Your weekend is here, Texas, and it’s time to take a look back at some of the stories that were in our headlines this week.
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The Week in Review
1. President Trump announces first new U.S. oil refinery in 50 years to open in Brownsville, Texas
President Donald Trump announced plans to open the first oil refinery in the United States in 50 years, and it’s in Brownsville, Texas, according to a Truth Social post.
Trump stated that the project, which is a $300 billion deal funded with the help of Indian multinational conglomerate Reliance Industries, will expand American jobs along with other economic prospects.
2. Should Trump endorse Cornyn? Some Texas Republicans say it would be a MAGA ‘mistake’
President Donald Trump likes to say that no one understands the Make America Great Again movement like him, its founder and undisputed champion. But as he weighs which candidate to endorse in the U.S. Senate runoff in Texas, some of the state’s Republicans fear he may be out of step with what his base wants.
In interviews with The Associated Press, several said it would be a mistake for Trump to endorse four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, a favorite of the Washington establishment, over conservative crusader Ken Paxton, the state attorney general.
The Washington Post is now reporting that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ended its contract with the operator of Camp East Montana—a detention facility inside the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso—but says that the site will remain open.
4. Austin officials emphasize safety for SXSW in aftermath of bar shooting
In the days since the shooting outside a bar on West 6th Street that took the lives of three people and injured several others, the community has been in mourning, and it’s left some on edge. Questions around safety and security have been raised with South by Southwest (SXSW) and spring break getting underway. The Austin Police Department (APD) addressed those concerns this week
5. Applications for Mexican citizenship increase in Texas
In Texas, there’s a natural flow between the U.S. and Mexico. Many with citizenship of one country spend their days in the other before heading back home. But in the last year, Mexican Consulates in Texas have seen an increase in people preparing for the possibility of staying in Mexico.
Consulates are offices representing their home country within a foreign nation. They protect their citizens living abroad and help people who qualify apply for citizenship. The latter is not something Mexican Consulates have seen much of for many years, but the consul general of Mexico in Laredo says applications for the service have nearly doubled since 2025 began.
Around the Nation
Trump discourages Iranian soccer team from attending the World Cup, citing safety concerns
President Donald Trump said he did not think it would be “appropriate” for the Iranian soccer team to attend this year’s World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, and cited safety concerns as a reason on Thursday while the countries remained embroiled in a war.
A Look Ahead
South by Southwest ends on March 18.