Topic
7 facts from 1 episode, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
2021
The largest immigration surge in U.S. history, which peaked under the Biden administration, reached the Rio Grande Valley starting in 2021.
“The largest immigration surge in U. S. history, which peaked during the Biden administration, had landed in the Rio Grande Valley.”
2025
One small Rio Grande Valley builder said he built twelve houses in 2025 instead of his usual 25 and had contracts for only three going into 2026.
“I talked to one small builder who told me in a normal year, he'd build around 25 houses. By the end of 2025, he'd only built twelve, and going into 2026, he only had contracts for three.”
2025
A large Rio Grande Valley concrete company laid off more than 100 workers and then filed for bankruptcy a few months later.
“A big concrete company told me that around this time, he laid off more than 100 workers, and a few months later, he filed for bankruptcy.”
2026
At the STBA's Martin Luther King Day meeting, Mario Guerrero said over 9,000 people had been deported from the area.
“Over 9,000 people have been deported just out of our area.”
2026
In July, more than 200 people were arrested in the Rio Grande Valley in one day, and an ICE agent killed Lorenzo Salgado Arajo, a framer north of Houston.
“And in July, more than 200 people were arrested in the valley in a single day. In that same month, an Ice agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Arajo, a framer five hours north of Houston.”
Undated
The Rio Grande Valley voted Democratic for generations, though it is described as more politically purple than blue.
“For generations, the valley voted Democrat, but it's more of a purple place than a blue one.”
Undated
Colonias in the Rio Grande Valley are small, often impoverished communities that were established decades ago for farm workers and laborers from Mexico.
“A lot of them were established decades ago, when farm workers and laborers came from Mexico to work in the fields and needed a place to live.”
Episodes