Joaquin Castro

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association are each sending $1 million to support Gina Hinojosa's challenge to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, according to The New York Times. The infusion is significant for Hinojosa, whose campaign had only about $4 million on hand at the end of last month. The move follows pressure from prominent Latino Democrats, including Rep. Joaquin Castro, who pushed the DGA to treat the race as competitive.

Hinojosa's bid has been somewhat overshadowed by Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, who has raised more than $70 million against Republican Ken Paxton and is seen as a national fundraising star. Democrats haven't won a statewide race in Texas since 1994, and the governor's mansion has been held by Republicans since Ann Richards left office in 1995. Castro argued that winning the governor's race is the only way to stop Texas Republicans from attempting another congressional redistricting before 2028, telling the Times, "Gina is right there."

A protest against a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in San Antonio began and ended at Davis Middle School, part of the San Antonio Independent School District. The "March for Freedom and Justice" was organized by the Bexar County Democratic Party and drew more than 100 participants, including U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert, and local clergy. Groups such as LULAC, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the Brown Berets also took part. Demonstrators carried signs criticizing ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, some with vulgar language, and a voter registration drive was held alongside the rally. San Antonio police escorted the group to the site of the proposed ICE facility and back to the school.

The event has drawn scrutiny partly because Davis Middle School recently received an F rating from the Texas Education Agency. The protest reflects ongoing local opposition to the Trump administration's plan to open an immigrant detention facility on San Antonio's East Side.

The China Grove, Texas City Council voted 3-0, with one abstention, to ratify a memorandum of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The provision lets local police assist ICE with immigration enforcement; China Grove operates under the Task Force Model, allowing officers to check immigration status during routine stops like traffic enforcement. City officials say the arrangement has generated roughly $192,000 in federal reimbursement.

The vote followed pressure from Democratic officials, including U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro and Greg Casar and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, who urged withdrawal over racial-profiling and civil-rights concerns. ACLU of Texas and Immigrant Legal Resource Center representatives echoed those objections at the meeting, while Police Chief Ralph Sramek defended the program, saying no racial-profiling complaints have been filed since 2014.

Scrutiny intensified after China Grove police stopped mariachi musician Hebert Kaleth Ibarra Castro in June, leading to his 16-day ICE detention. China Grove's agreement is among 2,462 active 287(g) partnerships nationwide.

Reps. Joaquin Castro and Greg Casar held a San Antonio press conference urging six Bexar County municipalities — Hollywood Park, China Grove, St. Hedwig, Balcones Heights, Sandy Oaks, and Von Ormy — to end their 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agreements, entered under the Task Force model, let trained local police question people about citizenship status during patrols, access ICE databases, and arrest suspected undocumented immigrants.

Castro accused ICE of racial profiling and called the agency "rogue" and "abusive" under the Trump administration, citing conditions at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, which he has visited repeatedly and wants closed. He also suggested financial incentives, not just policy, are driving cities to sign on. Casar called on mayors to stop enrolling police in federal immigration enforcement. Texas law requires counties operating jails to participate in 287(g), a provision dating to 1996 legislation signed by President Bill Clinton, complicating efforts to unwind local participation.