Selene Rodriguez is the Campaign Director for the Secure and Sovereign Nation campaign at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In this role, she conducts research on public policy issues; assists the Foundation in academic publication; educates lawmakers and members of the public on Foundation research; and provides formal testimony to local, state, and federal entities.
Prior to this position, Rodriguez served in the Marine Corps as an Intelligence Specialist and completed an internship at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Born and raised in Del Rio, Texas, Rodriguez graduated from Texas State University with a B.A. and M.A. in Political Science.
Nations do not collapse overnight. They erode when leaders start deciding which laws are optional. It shows the American people that if immigration law only applies when it’s politically convenient, then it isn’t law—it’s theater. Maria Salazar, a Republican congresswoman from Florida recently said, “Don’t touch the nannies or the gardeners… Those people are helping...
I live in a community that, not long ago, was a quiet town outside Austin, Texas—one of many places people fled to in search of safety, order, and a better quality of life. Today, that same community is rapidly transforming into the very version of Austin many residents hoped to escape. Growth is not the...
Every law enforcement agency in every red state should take part in the 287(g) program. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently arrested more than 1,500 illegal aliens, including sexual predators and fugitives, in Texas during a 10-day period, the agency announced on Nov. 5. It’s an extraordinary achievement, and a reminder that even with operations of this...
After Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s speech to senior commanders on military fitness and standards, my social media accounts lit up. One representative comment went like this: “Hegseth said we’re going back to gender roll (sic) jobs! So it looks like all you ladies are gonna be in the mail room and admin!” Yeah—she couldn’t...
Across continents, democratic nations are grappling with similar threats—mass illegal immigration, the erosion of national identity, and the subordination of citizen welfare to global opinion. Increasingly, voters are rejecting symbolism and electing leaders who deliver solutions. Consider Poland’s recent election, where Karol Nawrocki won a razor-thin 50.89% victory. An amateur boxer and political newcomer, Nawrocki...
For too long, Texas has been held hostage to the whims of federal immigration policy. When Washington decides to enforce our laws, Texans breathe easier. When it doesn’t, our communities suffer—bearing the costs of unchecked illegal immigration, cartel violence, and overwhelmed public services. This cycle of vulnerability must end. President Trump’s January 20th executive order...
Although President Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office brings renewed optimism for border security efforts, Texas legislators should still double down on their efforts in this regard and build upon the momentum from last session’s attempt at implementing a Texas “Engel List” for the sake of our sovereignty and economy. The Northern Triangle Enhanced...
The Trump Administration sees very clearly the true nature of the cartels’ increasing threat to our sovereignty and security. Among his first actions as President, Donald Trump signed an executive order designating Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Shortly after, the White House highlighted the cartel’s collusion with the Mexican Government and stated that “The...
Texas can continue to safeguard its citizens—and its sovereignty, an appeals court has ruled. Last week the great State of Texas secured another victory in court. The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Texas has the right to build its concertina-wire border barrier, and to continue to deter illegal immigration into Texas, without federal agents tampering...
The border crisis is not primarily an immigration problem, it’s a cartel problem. The ongoing border crisis has raised an important question among policymakers and average citizens: Are we dealing with an immigration problem or a security problem? Each lens requires a different response. But the fact is, the border crisis is not primarily an...
In New York City, police are now targeting the violent Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua. According to the NYPD, the gang is now “actively recruiting gang members in migrant shelters where guns and drugs have been smuggled inside via food cartons.” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell says the border crisis is driving the...
I was playing hooky from second grade, home “sick” when it happened. The phone rang and my aunt, who was crying, demanded I put my grandma on the phone. She was bringing me a plate of pancakes when she turned the channel and dropped the plate, her eyes swelling as the glass smashed on the...