With nearly 120 anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills already filed across the U.S., 2025 is poised to surpass 2024’s record-breaking number of such legislative attacks. These bills, concentrated in states like Texas and Missouri, target transgender individuals through measures such as stripping legal recognition, enacting bathroom bans, and restricting participation in sports. Further restrictions include book bans and limitations on gender marker changes on identification documents. The upcoming Supreme Court decision on transgender rights will significantly impact the fate of these bills, potentially exacerbating or mitigating the devastating consequences for transgender communities.
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A study using Texas criminal records from 2012-2018 found that undocumented immigrants had significantly lower arrest rates for violent, property, and drug crimes than U.S.-born citizens. Undocumented immigrants’ arrest rates were consistently less than half that of native-born citizens for most offenses. This research, enabled by Texas’s unique data collection practices, provides a more accurate picture of crime rates by immigration status than previous studies. The study also revealed no evidence suggesting an increase in crime committed by undocumented immigrants during the study period. Further research should examine the replicability of these findings in other jurisdictions.
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Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham offered President-elect Trump a 1,402-acre border ranch for deportation facilities, pledging support for mass deportations, a key Trump campaign promise. The land, previously used for agriculture, is strategically located near the Rio Grande and airports. Buckingham cited the property’s ease of development and its proximity to the border as reasons for the offer, despite data contradicting claims of high crime rates among immigrants. The offer follows Trump’s announced plans to use the military to assist in widespread deportations.
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The Odessa City Council’s decision to maintain a bathroom ban and impose a $10,000 bounty on transgender individuals using public restrooms—a law now extended to private facilities—is a deeply troubling escalation. This isn’t merely a controversial law; it’s a deliberate targeting of a vulnerable community, creating a climate of fear and potentially inciting violence. The council’s action sends a chilling message that the city condones harassment and discrimination against transgender people.
The claim that this law is necessary for public safety is entirely unsubstantiated. Reports from multiple states, including Odessa itself, show a complete lack of incidents involving harassment by transgender individuals in restrooms.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood