Good morning, 

Two counties in New Mexico want to become part of the Lone Star State. In today's One Click Survey, we want to know what you think about expanding Texas.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, April 27, 2026.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Appeals Court Clears Path for Texas to Enforce Border Crackdown Law

• A federal appeals court has lifted a block on Texas’ border enforcement law, handing the state a major procedural win in its effort to crack down on illegal immigration. Brandon Waltens has the story.
   
• In a Friday ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found that the groups challenging the law lack standing to sue. Because the plaintiffs do not have a sufficient legal stake in the case, the court ruled, the lawsuit cannot proceed—clearing the way for the law to take effect while broader legal questions remain unresolved.
     
• The law in question was passed in 2023, creating state-level criminal penalties for illegal entry into Texas and giving state and local law enforcement a direct role in immigration enforcement.
      
• Notably, the appeals court did not rule on whether the law itself is constitutional or preempted by federal immigration law, leaving those questions for future litigation.

Cornyn Blasted For Ad Touting Legalization for Illegal Aliens

• A resurfaced 2020 campaign ad shows U.S. Sen. John Cornyn promoting his support for the “legalization of Dreamers”—a message that has since been removed from his YouTube channel.
     
• In the Spanish-language ad, a narrator proclaims that, while Cornyn supports secure borders, he “firmly supports legalization of Dreamers.” The video had been available on Cornyn's official YouTube channel but was quickly removed after it began circulating on social media late last week.

DOJ Drops Defense of Biden-Era Gun Rule

• Attorney General Ken Paxton is touting a major win for gun owners after the Trump Department of Justice backed off defending a Biden-era rule that targeted private firearm sales. Sydnie Henry has the details.
   
• At issue had been a rule pushed by the Biden administration's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that sought to dramatically expand who counts as a gun "dealer" under federal law. By redefining the term, the rule would have forced many ordinary gun owners who might sell their firearms to obtain a federal license and run background checks at the risk of civil and criminal penalties.
     
• In 2024, Paxton led a multistate coalition suing the Biden administration over the rule, arguing it exceeded the ATF's authority and violated the Second Amendment. "The Second Amendment is a cornerstone of American freedom, and I will never allow it to be undermined by unlawful federal overreach."

Texans Scramble To Protest Proposed Power Line

• People in Central Texas gathered for a quickly assembled town hall last week in Salado to protest a proposed power line running through their land. As Robert Montoya reports, organizers criticized the brief window they were given to respond and the way they were notified.
      
• Known as the Permian Basin Reliability Plan, the project was originally authorized as a limited fix for a specific region. Critics have said the Public Utility Commission of Texas, grid operator ERCOT, and electricity delivery company Oncor expanded it with little public input.
      
• The meeting last week was held at First Cedar Valley Baptist Church, which was destroyed in a 2022 tornado. Gov. Greg Abbott was on hand to dedicate the new building in 2023. Pastor Donnie Jackson said he found out just three weeks ago that one of the preferred routes would place a massive line roughly 200 feet from the church.

Texas Provides New Transparency on Educator Misconduct

• For the first time, disciplinary action reports documenting Texas educators’ misconduct will include key information about the school employees being sanctioned, the nature of the allegations against them, and where they worked. Erin Anderson has the report.
     
• For years, the State Board for Educator Certification has published reports of final actions taken against Texas educators’ teaching certificates, but provided minimal useful information to the public.
      
• Under the new system, parents and the public can search to see if any SBEC-certified employees in their local school districts have been sanctioned for misconduct.

MORE EDUCATOR NEWS

Houston Pays Group $39 Million to Run New Homeless Hub

• The Houston City Council voted to hand over operations of a new homeless services facility in East Downtown to the Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. As Michael Wilson reports, the organization will be paid $39 million to run the site through April 2029.
     
• The facility is expected to hold up to 222 beds and serve roughly 750 people per year.
     
• Funding for the project comes from $30 million in federal disaster recovery cash and $9.1 million from the city’s coffers.

In Case You Missed It...

Quote-Unquote

"I will never forsake Texas or her cause. I am her son."

– José Antonio Navarro​

Today In History

On April 27, 4977 B.C., the universe was created—at least according to the calculations of the famed astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler, who is better known for his theories explaining the motion of planets.

A committee of the Texas House has been tasked with examining the issues involved with making Lea and Roosevelt counties part of the Lone Star State.

Do you think Texas should annex those counties?

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!

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