The Week’s Biggest News in Brief: Aug. 13-19

Minnesota Sues Abbott: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison filed suit against Gov. Greg Abbott and Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino in an attempt to force the extradition of Christian Castro, an ICE agent who is accused of shooting and injuring Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis, earlier this year. Castro currently faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime after he allegedly discharged a weapon into a Minnesota home, hitting and wounding  Sosa-Celis. Castro then told federal investigators that he had been attacked prior to firing his weapon, however, surveillance footage contradicted his story. Following Castro’s arrest, the Minnesota lawmakers have pushed to have Castro extradited, but Abbott has stalled the process, which prompted the lawsuit. 

City Budget Adopted: City Council approved a FY 2026-27 city budget late on Wednesday, Aug. 12. The final budget – a total of $6.6 billion – was finally adopted following weeks of meetings and public opposition to a proposed $25 million increase to the Austin Police Department and a $5.1 million cut to social services. While APD will still see that $25 million increase, Council members identified $4.7 million in additional property tax revenue that it ultimately used to balance some of those cuts. The average property owner will see their property taxes increase by a little less than $10 a month and the average ratepayer will spend an additional $14 a month on electricity, water, trash, and other related services. As part of the budget, Council members approved a proposal to create an Office of Joint Emergency Communications, which will centralize the city’s 911 call-taking service, aiming to eventually become independent from APD. Read more in Brant Bingamon’s report.

Rewards for GOP Campaigning: Late last year, Gov. Greg Abbott launched the Abbott Impact app – a mobile application aimed at increasing Republican voter turnout for this year’s midterms. Initially, the app merely identified Republican contacts within users’ phones who had not yet voted, allowing users to send reminders and create posts that would push people to the polls. But now the app is offering incentives in exchange for campaigning on behalf of the GOP. Sending voting reminders to contacts, messaging and calling nearby neighbors, and knocking on doors now helps users earn points, which can then be used for rewards such as a GOP-themed Yeti cup, VIP invites to the 2026 Texans for Greg Abbott election night watch party or an event at the Governor’s Mansion, a Dyson Airwrap, and more. With recent polls showing that Democrats have a real chance at turning Texas blue, the governor is turning to unorthodox campaign methods to keep Texas red.

Travis County District Attorney José Garza Credit: Jana Birchum

D.A.’s Office Reduces Case Backlog: A report from the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice released on Wednesday, Aug. 19, found that the Travis County District Attorney’s Office has eliminated the post-COVID trial backlog through a series of reform measures. Data in the report show that the number of pre-indicted felony cases in the system, which the D.A. has significant control over, spiked in early 2024, after city leaders accepted a partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety in 2023 to increase patrols in the city. Between April 2024 and the end of 2025, the backlog decreased by 64%, from 8,444 cases to 3,066, while new felony offenses declined. “We are proud of the work that we have done to stick to the progressive values that our community asked us to bring into the office,” District Attorney José Garza told the Chronicle. “I think we have made the District Attorney’s Office more efficient, and I think that has improved the safety of our community.” 

TEA Scores Officially Released: The Texas Education Agency released A-F accountability scores for all Texas public school districts and campuses on Friday, Aug. 14. Austin ISD earned an overall B rating for the first time since 2022, however, two of its campuses – Webb and Burnet middle schools – earned F ratings for the fifth consecutive year, now allowing TEA Commissioner of Education Mike Morath to decide whether to close the schools or take over the entire district. Looking at the numbers, the district has 25 campuses with D and F ratings compared to 48 two years ago and 57 A and B ratings, up from 43 in 2024. Despite the overall progress, the district is still at risk of state intervention, as district officials prepare for what comes next. Read more in Sammie Seamon’s report.

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar speaks about ICE activity in the Rundberg neighborhood on Aug. 14 Credit: Sammie Seamon

Increased ICE Presence in Austin: Last week saw a disruptive uptick in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity and arrests in the Rundberg neighborhood in North Austin, Austin City Council officials and U.S. Rep. Greg Casar told press during a briefing on Friday, Aug. 14. “We have sources, government sources, that have mentioned that the increase in ICE detentions and arrests in our community – just in the last few days – is three to four times more people being arrested,” Casar said. “That means probably instead of a couple dozen people being arrested per day, now you’re talking about a figure that’s getting closer to 60, 70, 80, 90 people a day.” Casar’s congressional office submitted a formal inquiry to the Department of Homeland Security for more information about the aggressive enforcement. “We’re telling ICE to get out of Austin, because we don’t want any of that violence here,” Casar said.

IT Firing Details Surface: New details have emerged regarding the March firings of city IT officials who were simultaneously working for the city of Dallas through an investigation report that was published on Tuesday, Aug. 18. According to the Statesman, Senior IT Enterprise Architect Hawre Sulaiman violated city policies when he was conducting work for Dallas during his Austin work hours. The investigation also found that Sulaiman and his supervisor, Chief Information Security Officer Brian Gardner, had an undisclosed partnership in a company founded by Sulaiman before Gardner was involved in the hiring of Sulaiman.

Big Bend Wall Construction Paused: After months of pushback from Texans throughout the state as well as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott paused construction in Big Bend National Park on Monday, Aug. 17. Following Scott’s announcement, Gov. Greg Abbott said the stoppage comes after a conversation between him and Scott. The commissioner said he will personally visit the park before deciding how to proceed. While the pause serves as a small win for those opposed to the border security within the park, advocates are still calling for a permanent halt of all construction.

TribFest Lineup Announced: The Texas Tribune announced the lineup for the 2026 TribFest on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The three-day event will take place between Sept. 24-26 in Austin, featuring conversations on politics, policy, and innovative ideas. With over 250 speakers, some of the most notable names include gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa, longtime labor activist Dolores Huerta, Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, former Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Fort Worth Ambulance Chase to Austin: Most Austinites who intended on commuting south on I-35 last Thursday, Aug. 13, showed up to work late, as the interstate was shut down for several hours, forcing motorists to take the service road and other city streets to get to the Downtown area. That’s because an individual stole a Fort Worth ambulance late Wednesday night and headed south to Austin early Thursday morning. After law enforcement was notified, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, only for the driver to continue fleeing southbound on I-35. DPS later said that the driver was “intentionally ramming multiple civilian vehicles” as he continued to evade law enforcement, in which the troopers attempted a PIT maneuver. After the attempt was unsuccessful, a DPS trooper discharged their service weapon, fatally striking the suspect, and ending the chase on the I-35 upper deck within eyeshot of the Chronicle’s HQ.

Court Restores 2021 Election Law: Back in 2021, the state passed Senate Bill 1, which was aimed at tightening election laws. Democrats, voting rights advocates, and civil rights groups pushed back against the bill, with several lawsuits filed against the state in an attempt to block the law from going into effect. In March 2025, a district judge sided with the plaintiffs, blocking some of the bill’s provisions, such as forcing voters to provide an identification number or Social Security number on mail-in ballots that matches state records and requiring voters and anyone who assisted them in submitting their votes to sign an oath stating that they did not sway the voter in any way. Though that district judge’s decision served as a major win in 2025, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling, restoring many of the bill’s provisions on Aug. 12.

East Austin Wastewater Sludge Spill: Austin Water announced on Tuesday, Aug. 18, that it had responded to a wastewater sludge spill that occurred on Monday near Decker Lane and FM 969 in East Austin after crews identified a leak on the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant’s sludge transfer line. According to the department, about 73,000 gallons of sludge spilled from a vault at the intersection, spreading into a private pond through a nearby roadside storm drain. Crews were able to contain the spill to just the pond and said that the area’s drinking water was not contaminated.

State Artist Nominations: The Texas Commission on the Arts is currently seeking nominations for state poet laureate, state musicians (classical and nonclassical genres), and state artists (2D and 3D media). To be eligible for any of the positions, individuals must be Texas residents for at least five years, have received recognition for high levels of success in their field, and have received significant reviews in large publications. Any Texan can submit multiple nominations as well as self-nominate.

Dream for America Summit: The DemocracySummit 2026 was held last Saturday, Aug. 15, at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center. Hosted by Dream for America, a national pro-democracy youth organization, the event featured 250 Democratic leaders from across the state as well as some prominent figures from around the country. The politicians worked to energize the party, covering different topics from the cost of living, reproductive rights, civil rights, environmental issues, and more. “The next chapter of the American experiment belongs to our generation – and we intend to write it,” said William He, founder and CEO of Dream for America.

Karen McGee Lawsuit Settled, Attorney Says: Karen McGee, the elderly, deaf Florida resident whose wrist was broken by Travis County jailers after an arrest four years ago, has agreed to accept $92,500 to settle her lawsuit against the county, attorney Rebecca Webber told the Chronicle. The lawsuit complained that jailers failed to accommodate McGee’s hearing impairment as they processed her at the Travis County Correctional Complex on Sept. 13, 2022, leading her to spend a weekend alone in a cell, confused and in pain. McGee called the experience a “nightmare” but said she is grateful the city has joined a program that helps officials recognize non-visible disabilities and is now posting medics at the airport. Webber is calling on Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez to review some of the county’s training materials. “There is absolutely no excuse, ever, for breaking a petite, elderly woman’s wrist in a law enforcement situation,” she said.

CapMetro Service Changes: As part of CapMetro’s long-term service plan, Transit Plan 2035, the company announced service changes that took effect on Sunday, Aug. 16. Route 2 Rosewood/Cesar Chavez will extend along Springdale Road between Oak Springs Road and Seventh Street, now running both directions in a loop and no longer stopping at Goodwin and Airport Boulevard. Route 217 will be adjusted to serve Vargas Road rather than Montopolis Drive. The company is also implementing several schedule adjustments that can be found on capmetro.org.

Mobile Shower Services: Last Thursday, Aug. 13, Mission Accomplished, a nonprofit that supports those experiencing homelessness, launched a new mobile shower trailer and services in Downtown. With support from Glimmer Austin; JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation; and Shepherd 5 Points Family Foundation, the trailer includes eight shower stalls that will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. More information regarding access to the mobile showers can be found on the company’s website. These services add to the nonprofit’s existing mobile laundry trailer.

Emergency Demolitions Webinars: Austin Development Services is hosting two public webinar sessions today – one at 11am and another at 6pm – to educate community members on a new emergency demolition process. Currently, if a building becomes unsafe and goes unaddressed by the property owner, the city can bring the issue to the Building and Standards Commission to authorize a demolition. Now, the city’s building official will work with staff to review urgent cases where a damaged structure creates immediate danger, bypassing the Building and Standards Commission’s review, to order an emergency demolition in which work must begin within 96 hours. At the two webinars, the Development Services Department will explain when and how these emergency demolitions are authorized, discuss updated procedures, and inform attendees on what property owners and residents can expect.

Credit: doggett.house.gov QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Abbott is more interested in burnishing his well-known anti-immigrant credentials than following the law.”

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett on Gov. Greg Abbott stalling the extradition of Christian Castro

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