🛑🕊️ Trump Releases $47M in Refugee Funds to Texas After Legal Battle
⚖️🚨 Texas Makes First Abortion Arrests Since Ban, Targets Midwife and Clinic Staff 👨👩👧👧🕊️ Detained Father of Three in Colony Ridge Hopes for Bond to Rejoin Family
🛑🕊️ Trump Releases $47M in Refugee Funds to Texas After Legal Battle
Dion Nissenbaum, Houston Landing.- The Trump administration has released $47 million in previously frozen refugee resettlement funds following a lawsuit by Catholic Charities Fort Worth and other advocacy groups. The funding halt had left more than 100,000 refugees in Texas without critical support, leading to layoffs of 750 staff across 24 agencies, eviction threats, and a 64% drop in service capacity. Refugees from countries like Afghanistan, Cuba, and Ukraine were significantly impacted. The administration’s freeze, part of broader efforts to curb immigration support, had halted short-term medical aid, English classes, job placement, and housing assistance. While the lawsuit succeeded in restoring funds, immigrant aid groups fear ongoing instability as the administration continues reshaping federal refugee programs. Anjum Malik of the Global Impact Initiative called the release “a short-term relief” amid an uncertain future. Catholic Charities had requested funding 14 times without response before suing the federal government and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Key Points:
$47M in refugee resettlement funds released to Texas after lawsuit.
Catholic Charities Fort Worth led legal challenge after repeated funding denials.
Aid freeze triggered layoffs, halted services, and led to refugee evictions.
Over 100,000 refugees in Texas were left without financial or housing assistance.
Trump’s broader efforts to cut immigration support remain a major concern.
Future of refugee services remains uncertain despite funding resumption.
Texas exited federal refugee resettlement program in 2016; nonprofits stepped in.
Resumed funding expected to stabilize services temporarily, but long-term aid is unclear.
⚖️🚨 Texas Makes First Abortion Arrests Since Ban, Targets Midwife and Clinic Staff
Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune.- Texas officials arrested a licensed midwife and her employee—the first criminal charges filed under the state’s near-total abortion ban—after a monthlong attorney general investigation. Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, and Jose Ley, 29, face charges of illegal abortion and practicing medicine without a license. Rojas, known as “Dr. Maria,” ran clinics in Waller, Cypress, and Spring. The state alleges she and Ley performed unauthorized abortions and misrepresented credentials. A third person, Rubildo Labanino Matos, faces conspiracy charges. The investigation began with a tip to the Health and Human Services Commission and uncovered abortion-inducing pills, ultrasounds, and medical tools. One patient said she trusted Rojas’ advice that her pregnancy was likely nonviable. Rojas and Ley face bonds totaling $700,000 each. Supporters claim Rojas served a vulnerable population and deny wrongdoing. The arrests highlight Texas' aggressive enforcement of abortion restrictions amid political and legal scrutiny.
👨👩👧👧🕊️ Detained Father of Three in Colony Ridge Hopes for Bond to Rejoin Family
Eileen Grench, Houston Landing.- Erik Payán, a longtime Texas resident and father of three, will appear in immigration court Thursday morning in Conroe to seek bond following his February arrest by ICE during a mass immigration raid in Colony Ridge. The 51-year-old tire shop owner, with no criminal record, has lived in the U.S. for over two decades and is the sole provider for his family, which includes a daughter with disabilities and a granddaughter with a heart condition. His wife, Alejandrina Morales, has rallied community support to raise money for a potential bond, hosting raffles and lotería games. Only two of the 118 people detained in the raid have been confirmed to face criminal charges. Payán’s lawyer, Silvia Mintz, says he poses no flight risk and qualifies for legal status adjustment. The outcome of Thursday’s hearing could determine whether Payán is home for his daughter’s birthday—or remains detained far from his family.
Key Points:
Erik Payán arrested during Feb. 24 ICE raid in Colony Ridge; no criminal record.
Family struggling financially; daughters managing tire shop from home.
Payán’s bond hearing set for 8 a.m. Thursday in Conroe immigration court.
Only 2 of 118 detainees in the raid confirmed to face criminal charges.
Lawyer seeks bond based on Payán’s strong community ties and eligibility for legal status.
Family has raised $2,775 via GoFundMe, but most used for essential expenses.
ICE cites ongoing investigation into Payán and his business.
Family hopeful judge will grant bond before daughter’s birthday on March 21.
⚖️ Judge Blasts Trump Administration Over Deportation Flights, Threatens Contempt
Alan Feuer, New York Times.- In a scathing order, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg demanded the Trump administration explain why it should not be held in contempt for ignoring his ruling to return two deportation flights carrying Venezuelan immigrants. Boasberg, who had paused the deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, called the government’s recent filings “woefully insufficient” and criticized officials for stonewalling and providing vague data about the flight departures. He ordered a sworn declaration by Friday and answers by Tuesday on whether the administration will invoke state secrets to justify its actions. The case has become a legal flashpoint, highlighting concerns over executive overreach and the controversial use of an 18th-century wartime law to bypass due process. The administration has faced backlash for allegedly deporting immigrants based on unverified tattoos, including those symbolizing soccer teams and family tributes. Chief Justice John Roberts reportedly rebuked Trump’s push to impeach Boasberg, defending judicial independence.
⚖️ Family of DEA Agent 'Kiki' Camarena Sues Cartel Under New Terrorist Designation
Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune – Nearly 40 years after DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and killed in Mexico, his family is suing cartel leaders in San Diego federal court under the Anti-Terrorism Act, now made applicable by President Trump’s recent designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
The civil suit targets Rafael Caro Quintero, convicted in Mexico for Camarena’s murder and recently extradited to the U.S., as well as former Guadalajara cartel bosses Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo and Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. The Sinaloa cartel, considered a successor of the defunct Guadalajara cartel, is also named.
Camarena’s widow, Geneva “Mika” Camarena, said Trump’s designation “finally allows my family and me to seek justice.” Filed by the firm Motley Rice, which also represents 9/11 victims’ families, the lawsuit seeks triple damages for the Camarena family.
Enrique Camarena, a Marine veteran and former Calexico police officer, was abducted in 1985 in Guadalajara and murdered after a DEA-linked raid on a massive marijuana plantation. The lawsuit, blending criminal history with evolving national security frameworks, marks the first time such a case proceeded under the new terrorism classification of Mexican cartels.
“This fight is for Kiki,” said his sister, Myrna Camarena. “Justice is long overdue.”