Texas-Mexico border already seeing big changes to illegal immigration after Trump's executive orders
Hours after being sworn in, President Trump fulfilled his campaign promises to crackdown on illegal immigration. The President declared an emergency at the southern border, and as a result, there have already been many changes to policy. At the Texas Capitol, a fight is brewing between Democrats and most Republicans after lawmakers proposed spending $1 billion on a school choice program that would give taxpayer money to students so they can attend public school. (Original air date: January 26, 2025.)
Trump declares national emergency at the southern border
As part of President Trump's emergency declaration at the southern border, the Pentagon sent 1,500 troops to El Paso, TX and San Diego, CA. It's considering sending as many as 10,000 troops to the southern border. They will help build more barriers there.
The military will also use its planes to deport migrants and use its bases to hold them. The White House Press Secretary released two photos Friday morning showing deportation flights on military aircraft had already begun.
The man who President Trump calls his Border Czar, Tom Homan, said last week that the emergency declaration has already had an impact. The number of apprehensions at the southern border dropped to 766 in one 24-hour period. He said that's down from an average of 10,000 to 12,000 apprehensions in the same time frame.
The Trump administration revoked a rule by the Biden administration that kept immigration authorities from making arrests at sensitive locations such as schools, houses of worship, and healthcare facilities. The non-profit group Children at Risk brought together advocates and immigration experts Thursday, and they believe the Trump administration's new policies could hurt children and their families.
Jessica Cisneros of the Texas Immigration Law Council said, "We're trying to tell folks don't be scared. Instead, be alert. Make sure that you're seeking out those trusted resources so that you can inform yourself and your family."
Homan said immigration authorities are targeting the most violent criminals first. Those who pose threats to national security and public safety.
Governor Greg Abbott wants Congress to pay back the State of Texas billions of dollars that it has spent to make its border with Mexico more secure. The Governor sent letters to Congressional leaders and to members of the Texas Congressional delegation. Abbott said he launched Operation Lone Star in 2021 because of the Biden administration's "failures" and says the state has spent more than $11 billion since then. Abbott is urging Congress to fully reimburse Texas taxpayers.
Texas Republicans in Congress praised Mr. Trump's policies. "I think we will see a dramatic decrease in the people that will even want to come across the border," said State Representative Keith Self.
"With Remain in Mexico, the Border Patrol told us months ago that if you simply establish that one policy, it would cut down on the flow by 60% to 70%. I am very positive that this will have a dramatic impact. So, there are twofold issues here: One is to stop the flow, stop the bleeding across the border. The second is the repatriations of the illegals that are in the nation. But for my constituents, for Texans, this is a return to common sense border policy across the United States."
Democratic Congresswoman Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch opposes much of what the President has ordered. "There's no dispute that our southern border needs attention," Johnson told Jack Fink in an interview.
"We can't have a free flow of people swimming the river and coming into this country via smugglers. In a legal way, the problem with what he did is by shutting down that app, for example, those are people who are trying to come here in a legal process, people who had waited six to eight months for an appointment to come to this country legally. That disincentivizes folks for illegal immigration, which I think is very disturbing and unfortunate."
Watch Jack's full interview with Representative Keith Self:
Watch Jack's full interview with Representative Julie Johnson:
School choice battle
At the Texas Capitol, the fight over taxpayer-funded education savings accounts is heating up after Republican lawmakers proposed spending $1 billion on the program. Some students would be given taxpayer money to attend private school. Democrats are vowing to fight.
On Friday, Senate Education Committee Chairman, Republican State Senator Brandon Creighton of Conroe, and eight other Senate Republicans introduced SB-2. It's a fully universal program, and students would receive as much as $10,000 a year if they select an accredited private school. Students with disabilities would receive $11,500 a year.
State Senator Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills (R) told CBS News Texas that he was pleased lawmakers proposed spending $1 billion. "I'm glad to see it at the $1 billion mark because I had heard numbers around $500 million to $700 million. The governor and I spoke a couple of weeks ago, and my concern that I expressed to him is that we've fought so hard for school choice."
Hancock told Jack, "I just want to make sure that it's robust enough that we address families that are interested in school choice. But we also have to be careful that we don't make it so large because we're just starting."
State Representative Mihaela Plesa of Dallas and Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus said she's not happy about the bill.
"It's going to be a billion-dollar fight," Plesa told Jack. "We need to make sure that when we're talking about taxpayer money, that's your money. That's our constituents, money that has accountability to it, that has some oversight to it, that we know what it's going to fund. We have seen that in other states these proposals tend to balloon after a couple of years."
Senate Education Committee Chair, Brandon Creighton told CBS News Texas that he believes the measure will pass. He told Jack he's "very confident" in the proposal.
"It's about the details, of course," said Creighton. "I think this bill again will be universal, it will be bigger, faster, stronger, better-funded, will serve more students, and I think the House and Senate will be surprisingly aligned on the bones and the structure of the bill itself."
This issue remains a top priority for Governor Abbott. He called the $1 billion amount "an excellent start."
Watch Jack Fink's full interview with Senator Kelly Hancock:
Watch Jack Fink's full interview with Representative Mihaela Plesa:
Watch Jack's full interview with Senator Brandon Creighton:
Front row seat to history at Trump Inauguration
President Trump is only the second in history to serve in two non-consecutive terms. Texans were among those who celebrated Trump's inauguration and the start of his second term. Pageantry, patriotism, and partying were all on display in Washington last week as President Trump entered office after making a political comeback.
Erika Hatfield, a Rockwall resident, said, "It has lived up to the hype, absolutely. It was exciting."
Marcia Strickler Watson of Austin agreed, saying, "The energy is something this trip that I've never seen before."
Hatfield and Strickler Watson traveled to the nation's Capitol to get a front-row seat to history. They attended the rally and parade for the president after he was sworn in.
Strickler Watson told CBS News Texas she liked Trump's cabinet members. "He has already put in a cabinet of very, very strong leaders. I ran into a few of them today, actually. And I look forward to seeing the changes that they make."
She and Hatfield said they are counting on the president to deliver what he promised during the campaign, especially when it comes to border security.
Hatfield said, "Deportations for Texas, that's really important. Deporting the criminals back to where they came from."
But aside from the history, they also came for the fun.
Hatfield said, "What girl is disappointed going to a ball?"
Strickler Watson said the various balls had a special meaning. "Celebrating for America, celebrating the President, celebrating the new leadership, the change."
Watch Jack's story on Texans at the Inauguration and rally:
