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Here’s The Latest On Hurricane Harvey And How Texas Are Dealing With The Damage

Twitter/@houstonpolice @YonksHTX
By August 29, 2017 at 3:17 pm

As flooding continues in Southeast Texas, four days since Hurricane Harvey made landfall, we are now seeing the devastation that it has left in its path. And the rain is supposed to continue until tomorrow. The Weather Channel reports that Harvey’s center is currently in the Gulf of Mexico, which means the hurricane is expected to hit the Louisiana coast tomorrow.

Initial reports of fatalities are currently at 14, including a family of six that died while trying to evacuate. The New York Daily News reports that Manuel Saldivar, 84, his wife Belia, 81; Daisy Saldivar, 6; Xavier Saldivar, 8; Dominic Saldivar, 14; Devy Saldivar, 16, were in a van attempting to leave Houston. The van was overcome with flood waters as it tried to cross the bridge

As rising waters continue to overtake various parts of Houston, officials in Brazoria County tweeted that residents had to leave the area quickly because the levee had been breached. NBC also reports that two Houston reservoirs have overflowed.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in Houston and are surveying the damage. But the First Lady is getting clowned for wearing heels and a “FLOTUS” hat on her trip.

The Mexican government has attempted to offer aid to victims of Hurricane Harvey, but Trump has yet to approve any of it.

The hashtag #HoustonStrong is showing us some truly emotional photos of people helping others in need, and is also capturing what exactly is happening in Texas.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also confirmed the death of 60-year-old police officer Steve Perez, who was trying to get to work and help. Police chief Art Acevedo was clearly shaken during a press conference:

This is just one visual of how much waters have risen in Houston.

Yesterday, the Mayor tweeted that undocumented people should not fear seeking help.

“If you are in a stressful situation, I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what your religion is, I don’t care what your language is, you come and take advantage of every service that we have,” Turner said, according to The Hill. “If you’re in a stressful situation and you need help, you call us for help. We want you to call. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should not call okay?”

While a lot of the news has been dire, there have been some incredible people that have done whatever they can in order to help. The Houston Police gave a shout out to Taqueria Del Sol, which served food to patrol officers.

In other parts of Houston, the Gonzales family used their boat to help several people evacuate.

These panaderos were holed up in a bakery, so they made bread and gave it to those in need.

Gloria Maria Quintanilla didn’t let flooding stop her from getting to her job.

“I worked at the hotel up there,” she said to a New York Times reporter, adding that she only makes $10 an hour. “It was my day to work, and I’m a very responsible person,” Quintanilla said, speaking in Spanish. “I had no idea it was going to be like this.”

READ: After Criticism, Border Patrol Announces It Will Close Immigration Checkpoints In Path Of Hurricane Harvey

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The Border Patrol Is Showing Up To County Fairs, Country Music Concerts And Spartan Races To Recruit

things that matter

The Border Patrol Is Showing Up To County Fairs, Country Music Concerts And Spartan Races To Recruit

John Moore / Getty
By Omar Villegas August 29, 2017 at 5:32 pm

Remember when, earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order to “improve border security and immigration enforcement”? Most of the attention was focused on Trump’s plan to build a billion-dollar border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. In that same executive order, Trump called for the hiring of 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, as well as 5,000 new Border Patrol agents.

Months later, the Department of Homeland Security says it is having trouble finding enough qualified recruits to fill those positions. A July report from the DHS Office of the Inspector General says ICE and the Border Patrol are “facing significant challenges in identifying, recruiting, hiring, and fielding the number of law enforcement officers mandated in the Executive Orders.” How significant? According to the report, ICE would need 500,000 people to apply in order for them to fill 10,000 positions with people who qualify.

ICE and CBP have a two-year window to fill the positions, and according to CBS News, the Border Patrol is getting creative with its recruiting efforts. Border Patrol recruiters are now attending country fairs, Spartan Races, and country music festivals in an effort to find applicants. The Border Patrol recently had a recruiting booth at the WE Fest in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Among the performers: Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum and Alan Jackson. It appears the Border Patrol is recruiting at events where they can find Trump supporters who support the President’s immigration policies.

Although the Border Patrol’s new recruiting tactics may lead to an increase in applicants, it doesn’t guarantee they’ll get enough people who qualify for the gig. According to CBS News, 75 percent of recruits fail the required polygraph test. And the last time the Border Patrol made a big push to recruit — right after 9/11 — polygraph testing wasn’t yet implemented, which led to an increase of corruption and excessive violence within the agency, CBS News reports.

President Trump’s Deportation Demands Are Putting ICE And Border Patrol Into Compromising Positions

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