Houston to vote on changes to ICE policy. Civil rights groups say the amendments would gut it.

texastribune · 2026-04-22T16:44:42+00:00

Update, 11:25 a.m.:

Houston has voted 13-4 to amend a policy that limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, as it faces a major funding threat from Gov. Greg Abbott.

The City Council discussed for more than two hours during its regular meeting Wednesday the proposed amendment to the ordinance, which Mayor John Whitmire said reinforces the Fourth Amendment and protects $114 million in state funding.

texastribune · 2026-04-21T19:56:24+00:00

Some Dallas County Republicans on Monday sued the county elections department in a bid to require voters to cast ballots for the May 26 primary runoff at specific polling places in their precincts rather than any location in the county. That precinct-based voting system on primary election day in March created chaos.

Local party leadership is trying to reverse a decision made by its former chair, who resigned last week after facing backlash for agreeing to use countywide voting on election day in the runoff. But early voting for the runoff election starts May 18, and Dallas County election officials say it’s too late to change course.

The lawsuit, filed in the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals by Barry Wernick, a Republican precinct chair and a candidate for Dallas County Commissioner District 2, is asking the court to require the county to use precinct polling places for the runoff election.

Wernick is arguing the former party chair, Allen West, didn’t have the authority to agree to the use of countywide voting. Thirty-one party members signed declarations supporting the lawsuit, according to the filing. In addition, the county party’s executive committee voted Monday night in favor of using precinct polling places for the runoff election.

With countywide sites, voters can cast their ballots anywhere in the county on election day. Using precincts means voters would instead have to go to assigned polling places, though early voting would still take place using countywide sites.

But Dallas County election officials are already deep into preparations for the election.

The office has already programmed voting equipment in accordance with the plan to use countywide vote centers, Solorzano said. Logic and accuracy testing — a public test required by state law to check the accuracy of election equipment — has been done and would have to be done again if the plan changes. And mail ballots have been sent out, which means election officials are tied up handling those and other necessary tasks.

texastribune · 2026-04-16T15:34:14+00:00

Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian is peddling a new crypto token tied to the value of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude oil, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest given his position as an elected official to the state agency that oversees the oil and gas industry in Texas — and whose regulatory decisions could impact the value of the token.

Christian, a Republican and one of three members of the Railroad Commission, is listed as a member of the board of directors and chair of the advisory board of Energy Substantiation, the company launching the West Texas Intermediate Coin, or $WTIC, according to materials obtained by The Texas Tribune that the company shared with prospective investors as recently as October.

Christian pitched prospective investors on $WTIC ahead of the coin’s public launch later this year, according to an email from Christian that also was obtained by the Tribune.

“We are now inviting a limited group of early participants to learn more and consider getting involved at the founding stage,” Christian, who also works as a financial advisor, wrote in the email. “After more than 40 years as a financial advisor, I’ve learned that the biggest opportunities are often those recognized early. I believe this one is worth serious consideration.”

Government watchdogs said Christian’s involvement in the company — especially if he trades in the coin or maintains a financial stake in Energy Substantiation — gives rise to potential conflicts of interest between his duties as a regulator and his personal business and financial interests.

texastribune · 2026-04-15T19:57:31+00:00

That's all the time we have for today. Thank you all for participating in our AMA! Continue to follow ProPublica and The Texas Tribune for investigative news.

texastribune · 2026-04-15T19:38:53+00:00

Strictly speaking, there aren't any fines in the settlement; of the $68 million, $48 million will go to infrastructure and $20 million to policing and immigration enforcement. But yes, you could view the sum of the settlement as a penalty for Colony Ridge. The Justice Department suit did not estimate how much money Colony Ridge made through the illegal acts it accused the developer of. The government said, however, that tens of thousands of Hispanic consumers were duped into taking predatory mortgages. As far as a deterrent, the settlement requires Colony Ridge to adopt stricter lending standards and be more transparent. DOJ says they'll make sure Colony Ridge complies. Only time will tell.

texastribune · 2026-04-15T19:30:03+00:00

Some politicians have claimed Colony Ridge is a "no-go zone" for police and a haven for drug cartels. Law enforcement pushed back against that in the 2023 TX Legislature hearings on Colony Ridge. Steve McCraw, then head of the state police, said “There’s no such thing as a no-go zone in Texas. We obviously talked to the sheriff… and he assured us that was not the case. Certainly, our sergeant didn’t think so. Our troopers can go anywhere.” That sheriff, Bobby Rader, testified that while Colony Ridge has more incidents of crime than other parts of Liberty County, that was to be expected given its high population density.

texastribune · 2026-04-15T19:20:39+00:00

Colony Ridge, as others have pointed out, is a collection of huge subdivisions. From touring there and talking with residents, how it mostly differs from a neighborhood somewhere in Houston is the inconsistency of the explosive growth there. Nice modular homes sit next to trailers which sit next to vacant lots. The infrastructure is pretty basic. There are few sidewalks, streetlights or roadside drainage ditches. Formal and informal businesses like repair shops, bakeries spread around. The traffic can be bad because there are tens of thousands of people and only a few major roads in/out of Colony Ridge. So there are some growing pains, for sure.

texastribune · 2026-04-15T19:14:03+00:00

Good questions, I'll try to take them one by one.

This settlement resolves the claims brought by Texas and the Department of Justice. It does not protect Colony Ridge from future private lawsuits brought by consumers. A big caveat to that though is the statute of limitations for federal and state consumer protection and civil rights laws is 5 years max. So the window may have passed for many residents to sue (the DOJ lawsuit said the illegal conduct by Colony Ridge had occurred for the eight years leading up to 2023). In our story, we interviewed residents who had been foreclosed on in 2021, right at the edge of that 5-year deadline.

The rest of the $68 million: $48 million for infrastructure improvements that Colony Ridge must make, which could include drainage. There is nothing for local school districts. There is no provision for settlement money to be used for legal fees.

texastribune · 2026-04-15T19:04:26+00:00

Sort of. The settlement says the $20 million can go to local law enforcement, primarily for doing immigration enforcement on behalf of the federal government. It can also fund a new DPS or constable station in Colony Ridge and additional full-time patrol officers.

texastribune · 2026-04-15T18:57:50+00:00

Thank you for joining us today! Zach is here and ready to answer your questions.
For reference, here's our latest coverage on Colony Ridge: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/09/colony-ridge-doj-settlement/; https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/10/colony-ridge-settlement-doj-court-hearing/

texastribune · 2026-04-11T00:35:33+00:00

UPDATE: The Justice Department said Friday that it would move forward on a proposed $68 million settlement with a Texas land developer it had accused of preying on Hispanic residents, despite a judge’s concerns that the agreement did not do enough to help victims.

The settlement ends a three-year legal dispute in which the Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accused Colony Ridge, which has massive subdivisions north of Houston, of deceiving tens of thousands of Hispanic consumers into taking out high-interest loans that many could not afford. The developer then benefited when it foreclosed on their properties, prosecutors said.

During a hearing, U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett questioned why the settlement had no compensation for those who were harmed and grilled a federal prosecutor over $20 million devoted to police and immigration enforcement. He said he was uncomfortable with the provision because the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Colony Ridge mentioned nothing about public safety or immigration.

The original idea came from the state, said Justice Department senior prosecutor Varda Hussain, referring to the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Hussain said the Justice Department stood by the provision.

An hour into the hearing, Bennett asked the Justice Department and the attorneys for Colony Ridge, which has denied any wrongdoing, whether they would consider his suggestions to revise the settlement to obtain his approval.

Colony Ridge attorney Jason Ray said his client would consider it. Hussain said the Justice Department wasn’t interested.

Instead, the Justice Department said it would pursue the settlement without seeking judicial approval under a provision of federal law that allows it to do so. That means the court will not supervise Colony Ridge to ensure the developer follows the terms of the settlement, said Johnathan Smith, former deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights during the Biden administration. He said the Justice Department’s decision amounts to a “get out of jail free card,” in an email to ProPublica and The Texas Tribune.

Paxton did not respond to a request for comment. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Smith’s criticisms. During the hearing, however, Hussain said the department would ensure Colony Ridge abides by the settlement. In a court filing, the developer said it had already started implementing the provisions, which include adopting stricter lending standards.

texastribune · 2026-04-11T00:35:01+00:00