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Category: Immigration
May 17, 2025
Immigration
News

Judge Dismisses Charges Against 98 Illegals Who Entered Restricted National Defense Area.

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❓What Happened: A judge in New Mexico dismissed charges against 98 illegal immigrants who crossed into a restricted National Defense Area.

👥 Who’s Involved: Judge Gregory B. Wormuth, 98 illegal immigrants, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

📍 Where & When: Restricted land along the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico, dismissals began being filed late Wednesday.

💬 Key Quote: “The United States provides no facts from which one could reasonably conclude that the defendant knew he was entering,” said Judge Wormuth.

⚠️ Impact: Dismissal of charges could set a precedent for similar cases; illegal immigrants remain in custody and may still face deportation.

IN FULL:

A federal judge in New Mexico has dismissed charges against 98 illegal immigrants who crossed into a restricted National Defense Area near the U.S.-Mexico border. The area, established under the Trump administration, forms part of the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Huachuca and is marked by “Restricted Area” signs in both English and Spanish.

Judge Gregory B. Wormuth ruled that the illegals could not be prosecuted for entering the restricted zone because they were reportedly unaware it was military property. “The United States provides no facts from which one could reasonably conclude that the defendant knew he was entering,” Wormuth claimed, insisting that requiring intent to enter military land is necessary to avoid “absurd and unfair results.”

The dismissed cases are among approximately 400 misdemeanor charges filed against illegal immigrants who entered the restricted area. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously praised the establishment of the National Defense Area, emphasizing its role in reducing illegal crossings. “When you cross illegally, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Hegseth said during a visit to the area earlier this year.

Defense attorneys argued that the border crossers were unaware of the restricted zone’s boundaries, with some arriving in the dark or unable to read warning signs. One attorney described the area as “just a bunch of desert,” asserting that the charges were unexpected.

Despite the dismissals, the illegal immigrants remain in custody and may still face deportation for entering the U.S. unlawfully.

President Donald J. Trump‘s border policies have already massively reduced illegal crossings in the first few months of his term. According to the U.S. Border Patrol, registered encounters with migrants in March dropped 97 percent compared to March 2022. Similar trends have been seen on the northern border with Canada as well.

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May 16, 2025
Economy
Immigration

Why Is Mexico’s Govt Lobbying Against Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill?’

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❓What Happened: House Republicans proposed a five percent tax on remittances sent out of the U.S. by non-U.S. citizens, sparking opposition from Mexico. In response, Mexican government officials are lobbying House Republicans in the U.S. to drop the provision from President Donald J. Trump’s budget bill.

👥 Who’s Involved: U.S. House Republicans, Mexican Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and President Trump.

📍 Where & When: U.S., ongoing discussions as of May 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Imposing a tax on these transfers would disproportionately affect those with the least, without accounting for their ability to pay,” Barragán wrote in a letter to U.S. Congressional leaders.

⚠️ Impact: The proposal could generate $1 billion in tax revenue by 2026, but faces resistance from Mexican government officials, as remittances from the United States comprise a significant portion of the country’s revenue.

IN FULL:

The foreign remittance tax provision in President Donald J. Trump‘s budget plan, currently working its way through the House of Representatives, has become the target of a lobbying campaign by the Mexican government, which seeks to remove it from the legislation. Under the plan being pushed by President Trump and his allies in Congress, cash remittances sent by non-U.S. citizens to family members abroad would be subject to a five percent tax.

In a letter to House Ways and Means Committee leaders, Reps. Jason Smith (R-MO) and Richard Neal (D-MA), Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.S., Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, urged the U.S. lawmakers to reconsider the tax measure. “Imposing a tax on these transfers would disproportionately affect those with the least, without accounting for their ability to pay,” Barragán wrote, claiming the provision will have unintended consequences such as increased use of unregulated financial channels.

Mexico is the third-largest recipient of remittances among nations worldwide. In 2024, the country received an estimated $64.745 billion in remittances, with most of the money sourced through transfers from the United States. The country’s heavy reliance on payment transfers from the U.S. as a source of revenue has even prompted Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to weigh in on the issue, declaring it “arbitrary and unjust” and calling it “a measure that is unacceptable.”

The Joint Committee on Taxation released estimates that the tax could generate $1 billion in revenue by 2026, rising to $3 billion by 2034. During his first term in office, President Trump pushed for a remittance tax to recoup costs for his border wall with Mexico.

As part of the Mexican government’s push against the tax provision, Barragán has met with U.S. lawmakers, including Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Maria Salazar (R-FL). Salazar stated she is still evaluating the proposal.

Image via Mexico City Government.

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May 15, 2025
Immigration
NatSec

Texas Moves to Block Land Sales to Hostile Nations.

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❓What Happened: The Texas House advanced Senate Bill 17, which restricts land sales to individuals and entities from specific foreign nations deemed national security threats. The legislation’s House and Senate versions will now be reconciled before receiving final votes for approval in the state House and Senate.

👥 Who’s Involved: Governor Greg Abbott (R), state Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R), state Representative Cole Hefner (R), and members of the Texas legislature.

📍 Where & When: Texas; preliminary approval in the House last week and reconciliation conferees appointed on May 14, with potential enactment on September 1, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “As Senate Bill 17 has moved through the legislative process, we have taken the utmost care not to reduce the ability to buy property for those who have fled oppressive regimes and want to build an American life here. As the bill currently stands, those individuals who come here lawfully and remain here lawfully still have that opportunity,” says Rep. Hefner.

⚠️ Impact: If passed, the bill would restrict property purchases by individuals and entities from nations deemed security threats, with exemptions for lawful permanent residents.

IN FULL:

The Texas House of Representatives has advanced Senate Bill 17, a measure aimed at restricting land purchases by individuals and entities from countries identified as national security threats. The bill, originally filed by Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R), has undergone significant amendments in the House before receiving preliminary approval in an 85-60 vote. Differences between the legislative text approved by the House and Senate will now be reconciled by conferees appointed by each chamber before the bill receives final votes of approval and heads to Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) to be signed into law.

If enacted, S.B. 17 would allow Gov. Abbott to determine which nations and entities will be deemed national security threats and face restrictions. Currently, the list includes China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, as designated by the United States National Director of Intelligence.

After moving from the Senate, where the legislation was approved along a 24-7 vote, the text of S.B. 17 underwent a series of changes through amendments in the House. These changes included narrowing an exemption for leased property. While the Senate version exempted leases of under 100 years, the House limited this to leases of one year or less. Additionally, lawmakers amended the bill to exempt lawful permanent residents from the restrictions.

“As Senate Bill 17 has moved through the legislative process, we have taken the utmost care not to reduce the ability to buy property for those who have fled oppressive regimes and want to build an American life here,” the bill’s House sponsor, Representative Cole Hefner (R), told the media. He added: “As the bill currently stands, those individuals who come here lawfully and remain here lawfully still have that opportunity.”

Texas Democrats have attempted to portray the legislation as an attempt to strip property rights from immigrants, with far-left state Rep. Gene Wu (D) claiming the bill’s supporters are motivated by “hate.” According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Chinese investors currently own less than on percent of all foreign-held acreage in the United States. Combined, Russian, Iranian, and North Korean investors own fewer than 3,000 acres.

If the reconciled text receives final approval in both legislative chambers, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025, applying to property purchases made after that date.

Image by Cory Doctorow.

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May 15, 2025
Immigration
Lawfare

Once Again, Amy Coney Barrett is Helping the Far-Left.

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❓What Happened: Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett sided with her liberal colleague, Justice Elena Kagan, and pressed Solicitor General John Sauer over the Trump White House’s position on whether there are instances when lower federal courts can issue nationwide actions blocking executive branch actions.

👥 Who’s Involved: Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Elena Kagan, Solicitor General John Sauer, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

📍 Where & When: U.S. Supreme Court, on Thursday, May 15, 2025, during oral arguments in a landmark birthright citizenship case.

💬 Key Quote: Justice Barrett asked Sauer, “Are you really going to answer Justice Kagan by saying there’s no way to do this expeditiously?”

⚠️ Impact: The case involves challenges to injunctions against President Donald J. Trump’s executive order on ending birthright citizenship, potentially affecting nationwide legal precedents.

IN FULL:

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett pressed Solicitor General John Sauer during oral arguments on Thursday as the Court reviewed a series of cases challenging injunctions against President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order aimed at ending birthright citizenship. The cases—Trump v. CASA, Trump v. Washington, and Trump v. New Jersey—center on whether nationwide injunctions issued by lower courts were appropriate in blocking the executive order.

The justices debated the procedural and legal frameworks surrounding the matter, with liberal Justice Elena Kagan questioning Sauer on how the Court could rule on the issue without allowing nationwide injunctions. Kagan, during the session, asked Sauer to assume the executive order was “dead wrong” and explain how the judiciary could address the matter efficiently: “And, you know, look, there are all kinds of abuses of nationwide injunctions, but I think that the question that this case presents is… it’s quite clear that the EO is illegal; how does one get to that result, in what time frame on your set of rules without the possibility of a nationwide injunction?”

“On this case and on many similar cases, the appropriate way to do it is for there to be multiple lower courts considering it, the appropriate percolation that goes to the lower courts, and then ultimately this court decides the merits in a nationwide binding precedent,” Sauer replied, arguing: “You have a complete inversion of that through the nationwide injunctions with a district court.”

At this point, Justice Barrett intervened and, in an exasperated tone, pressed Sauer: “Are you really going to answer Justice Kagan by saying there’s no way to do this expeditiously?” Barrett went on to push Sauer on whether forming a class of individual plaintiffs could resolve the matter more quickly. President Trump’s Solicitor General said that class certification could expedite the process, though he noted it had not been briefed in the lower courts.

Justice Barrett’s line of questioning marks the latest instance of the Trump-appointed jurist siding with the high court’s leftist faction over her more conservative colleagues. Notably, Barrett is among the bloc of justices that have upheld several injunctions against President Trump’s actions to remove illegal immigrants from the United States.

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May 15, 2025
William Upton
Immigration
TECH

Data Shows American Workers Are Still Being Replaced by Cheap Foreign Labor.

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❓What Happened: Native-born American workers continue to be replaced by cheap foreign labor, with the number of H-1B visas approved for 2026 topping 120,000. The number of approvals comes despite continued layoffs in the American technology industry, suggesting the visa program continues to be abused to source cheap workers rather than meet industry labor demands.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, Elon Musk, David Sacks, American technology companies, American workers, and cheap foreign labor.

📍 Where & When: The H-1B approvals for 2026 were highlighted by U.S. Tech Workers, an American worker advocacy group, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, May 15, 2025.

💬 Key Quote:  “Despite mass tech layoffs and voter backlash—especially after the Christmas H-1B uproar—the Trump team stays hands-off: 120,141 NEW H-1Bs selected for FY2026. Demand remains high despite layoffs—a clear sign U.S. workers are being replaced,” U.S. Tech Workers wrote.

⚠️ Impact: The H-1B approvals suggest that technology industry leaders Elon Musk and David Sacks, who also serve as Trump White House advisors, may be continuing to exert influence over U.S. immigration and labor policy.

IN FULL:

The replacement of native-born American workers with cheap foreign labor remains unabated despite strong public opinion against the policy. While the total approvals for 2026 are lower than the peak years under the former Biden government, data shows 120,141 H-1B visas have been accepted for the next year. This is about equivalent to the total number of H-1Bs approved for 2021, cleared during the final year of President Donald J. Trump’s first term in office.

U.S. Tech Workers, a group that advocates for American-born technology workers against foreign labor predation, notes that the approvals come despite industry layoffs and public backlash against the rate at which foreign workers are replacing native-born workers. “Despite mass tech layoffs and voter backlash—especially after the Christmas H-1B uproar—the Trump team stays hands-off: 120,141 NEW H-1Bs selected for FY2026,” the group wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), late Wednesday. They added: “Demand remains high despite layoffs—a clear sign U.S. workers are being replaced.”

Notably, there was a sharp drop in eligible H-1B registrations for 2026, totalling 343,981, marking a 26.9 percent decline from 2025’s total of 470,342. However, this drop was primarily driven by reforms enacted under former President Joe Biden, aimed at cracking down on multiple visa filings and fraud. Additionally, the Biden-era reforms and subsequent drop in eligible registrations suggest that demand from tech companies for cheap foreign labor has not actually fallen.

The National Pulse reported in January that survey data shows 60 percent of Americans feel the nation already possesses enough skilled workers for white-collar roles. Meanwhile, only 26 percent of respondents said they wanted to see the United States increase its number of foreign workers.

During Christmas last year, the debate over H-1B visa policy boiled over onto social media. Trump White House advisors Elon Musk, who fronts the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and David Sacks, who chairs the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, pushed back against calls from Trump’s MAGA base for a reduction or even elimination of the foreign worker visa program.

Musk, who also serves as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, argued at the time that the government would need to double the number of approved H-1Bs to meet engineering demands in the semiconductor industry.

Image by TechCrunch.

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May 15, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
Lawfare

Soros Foundation Director Admits Progressive NGOs Use Lawfare to Protect Illegals Against Public Wishes.

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❓ What Happened: Gregory Maniatis, director at George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, admitted that progressive politicians’ failure to manage migration and progressive foundations’ lawfare to protect illegal aliens has sown chaos.

👥 Who’s Involved: Gregory Maniatis, Open Society Foundations, progressive non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the Trump administration.

📍 Where & When: United States, with Maniatis’s remarks made at a Carnegie Council event in April.

💬 Key Quote: “Chaos is the defining story of failure amongst progressives,” Maniatis confessed.

⚠️ Impact: Maniatis’s admission exposes how progressive elites’ legal tactics and refusal to enforce order paved the way for America First.

IN FULL:

Gregory Maniatis, a director at George Soros’s far-left Open Society Foundations, has admitted that progressive immigration policies plunged America’s border into chaos. Speaking candidly at a Carnegie Council event in April, Maniatis admitted that 12 years of Democrat control over the past 16 years failed to deliver a functional immigration system, instead fostering anarchic conditions that President Donald J. Trump has capitalized on to restore order.

“Chaos is the defining story of failure amongst progressives,” Maniatis said, pinpointing the refusal of Democratic leaders to address a “chaotic” border system, particularly over the last decade. He criticized the “conspiracy of silence” that allowed employers to exploit illegal alien workers while progressive politicians used a broken illegal immigration system to let illegal aliens “disappear” into communities rather than persuade the public to accept mass migration or manage it effectively. “Not everyone has the right to stay,” he conceded, acknowledging that this leniency fueled public frustration.

Maniatis said progressive elites have been ignoring the “public desire for order,” noting that only when Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) began busing migrants to Democrat cities were urban liberals forced to confront the consequences of their policies.

Maniatis also criticized the role of foundations like his own, accusing them of over-relying on lawfare to expand migrants’ opportunities to establish themselves in the U.S. without winning public support. “I think foundations have played a negative role in a lot of this. We have relied way too much on litigation… when in fact this is a project of political persuasion,” he said, recalling that “we have quietly gone into courts to try to expand rights without actually winning in the court of public opinion.”

However, he suggested he still wants asylum seekers to be brought to the U.S. in historically high numbers through sponsorship programs, and—despite conceding to an overreliance on lawfare—he said some his key work at the moment “is litigating a series of cases that include the refugee program and the sponsorship programs.”

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May 15, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Judge Claims ‘Judicial Immunity’ After Arrest for Aiding Criminal Illegal Immigrant.

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❓What Happened: Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan has been indicted for allegedly helping a dangerous illegal immigrant evade federal immigration enforcement.

👥 Who’s Involved: Judge Hannah Dugan, Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Attorney General Pam Bondi.

📍 Where & When: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; indictment issued this week, incident occurred last month.

💬 Key Quote: “The problems with this prosecution are legion, but most immediately, the government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts,” Dugan’s attorneys argued in a legal filing.

⚠️ Impact: The case raises questions about judicial immunity, federalism, and the balance of state and federal authority in immigration enforcement.

IN FULL:

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan is facing federal charges after allegedly assisting a Mexican national in evading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. A federal grand jury indicted Judge Dugan this week on counts of concealing a person from arrest and obstruction.

The incident occurred last month when ICE agents were stationed outside Dugan’s courtroom to apprehend Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national with an administrative warrant for his arrest. According to the complaint, Judge Dugan confronted the agents, attempted to send them elsewhere, and then directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to exit the courtroom through a restricted “jury door” leading to a nonpublic area, bypassing the public exit where law enforcement was positioned.

Dugan’s legal team has argued that the charges violate long-standing principles of judicial immunity and federalism. “The government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts,” her attorneys stated in a legal filing submitted Wednesday. They further claimed that the indictment infringes upon the U.S. Constitution’s Tenth Amendment, which reserves certain powers to the states.

The filing also referenced historical legal precedent, asserting that judges have been granted absolute immunity for their official actions since at least the early 17th century in England, a tradition carried over into U.S. common law. Dugan’s attorneys have called for the immediate dismissal of the indictment, labeling the prosecution as “barred” under these principles.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), which brought the charges, has maintained that the case underscores the principle of equality under the law. Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized Dugan’s actions, stating, “Shame on her. It was a domestic violence case, of all cases, and she was protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime.”

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May 14, 2025
Health
Immigration

Now Newsom Wants to Freeze Medicaid for Adult Illegal Aliens.

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❓What Happened: California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has proposed freezing new adult illegal alien enrollments in Medi-Cal and introducing a $100 monthly premium for certain enrollees.

👥 Who’s Involved: Governor Gavin Newsom, illegal alien Medi-Cal applicants, and current enrollees with “unsatisfactory immigration status.”

📍 Where & When: California; freeze proposed to start January 1, 2026, and premium to take effect January 1, 2027.

💬 Key Quote: “[T]he state must take difficult but necessary steps to ensure fiscal stability and preserve the long-term viability of Medi-Cal for all Californians,” states the governor’s office.

⚠️ Impact: The proposal could limit access to Medi-Cal for new adult illegal alien applicants while imposing additional costs on certain current enrollees.

IN FULL:

Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom has unveiled a proposal to freeze new illegal alien adult enrollments in the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, starting no earlier than January 1, 2026. The freeze would apply to new adult applicants over the age of 19—but would not remove current enrollees from the program.

In addition, Newsom has proposed a $100 monthly premium for Medi-Cal participants aged 19 and older with “unsatisfactory immigration status.” This category includes individuals whose immigration status disqualifies them from federally funded Medicaid, encompassing both illegal immigrants and those with lawful status. The premium would take effect on January 1, 2027.

The governor’s office has attributed these measures to fiscal challenges, attempting to blame President Donald J. Trump’s trade policies. “Trump’s pendulum swings on tariffs have slowed the economy and weakened state revenues by a staggering $16 billion,” the document alleges. In fact, the America First leader’s tariffs have generated $16 billion in additional revenue nationally, slashing the federal budget deficit.

“[T]he state must take difficult but necessary steps to ensure fiscal stability and preserve the long-term viability of Medi-Cal for all Californians,” Newsom’s office said of the proposed Medi-Cal changes.

Newsom, who has served as governor since 2019, surviving a recall election in 2021, has faced criticism over his handling of state issues, including homelessness and health care. However, despite being seen as a leading figure in the Democratic party and a potential presidential candidate, Newsom has failed to attract the support of Democratic voters, who rank him behind several others in popularity.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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May 13, 2025
Immigration
News

Venezuelans Threatened Hostage-Taking in ICE Detention.

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❓What Happened: A group of detained Venezuelan men in Texas barricaded themselves, covered cameras, and threatened to take hostages, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

👥 Who’s Involved: The Trump administration, 23 Venezuelan detainees accused of gang affiliation, ICE officials, and immigration attorneys.

📍 Where & When: Incident occurred on April 23 at the Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Texas; detainees were moved to another facility on May 4.

💬 Key Quote: “They threatened to take hostages and injure facility contract staff and ICE officers,” stated Joshua D. Johnson, acting ICE director for the Dallas office.

⚠️ Impact: The administration claims the incident underscores the danger posed by alleged Tren de Aragua gang members and justifies using the Alien Enemies Act to execute swift deportations.

IN FULL:

The Trump administration has escalated its efforts to deport a group of Venezuelan detainees accused of gang affiliations, citing an April 23 incident at a Texas detention facility. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials allege the men, identified as members of the Tren de Aragua gang, barricaded themselves inside their unit at the Bluebonnet Detention Facility, covered surveillance cameras, and threatened to take hostages.

According to a sworn statement by Joshua D. Johnson, acting ICE director for the Dallas office, the detainees “refused their breakfast trays and barricaded both the front and rear entrance doors of their housing unit using bed cots.” Johnson also stated that the group attempted to flood the unit by clogging toilets and blocked windows to prevent observation. “They threatened to take hostages and injure facility contract staff and ICE officers,” Johnson added.

On May 4, the 23 men were transferred to the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, a move that placed them under a different court jurisdiction. The administration claims the alleged actions of these individuals highlight the risks posed by Tren de Aragua members in detention and justifies invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite deportations.

The detainees reportedly fear being sent to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked deportations in this case while attorneys challenge the administration’s actions.

Members of Tren de Aragua flooded into the United States under the former Biden-Harris regime, taking over entire apartment complexes in some cities. Members have been linked to extortion as well as other serious crimes, including murder.

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May 13, 2025
Immigration
Religion

Texas Blocks Construction of Islamic ‘EPIC City.’

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❓What Happened: Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the halting of all construction on EPIC City, a planned Islamic settlement near Dallas.

👥 Who’s Involved: Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the East Plano Islamic Center, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

📍 Where & When: Announcement made on Sunday; project located outside Dallas, Texas.

💬 Key Quote: “Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City. There is no construction taking place. The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project. That includes criminal investigations. And, the U.S. Department of Justice is also investigating.” – Governor Greg Abbott.

⚠️ Impact: Multiple investigations launched into EPIC City, including potential violations of constitutional rights and state laws.

IN FULL:

Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) has announced that all construction on EPIC City, a proposed development near Dallas, Texas, designed exclusively for Muslims, has been halted. Abbott confirmed the decision on Sunday in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating the project is under investigation for potential legal violations.

“Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City,” Abbott stated. “There is no construction taking place. The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project. That includes criminal investigations. And, the U.S. Department of Justice is also investigating.”

The planned development, centered around the East Plano Islamic Center, had drawn scrutiny for allegedly intending to impose sharia law on its residents and for reportedly planning to exclude non-Muslims from purchasing or renting property. Critics,have raised concerns about potential constitutional violations. Cornyn is currently facing a primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), with the latter leading in early polls.

“A master-planned ‘community of thousands of Muslims’ could violate the constitutional rights of Jewish and Christian Texans,” Cornyn noted, adding that such a project could discriminate against non-Muslim minorities. He called for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate whether the development would provide equal protection under the law for all residents.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also announced his office is examining communications between the East Plano Islamic Center and officials in nearby towns, including Plano, Richardson, and Wylie. Paxton emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, “If any local official is supporting or communicating with a real estate development that is under investigation for potential violations of state law, then it’s imperative that we are made aware of exactly what’s being communicated.”

The controversy surrounding EPIC City comes amid broader concerns about similar developments in Texas. Colony Ridge, a massive community near Houston, has faced criticism for allegedly becoming a hub for illegal immigrants and crime. That development is also under investigation by federal and state authorities.

Governor Abbott noted that over a dozen state agencies are involved in investigating EPIC City, particularly whether its reported practices of religious-based housing discrimination would violate Texas law. The investigations remain ongoing.

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