Crisis
🚨 U.S. Defends Migrant Detentions at Guantanamo Amid Legal Challenges 🚨 Panama Releases U.S. Deportees Amid Human Rights Scrutiny, Leaving Many in Legal Limbo
💧🇺🇸 Texas Senate Urges Trump to Demand Water From Mexico Amid Drought Crisis
Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune.- Texas senators advanced a resolution calling on the Trump administration to pressure Mexico to fulfill its water obligations under the 1944 water treaty, citing severe shortages affecting farmers, ranchers, and economic growth. Mexico owes over 1 million acre-feet of water, and State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa warned that the lack of compliance is stalling development in the Rio Grande Valley. State Sen. Charles Perry suggested leveraging the treaty in tariff negotiations, while experts estimate $993 million in economic losses annually due to irrigation shortfalls. Meanwhile, Texas cities seek alternative water sources as officials warn that municipal drinking water could be at risk.
🚍⚖️ Greg Abbott's Expanding Authority: Paving the Way for Trump's Mass Deportation Plan
Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker.- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has transformed his state into a national testing ground for Trump’s mass deportation strategy, wielding unprecedented executive power. His $11 billion Operation Lone Star deployed state troopers and the National Guard to enforce immigration laws, erecting barriers, detaining migrants, and clashing with federal agencies. Abbott’s controversial migrant busing program reshaped national immigration politics, overwhelming cities like New York and Chicago and pressuring Democrats to back stricter border policies. Now, with Trump in the White House, Abbott’s Senate Bill 4 grants state officers the power to arrest and deport migrants, a move that defies federal immigration authority and is expected to fuel large-scale removals. As Trump’s top ally on immigration enforcement, Abbott is leveraging Texas’s role to demand federal reimbursement for his border policies, further solidifying his influence in national politics.
🚨 U.S. Defends Migrant Detentions at Guantanamo Amid Legal Challenges
Morgan Lee, Associated Press.- The Biden administration disclosed that 40 migrants from 27 countries are currently detained at Guantanamo Bay, with 23 labeled “high risk” and held in individual cells. Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, are suing the Trump administration to block the transfer of migrants to the naval base, arguing that many detainees lack criminal records and are being subjected to harsh conditions.
Justice Department attorneys defended ICE’s authority to detain individuals at Guantanamo, emphasizing that it is not obligated to use the least expensive or simplest option for mass deportation efforts. The administration also admitted legal counsel visits are not allowed, and some detainees have been placed in restraints after self-harm threats.
Trump previously vowed to expand the facility to hold up to 30,000 migrants, and flights began in February, with nearly 200 Venezuelans already deported. Critics argue this move is meant to deter migration, but immigration officials insist that migrants are treated with dignity and provided food, medical care, and limited phone access. A court hearing is expected to determine the fate of the controversial policy.
🚨 Panama Releases U.S. Deportees Amid Human Rights Scrutiny, Leaving Many in Legal Limbo
*Megan Janetsky, Alma Solís, and Matías Delacroix, Associated Press.- Dozens of migrants deported from the U.S. were released in Panama on Saturday after weeks of international human rights criticism over their detention in remote camps with limited resources. Authorities have given them 30 days to leave the country, leaving many in legal uncertainty with no clear destination.
The released migrants include people from Afghanistan, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal, and other nations, many of whom fled violence, persecution, or political repression. Among them is Hayatullah Omagh, a 29-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who fears being killed by the Taliban if forced to return home.
Panama’s move comes after a deal with the Trump administration that sought to speed up deportations by sending migrants to Panama and Costa Rica as temporary holding locations before repatriation. Human rights groups argue this policy exports the U.S. deportation process and creates “black holes” for deportees with little legal recourse.
While Panama says migrants can apply for an extension, many have no viable options. Some, like a Chinese woman, vowed to continue their journey north, determined to reach the United States despite the setback of deportation.
🚨 Tijuana’s Casa del Migrante Faces May Closure as U.S. Donations Freeze Amid Funding Crisis
Ernesto Eslava, Zeta Tijuana.- The Casa del Migrante in Tijuana may shut down in May due to a severe funding shortfall, as U.S.-based foundations have halted donations amid policy shifts under President Donald Trump. The shelter, which provides food and housing to deported migrants in Colonia La Postal, relies on private and institutional donations that have now dwindled.
Director Pat Murphy warns that the shelter will exhaust its reserves without new financial support. The monthly operating cost is approximately $40,000, mainly covering wages, food, and utilities. Funding cuts from CRS, UNHCR, and UNICEF have worsened the crisis.
Murphy criticized the Mexican government’s focus on deported nationals while neglecting broader migration issues in Baja, California. He has launched a fundraising campaign, urging donors to contribute cash rather than food. Without immediate support, the closure of multiple migrant shelters in Mexico is expected by midyear.