Week of Aug. 24-27

Border barrier construction halted in Big Bend

Amidst mounting public outcry, the federal government last week halted construction of border barriers through state park property in far West Texas, The Texas Tribune reported.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodeny Scott personally stopped construction until he could visit the region.

Hundreds of people showed up at the annual meeting of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, gathering outside its headquarters in what resembled a tailgate party.

The federal government already has sent bulldozers into Big Bend National Park

Among those trying to rally people to the cause was former Republican Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson.  “I have yet to encounter anybody in the Big Bend area who does not oppose a wall,” he said.

While Big Bend is a national park, several state parks could be affected by attempts to build border barriers, including Big Bend State Park and Seminole Canyon State Park.

TPWD chair Paul Foster addressed the concerns of those attending the annual meeting.

“I think we agree with most of you and are working with the governor’s office and the federal government,” he said. “Our goal is to minimize damage to the ecosystem and the natural beauty of not only the parks, but the whole area.”

Abbott proposes extending ban on H-1B visas

Gov. Greg Abbott last week proposed extending a ban on H-1B visas used to hire foreign workers to all Texas public school employees, The Texas Tribune reported. A similar ban is already in place for Texas universities. The governor says he will push for legislation to ensure “exactly zero” of Texas school employers are in the state on federal visas.

“We’re tired of the federal government not putting limits on who can come in under H-1Bs, and because of the federal government’s failure to control H-1B visas, Texas is having to put our foot down, and that means making some tough decisions,” Abbott said.

Texas school districts employ more educators holding H-1B visas than any other state, according to an analysis from the National Education Association. Dallas ISD leads in the number of educators hired with H-1B visas at 171.

The policy change would require legislation to pass during the next regular session of the Texas Legislature, which begins in January.

Patrick threatens schools who retain ‘inappropriate’ books

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick threatened last week to lower ratings of schools who do not pull books marked as “inappropriate,” The Dallas Morning News reported.

“We’re coming for the books,” Patrick said in a message to superintendents. “We ask that you do it on your own and remove these books.”

Patrick controls the state Senate agenda and says school districts may eventually face funding cuts if those books remain in school libraries. He did not say how that would occur.

Abbott last year signed a bill into law that gives school boards the authority to pull books from school libraries if parents or members of the public believe they are indecent or profane. Patrick said new penalties are necessary because school districts are not complying.

Democrats have said stricter oversight over books in school libraries threatens local control and access to books.

Up to 25,000 plugged oil and gas wells could fail, group warns

A new watchdog group’s analysis of Texas oil and gas well data claims 25,000 plugged wells across the state are at risk of failure, threatening to contaminate the aquifers many communities rely upon for their water supply, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The number of so-called “zombie wells” — plugged wells that rise from the dead — is about 50 times higher than previously reported.

Leaking zombie wells are a growing problem in Texas oil fields as a growing number of plugged wells fail, sending toxic wastewater up to the surface and contaminating aquifers.

The group, Future Heist, has created an interactive map to identify the wells at risk.

The group scraped state websites for information. It assigned each well a score based on several factors: the well plug’s age, well construction quality, compliance history and its proximity to oil and gas wastewater injection. All the information is publicly available on websites belonging to the Texas Railroad Commission.

“I spent fifteen years reporting on what oil and gas did to Texas, and the facts were always right there in the public record — just buried where no one could use them,” Saul Elbein, Future Heist’s director, said in a statement. “Future Heist digs them out and makes them impossible to ignore, so people can see what was done to them and decide what comes next.” 

Texas crime rate falls for third straight year

The state’s crime rate has declined for the past three years, according to data released by the Texas Department of Public Safety, including by 13% in 2025. The crime rate peaked in 2022 at 2,830.14 offenses per 100,000 people and has declined each year since.

Overall, the violent crime rate is down 13.19% from 2024. The property crime rate is down 13.31% for the same period.

Abbott touted anti-crime measures taken during recent legislative sessions.

“We passed the toughest bail reform package in state history, backed law enforcement, and targeted violent repeat offenders,” he said.

Smuggled Texas fuel is bankrolling cartels

Fuel smuggling has likely surpassed narcotics as the Mexican drug cartels’ leading income source, according to DPS and reported by the Houston Chronicle.  DPS reports the cartels smuggle fuel worth $12 billion to $17 billion a year from Texas into Mexico.

“Fuel trafficking is a threat that is operating in plain sight,” Col. Freeman Martin, the department’s director, told the state Senate Select Committee on Homeland and Border Security. “They’re loading fuel trucks …. or any container you can think of and hauling it south.”

Cartels have been known to drive empty trucks into Texas and fill them up with legally purchased and tax-free fuel from licensed terminals. The trucks are then driven to unregulated fuels sites, where cheaper products are blended into the fuel. Customs documents are forged or changed, and the fuel is taken to Mexico, Martin said.

One possible solution is to make it illegal for trucks carrying hazardous materials to deviate from pre-planned routes or to carry more than 80,000 pounds, according to state and industry officials.

Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.