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Under Operation Lone Star, Texas State Police More than Doubled Their Drone Fleet
The Department of Public Safety has acquired an army of unmanned aerial vehicles—nearly as large as the U.S. Border Patrol's.
Francesca D'Annunzio
Francesca D'Annunzio is the Texas Observer's 2025-26 David McHam investigative reporting fellow. D’Annunzio has reported on topics ranging from deportations in the Dominican Republic, Christian nationalism, U.S.-Mexico border colonias, right-wing sheriffs, to zoning and housing policy in Texas. She received her master’s in investigative journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. She is proficient in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Arabic.
Articles by Francesca D'Annunzio
Prosecutors Drop Only Criminal Cases from Hays County Airbnb Raid
Pending drug charges have been abandoned from the multi-agency April operation that supposedly targeted Tren de Aragua and led to multiple deportations.
Texas Turns Its Sprawling State Police Force Into Immigration Agents for Trump
The notorious 287(g) task force program has finally reached DPS, raising fears of widespread racial profiling.
Trump’s ICE Arrested a Whistleblower Who Exposed Sexual Assault in Detention. Now, He’s Left the Country.
Douglas Menjivar is a survivor and activist. He’s also married to a U.S. citizen, but he was caught up in the president’s mass deportation agenda anyway.
Officials Said They Busted a Tren de Aragua Party. Attendees Beg to Differ.
A highly publicized multi-agency raid in Hays County resulted in dozens of arrests on low-level immigration charges and left an Austin mother's life in tatters. It also fit a pattern of unproven gang-related accusations.
The Eyes of Chihuahua
The 20-story Torre Centinela looming over Juárez is part of a much larger AI-powered surveillance system that won’t stop at the Texas-Mexico border.
Dems in Congress Are Being Denied Access to ICE Facilities. Now They’re Suing.
As immigration enforcement spending ramps up, oversight mechanisms have been stifled—including for members of Congress.
A Venezuelan Was Detained as a ‘Documented’ Gang Member by ICE, Which Refused to Provide Proof
The Venezuelan immigrant, who has no criminal record, previously worked for a multinational corporation that sells snacks, food, and soft drinks.
ICE ‘Task Force’ Agreements Expand to Galveston, Beaumont
As Immigration and Customs Enforcement rolls out necessary training, the Galveston County Sheriff's Office joins a growing list of Texas law enforcement agencies deputizing officers to serve as roving immigration agents.
Legislature Mandates Sheriff-ICE Cooperation in Jails or Streets
Texas lawmakers are ordering nearly all counties to seek federal agreements that may be limited to jailhouses—or may convert deputies into roving immigration agents.