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Feds asks judge to dismiss Donna family's lawsuit over immigration raid

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The federal government has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Donna family over an immigration raid that happened in their home in January, according to court records. The motion to dismiss was filed in the Southern District of Texas ...

ValleyCentralSep 15, 2026

WATCH: Gina Hinojosa campaigns in the Rio Grande Valley

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Rio Grande Valley native Gina Hinojosa kicked off a homecoming campaign Tuesday morning to connect with communities about the economy, border security and public schools. Hinojosa's first stop was a constru...

ValleyCentralSep 15, 2026

Meth found in shipment of cilantro and other vegetables

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr International Bridge discovered more than $25 million worth of methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of vegetables. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, a tractor trailer traveling from Reynosa to Pharr wa...

ValleyCentralSep 14, 2026

Causeway Run returns, traffic delays expected

Special to the PRESS Runners and walkers will take over a portion of the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge Saturday morning as the 11th Annual Summer Causeway Run & Fitness Walk returns to the Laguna Madre area. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, beginning at 6:30 a.m., ...

Port Isabel PressSep 11, 2026

Cameron County approves budget; tables Border Patrol proposal

C ameron County commissioners approved the budget and tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year during their regular meeting on Sept. 1. They also heard a Border Patrol request to test a rescue beacon at a county park, an update on state funding for road projects and the progress of ...

MyRGVSep 8, 2026

McAllen celebrates cross-border partnership with Saltillo

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The city of McAllen had a head start on Hispanic Heritage Month with a celebration on Tuesday with leaders from Saltillo, Mexico. Leaders from both cities came together at the McAllen Performing Arts Center to honor 200 years of history and part...

ValleyCentralSep 1, 2026

Over 1,000 pounds of meth hidden in leeks shipment: CBP

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — More than 1,000 pounds of alleged methamphetamine were found hidden within a shipment of leeks at the Pharr International Bridge, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. On Aug. 22, CBP officers seized the alleged meth from a tractor-tr...

ValleyCentralAug 28, 2026

ICE agent could be released this week as extradition fight heads to judge

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A federal judge in Brownsville is expected to issue a written order Wednesday on whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro will remain in custody in Texas or be extradited to Minnesota to face criminal assault charges....

ValleyCentralAug 25, 2026

More than 1,000 pounds of meth found in laundry detergent shipment at Roma bridge

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine hidden within a shipment of laundry detergent at the Roma International Bridge. The seizure happened Aug. 11 when an officer referred a 2012 tractor-trai...

ValleyCentralAug 21, 2026

CBP seizes 47 pounds of cocaine at Pharr bridge

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized approximately 47 pounds of cocaine at the Pharr International Bridge last week. On Aug. 7, CBP officers stationed at the Pharr bridge came across a tractor-trailer traveling from Reynosa, Mexico...

ValleyCentralAug 14, 2026

Valley farmers seek solutions as ICE raids lead to labor shortages

M ONTE ALTO — Rio Grande Valley farmers are seeking solutions to the loss of labor they are facing after their farms have been repeatedly targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. That was the topic of discussion during a roundtable at Rio Farms Inc. with U.S. ...

MyRGVAug 13, 2026

Foul odor in Roma water linked to border wall construction

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- The city of Roma is linking ongoing construction of the border wall to the source of a foul odor in its water distribution system. City officials were made aware of the odor on Monday after residents reported an "unusual" odor, prompting an inv...

ValleyCentralAug 12, 2026

Rio Hondo bridge reopens after temporary closure

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Rio Hondo lift bridge has reopened after being closed for a few hours on Friday for maintenance. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the bridge was scheduled to be closed until 3 p.m., but work was completed early. The bridg...

ValleyCentralAug 7, 2026

Recent ICE activity sparks debate

By DIANTÉ MARIGNY editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com Recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Cameron County have sparked emotional reactions across the Laguna Madre area after videos circulated on social media showing agents detaining individuals, includi...

Port Isabel PressAug 6, 2026

Full circle: Officials assure Jackson Ranch’s place in Valley history

A little church just past a strip of border wall in the Rio Grande Valley once served as a resting point for slaves seeking freedom in Mexico. Recently, with the help of a life-long historical researcher, Hidalgo County leaders ensured its place in history. Last month, on July 7,...

MyRGVAug 5, 2026

Breakneck pace in immigration courts is driving up deportation orders

HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration is packing immigration courtrooms and giving less lead-time on hearings in an effort to clear a decades-long backlog. The result is a historic rise in the number of people missing court dates and being immediately ordered deported ...

ValleyCentralAug 2, 2026

Bringing it home: Film shot in Brownsville makes its debut

“B orderline,” an explosive thriller filmed largely in Brownsville and centered around immigration, dark conspiracies and media manipulation, debuted on July 17 in select theaters in five states — none of them Texas — and is now available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. The f...

MyRGVJul 29, 2026

NORTON DRIVE TO CLOSE FOR BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT BEGINNING JULY 27

The Traffic Division of the City of Brownsville's Department of Engineering and Public Works is notifying residents and motorists of an upcoming road closure as part of a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) bridge replacement project....

City of BrownsvilleJul 24, 2026

HSI McAllen conducts enforcement operation in upper Valley

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Homeland Security Investigations McAllen is conducting an enforcement operation in the upper Valley, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson confirmed Friday afternoon. The operation is part of an ongoing criminal investigation. ...

ValleyCentralJul 24, 2026

Rain chances drop as Tropical Storm Bertha weakens

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Bertha was downgraded to a tropical depression on Thursday evening as it continued to push inland. The showers that swept across the Valley earlier have shifted south of the border, and southeasterly winds will keep flowing through the region. T...

ValleyCentralJul 24, 2026

Free medical services to be offered during Operation Border Health in Valley

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Residents can get a variety of free health and veterinary services during Operation Border Health events happening across the Valley this week. The events are happening in all four Valley counties from Tuesday, July 21, through Thursday, July 23...

ValleyCentralJul 20, 2026

BCIC TO HOST NONPROFIT LUNCH & LEARN FOCUSED ON EVENT SPONSORSHIP

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) will host the AFP Texas Coastal Bend Chapter's Lunch & Learn on Thursday, Aug. 6, at the eBridge Center, offering nonprofit professionals an opportunity to strengthen their fundraising strategies....

City of BrownsvilleJul 20, 2026

Border Patrol encounters dropped in June, Rio Grande Valley Sector again leads

HARLINGEN, Texas (Border Report) -- The number of migrants encountered by Border Patrol agents on the Southwest border dropped slightly in June from May, and the Rio Grande Valley Sector continued to report the most encounters. U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Thursday relea...

ValleyCentralJul 16, 2026

Border study shows post-pandemic economic rebound in Valley

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Center for Border Economic Studies (CBEST) has published its Summer 2026 edition of its Border Business Briefs. The briefs are an examination of the cross-border economy in the Rio Grande Valley and northern Mexico, offering insights into...

MyRGVJul 14, 2026

McAllen-Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge turns 100

Lawmakers and leaders from the Rio Grande Valley marked the 100th birthday Friday of the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge with a celebratory luncheon that included the mayor of Reynosa and consulates from several countries. And they shared stories of how this fabled crossing ...

ValleyCentralJul 11, 2026

From the archives: New Bridge Makes Live Port

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the McAllen Daily Press on Saturday, July 17, 1926, and is being republished, in its entirety and as originally published, on MyRGV.com to accompany the centennial celebration of the international bridge in McAllen on Friday, July 10, 2...

MyRGVJul 10, 2026

Historic Rio Grande Valley church saved from being cut off behind border wall

By BERENICE GARCIA | TEXAS TRIBUNE MISSION — A historic chapel that served as the basis for the city’s name will no longer lie behind a border wall as community leaders and church officials initially feared. The future of La Lomita Chapel, which sits near the Rio Grande, came int...

MyRGVJul 10, 2026

Diesel spill causes road closure near Progreso Bridge

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Drivers are being advised to avoid both north and southbound lanes of FM 1015 near the Progreso International Bridge due to a diesel spill, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The north and southbound lanes of FM 1015 south of Mi...

ValleyCentralJul 7, 2026

South Texas congressman trying to get border wall exemptions reinstated

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, says he's working with Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee for exceptions to be put in the 2027 Homeland Security budget bill to exempt certain landmarks in the Rio Grande Valley from border wall construction....

ValleyCentralJul 2, 2026

Diocese of Brownsville calls nun’s detainment ‘wildly disturbing’

Sister Letty Ugboaja is seen in this undated photo. (Courtesy photo) As questions remain unanswered about how a nun on her way to Mass in McAllen ended up detained by immigration officials, Bishop Daniel E. Flores said Monday that the Department of Homeland Security’s enforcement...

MyRGVJun 30, 2026

$1B desalination plant proposed to ease Rio Grande Valley border water woes

An Israeli-based company wants to pair up with a U.S. company to build a $1 billion desalination plant on South Padre Island, on the South Texas border, to ease the growing water woes in the Rio Grande Valley that has been caused, in part, from a lack of water owed to the region ...

ValleyCentralJun 25, 2026

BROWNSVILLE-GATEWAY LAND PORT OF ENTRY MODERNIZATION PROJECT BREAKS GROUND

The City of Brownsville, the U.S. General Services Administration, Customs and Border Protection, and local partners broke ground on the downtown port project, which will replace aging facilities and expand key areas used by federal inspection agencies....

City of BrownsvilleJun 18, 2026

Thursday bridge inspection will impact Harlingen-to-McAllen motorists

This file photo shows the Harlingen Interchange in the foreground as traffic flows. (Maricela Rodriguez/Valley Morning Star) UPDATE (12:16 p.m. Thursday): TxDOT officials said the closure has concluded and the flyover is reopened. ORIGINAL STORY: Motorists heading to McAllen from...

MyRGVJun 17, 2026

‘Hoes’ a hot topic in Brownsville cocaine case

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Hoes were a hot topic at the federal courthouse in Brownsville last week. Francisco Javier Palafox Jr., a man in his 40s from Brownsville, told Border Patrol he planned to visit “his friends and hoes.” When they searched his car, however, agents f...

ValleyCentralJun 17, 2026

Federal civil immigration filings in Rio Grande Valley up 789% in 2026

Federal courts throughout the United States are overwhelmed. Immigration enforcement has undergone a sea change since President Donald Trump took office for the second time in January 2025, and the effects are being felt across all facets of the federal court system. MyRGV.com lo...

MyRGVJun 4, 2026

Harlingen construction boom slowing pace amid ICE raids

HARLINGEN — The city’s record construction boom is slowing its pace amid a federal immigration crackdown slashing the labor force while driving up building prices in a region that’s turning into a destination. Last year, the city’s construction values climbed to a record $201.8 m...

MyRGVMay 28, 2026