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Around Texas
1. Entrepreneur speaks out after Texas’ underutilized business program undergoes major changes
Texas’ Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program has undergone some major changes. Since the ’90s, the program was designed to create equal opportunities for women, minorities and service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses. The state comptroller’s office is updating who’s eligible.
The HUB program is now the Veteran Heroes United in Business (VetHUB) program. Thousands of Texas small businesses that were part of the HUB program no longer qualify.
2. Here are the holiday hours for H-E-B, Target and more
For those needing to do some last-minute holiday shopping, Christmas Eve is the deadline as numerous stores close their doors for Christmas Day. Here are the holiday hours for several large retailers.
3. Rep. Veronica Escobar conducts unannounced visit to El Paso ICE facility following court ruling
Just days after a federal judge ruled that members of Congress may conduct unannounced visits to immigration detention facilities, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, says she has already conducted a surprise inspection at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in El Paso.
Immigrants seeking asylum walk at the ICE South Texas Family Residential Center, on Aug. 23, 2019, in Dilley, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Around The Nation
1. DOJ’s new batch of Epstein files includes reference to ’10 co-conspirators‘
2. Brown University police chief placed on leave after fatal shooting, feds launch investigation
3. U.S. economy expands at surprisingly strong 4.3% annual rate in third quarter
Deep in the Heart of Texas
A woman shops for shoes at a store across the Paso del Norte bridge that connects Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, with downtown El Paso, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
Mexican shoppers continue to drive billions in Texas retail spending despite immigration concerns
Despite heightened immigration enforcement and political uncertainty at the U.S.-Mexico border, Mexican shoppers continue to play a vital role in Texas’ retail economy, contributing billions of dollars in spending each year.
In El Paso, the impact is especially visible during the holiday season. Local malls and stores remain packed with shoppers, many of whom are visiting from Mexico. Several shoppers say concerns over immigration policies have not altered their routines.