(The Center Square) – In another immigration sweep in the largest city of Texas, 174 criminal illegal foreign nationals were deported to Mexico from Houston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office agents deported 174 “criminal aliens” to Mexico, including 24 gang members.

Combined, those deported were convicted of 610 criminal offenses, ICE said. Many were previously deported multiple times. When including previous deportations, the 174 deported last month were deported a total of 415 times, according to ICE records.

The most recent deportations occurred between March 17 and March 28.

Among their 610 convictions, two were for homicide; four were for rape or sexual assault; five for child sex offenses; 72 for aggravated assault or assault; 49 for theft; five for firearms; 83 for drug trafficking or drug possession; 146 for driving while intoxicated; eight for hit-and-run and 22 for human smuggling, ICE said.

“Many of the criminal aliens removed to Mexico during the two-week period have illegally entered the U.S. numerous times and been convicted of multiple criminal offenses,” ICE said.

Among the Mexican national “criminal aliens” deported were:

• A 36-year-old previously removed from the U.S. 39 times. His convictions include illegal entry, DWI, dangerous drugs, and fraud.
• A 48-year-old previously removed from the U.S. 13 times. His 25 criminal convictions include narcotics offenses, resisting arrest, identity theft, domestic violence, assault, battery, larceny, kidnapping, illegal entry, illegal reentry, and destruction of evidence.
• A 50-year-old documented Florencia 13 gang member previously removed from the U.S. eight times. His convictions include domestic violence, battery, possession of stolen property, drug possession, aggravated assault with a gun, and illegal entry.
• A 60-year-old previously removed from the U.S. seven times. His convictions include eight DWIs, assault and illegal reentry.
• A 46-year-old previously removed from the U.S. seven times. His convictions include three DWIs, multiple for illegal entry and reentry, obstruction, immigration fraud, narcotics possession, and burglary.

“This is just a small snapshot of the amazing work that the brave men and women at ICE do every day to enhance public safety in Southeast Texas,” ICE ERO Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said. “Each day they put their lives on the line to apprehend and remove dangerous criminal aliens, transnational gang members and foreign fugitives who have illegally entered the U.S. and are preying on innocent, hardworking Texans. Fueled by our unwavering commitment to protect the public from harm, and united in our determination to restore integrity to our nation’s system of laws, ICE will continue to aggressively pursue and remove anyone who threatens the safety of our communities and the national security of our country.”

The announcement comes after ICE ERO Houston agents arrested 646 illegal foreign nationals in a one-week targeted enforcement action last month, The Center Square reported.

Working with multiple federal, state and local law enforcement partners, ICE agents made the arrests including 543 who’d been charged or convicted of criminal offenses while in the country illegally, including seven documented gang members. The majority arrested, 140, were charged or convicted of an aggravated felony or other violent crimes like homicide, aggravated assault, or domestic violence, according to ICE records.

“In recent years, some of the world’s most dangerous fugitives, transnational gang members and criminal aliens have taken advantage of the crisis at our nation’s southern border to illegally enter the U.S.,” Bradford said. “After illegally entering the country, many of these criminal aliens have gone on to commit violent crime and reign terror on law-abiding residents.”

Their arrests, he said, sent a “resounding message to transnational criminal organizations everywhere that the law enforcement community in the Texas Gulf Coast is more united than ever and will not rest until we’ve eradicated these criminal elements from the country.”

The Trump administration has prioritized deporting the most violent offenders in what it hopes will be a mass deportation effort. Deportations are underway after a record more than 14 million foreign nationals illegally entered the U.S. under the Biden administration, The Center Square exclusively reported.

Under the Trump administration, illegal border crossings have dropped to record lows within two months of President Donald Trump being sworn into office.

(The Center Square) – A California man “angry with pharmacies” is accused of murdering a Walgreens employee Monday, days after the Luigi Mangione Act was filed with the state and drew scrutiny for invoking an alleged murderer’s name. 

Police say the suspect traveled to a Walgreens an hour from this home, did not know the victim and was apprehended as he was reloading his gun. 

At a press conference, Madera police said the alleged murderer had made “some statements about being angry with pharmacies.” ABC 30 reports that victim Erick Velazquez was not a pharmacist, and was a respected husband and father of two children. 

Just days before Velazquez’s death, the Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act was submitted as a statewide ballot initiative. Under the proposed measure, it would be more difficult for insurers to modify a physician-prescribed treatment plan, as only doctors would be able to deny, delay or modify medical procedures or medications.

The California Association of Health Plans, an industry association whose members cover tens of millions of Californians, told CBS 8 the measure’s proposed name was “repugnant.” Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 

“The lawyer behind this measure is trying to use a murder and act of terrorism to market his political agenda,” said CAHP. “It is a repugnant action by anyone, but especially someone sworn to uphold the Constitution and law.”

Walgreens issued a statement of support for Velazquez’s family, and a GoFundMe has been set up to support his wife and children amid their sudden loss.

(The Center Square) – The Texas House Committee on Public Education on Thursday passed a school choice bill for the first time in state history.

The committee, chaired by state Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Killeen, passed SB 2, filed by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, which passed the Texas Senate and was sent to the House for consideration. The legislation would create an Education Savings Account program to provide taxpayer-funded subsidies for primarily low-income families of roughly $10,000 per student.

Both the Texas Senate and House proposed budgets allocating $1 billion for the program to support roughly 100,000 students, prioritizing low-income and special needs students, The Center Square reported. The savings accounts can be used by parents to send their children to the school of their choice, including private schools.

The committee advanced the bill by a vote of 9-6. It also passed HB 2, a school funding bill filed by Buckley by a vote of 13-2. Buckley filed an education package, including HB 2, HB 3, the House version of SB 2, and HB 4, implementing public school assessment and accountability processes, The Center Square reported. 

The package was filed after House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, identified expanding public-school funding and creating the state’s first ESA program as legislative priorities. Public education and creating Texas’ first ESA were also identified as emergency legislative items by Gov. Greg Abbot. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick listed school choice as a legislative priority in the Texas Senate, which has passed school choice bills for several years that went nowhere in the Texas House.

Abbott praised the committee vote, saying, “Texas is within reach of the largest school choice program launch in the nation.” Abbott has led the charge to pass the bill after previous efforts failed in the House, including successfully campaigning last year to replace House Republicans who opposed the measure. Abbott’s efforts paid off. Many new House Republicans won their primary, runoff and general elections and were sworn into office in January, all vowing to vote for the bill.

The committee “moved universal school choice one step closer to reaching my desk,” Abbott said. “This achievement was truly a team effort. Chairman Brad Buckley and the members of his committee worked around-the-clock to hear public testimony that lasted for nearly 24 hours. I thank them, as well as Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, and Chairman Brandon Creighton, for their tireless work to empower Texas parents and students by providing school choice. I look forward to its swift passage in the Texas House and signing this bill into law.”

Earlier this year, Burrows said the bill would pass. He has joined Abbott at events promoting it, The Center Square reported.

According to a recent poll, a majority of registered voters surveyed in Texas, 63%, support a proposal to create Texas’ first Education Savings Account program, The Center Square reported.

Support exists across multiple demographics. The majority of Black respondents, 69%, white respondents, 62%, and Latino respondents, 59%, support an ESA program open to all students. Likewise, 78% of Republicans, 64% of Independents and 46% of Democrats support it.

A “Texas Trends” survey launched by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs and Texas Southern University also reported similar support. Of the nearly 2,300 Texans surveyed, 69% said they support an ESA program for all parents statewide, The Center Square reported.

“There is across-the-board support, not only across racial and partisan lines, but among urban, suburban and rural voters,” Jim Granato, dean and professor at the Hobby School, said. “Rural residents, and the legislators who represent them, have traditionally joined with urban Democrats to oppose voucher proposals, but we found 63% of respondents in rural and semi-rural areas support vouchers open to all families, along with 64% of suburban residents and 67% of urban residents.”

The ESA bill and other Buckley measures that passed will next go before the full House for a vote.