🌧️ Three dead and 200+ rescued after historic floods devastate South Texas border towns
🇺🇸🧹 DEI Purge Removes Medal of Honor Hero Freddy Gonzalez From Naval History Website 🏚️📉 San Diego Migrant Shelters Shutter Amid Trump Immigration Crackdown and Funding Cuts
🌧️ Three dead and 200+ rescued after historic floods devastate South Texas border towns
Valerie Gonzalez, Associated Press, and Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune.- Severe storms across South Texas left at least three people dead and triggered hundreds of water rescues across Hidalgo and Cameron counties. Harlingen was hit hardest with a record-breaking 21.5 inches of rain, while cities like Alamo and Weslaco saw massive flooding, prompting officials to declare disasters and open emergency shelters. A vehicle suspected of human smuggling plunged into a canal in Edcouch as Border Patrol approached, resulting in at least one death. Power outages, airport closures, and canceled school classes followed the historic deluge, with local leaders warning that the danger isn’t over.
🚨🌊 Suspected Smuggler Drowns in Edcouch Canal While Fleeing Border Patrol Amid South Texas Flooding
Staff Report, Border News Wire.- A suspected human smuggler drowned Friday morning after attempting to evade U.S. Border Patrol agents in Edcouch, Texas. According to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the incident occurred around 10:15 a.m. when agents approached a vehicle stopped on a flooded road. The driver, believed to be involved in alien smuggling, tried to flee by driving through floodwaters but instead plunged into a nearby canal. The man, who has not yet been publicly identified, drowned, and his body has since been recovered. Another passenger in the vehicle is still missing, and search and recovery operations are ongoing. The tragic event comes as South Texas communities grapple with historic flooding, which has prompted hundreds of rescues and significant disruption across the Rio Grande Valley. Border enforcement operations continue despite the extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
🇺🇸🧹 DEI Purge Removes Medal of Honor Hero Freddy Gonzalez From Naval History Website
Francisco E. Jimenez, The Monitor.- Edinburg native and Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Alfredo “Freddy” Gonzalez has been quietly removed from at least one U.S. military website as part of President Donald Trump’s directive to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across federal agencies. The Naval History and Heritage Command’s website, once featuring Gonzalez’s story, now displays a notice citing compliance with a recent executive order. The purge, initiated in January, has eliminated thousands of images and profiles highlighting minority service members, including content related to the Tuskegee Airmen and Jackie Robinson—though some of those have been reinstated. Gonzalez’s legacy is still recognized on the official U.S. Marine Corps website and memorialized in Edinburg through a school, a roadway, and the USS Gonzalez. Trump’s DEI rollback has drawn sharp criticism for erasing minority contributions from official narratives.
Key Facts:
Sgt. Alfredo “Freddy” Gonzalez was a Medal of Honor recipient from Edinburg, Texas
He died in Vietnam in 1968 protecting fellow Marines
The Naval History and Heritage Command removed his webpage under Trump’s DEI purge
Trump’s January executive order eliminated DEI programs and related online content
Over 100,000 images and profiles have reportedly been deleted
Gonzalez’s profile still appears on the U.S. Marine Corps website
He is honored by the USS Gonzalez and landmarks in Edinburg
No comment from DoD or Naval History officials regarding the removal
🏚️📉 San Diego Migrant Shelters Shutter Amid Trump Immigration Crackdown and Funding Cuts
Alexandra Mendoza, The San Diego Union-Tribune.- Major migrant shelters in San Diego are closing or laying off staff as a result of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, including the cancellation of CBP One appointments and freezes on foreign aid. Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Catholic Charities, and Jewish Family Service — key shelter providers — have suspended operations or issued layoff notices affecting nearly 200 workers. Casa del Migrante in Tijuana, which relies on U.S.-linked funding, is also at risk of closure. Migrant crossings in the San Diego sector have dropped 95% from last year, with CBP redirecting resources and closing soft-sided processing centers. Border volunteers are packing up, citing the end of visible migrant flows. Advocates warn that the closures are eroding a critical safety net for asylum seekers and deportees, many of whom now face increased vulnerability. Local leaders vow to reopen shelters if needed, but funding and federal policy remain significant obstacles.
Key Facts:
Closures: Major shelters run by Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Catholic Charities, and Jewish Family Service are closing.
Layoffs: Combined, Catholic Charities and JFS will lay off ~188 employees by end of April 2025.
Reason: Trump administration ended CBP One asylum appointments and froze foreign aid funding.
Casa del Migrante (Tijuana): Lost 40% of its U.S. funding; now reliant on savings, facing financial uncertainty.
Border crossings: Down 95% in San Diego sector since February 2024.
CBP action: Closed soft-sided migrant processing facilities in Otay Mesa, citing low encounter numbers.
FEMA Funds: Jewish Family Service still hasn't received its $20M FEMA reimbursement.
Military presence: U.S. Marines added 6 miles of concertina wire in San Ysidro to deter crossings.
Community response: Volunteers are packing up supply stations, citing no crossings since Feb. 15, 2025.
Long-term uncertainty: Shelters say closures are suspensions and may reopen if need resurfaces.