The Texas Office of the Inspector General is reportedly investigating a state trooper's claims against the state's border enforcement initiative, a Department of Public Safety spokesperson told the Texas Tribune.

• Meanwhile, Texas Democrats are urging the White House to investigate the "inhumane" practices at the border.

What's happening: Texas troopers working Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star initiative were ordered to push young children into the Rio Grande and not give immigrants water, according to internal emails reviewed exclusively by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News.

Background: Texas recently set up miles of barriers using barbed wire and buoys in the river near Eagle Pass, a section of the border that has seen the second-highest number of migrant crossings this fiscal year, according to the Associated Press.

What they're saying: U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Houston Democrat, called for a Department of Justice investigation Tuesday and wrote, "Razor wire-wrapped barrels in the river, pushing children back into the river, and denying water during extreme heat would be acts of deliberate, horrific torture. It would be beyond politics and cross a line into human rights violations."

• Beto O'Rourke tweeted that there is "one person who has the power to stop Abbott … Mr. President, we need you to act."
• U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro called it an "absolutely monstrous, inhumane policy."

Threat level: In an email, the trooper reported that wire has increased the number of drownings by forcing immigrants into deeper parts of the water, according to the newspapers.

• He wrote, "I believe we have stepped over a line into the inhumane."

The other side: DPS spokesman Travis Considine responded to Axios' request for comment by emailing a link to a tweet he posted.

• "Troopers give migrants water. They treat their wounds. They save them from drowning. They also do everything possible to deter them from risking their lives in the first place," his tweet says.
• He also shared emails from DPS director Steven McCraw in which McCraw called for an audit to find ways to reduce risks to immigrants.

Go deeper

Undocumented immigrants continue to face trauma once they settle in the U.S.

Driving the news: A recent study, co-authored by Rice University assistant professor Luz Garcini, found that immigrants without documentation face mental health issues and additional psychological distress after arriving in the U.S.

Background: The study interviewed 253 undocumented Latinx immigrants, the majority of whom came from Mexico and have been residing in the U.S. for approximately a decade.

Details: According to the study, lack of access to medical care, bodily abuse, beatings, sexual humiliation, and deprivation of food or water were significant factors that contributed to severe anxiety and depression after migration.

• Garcini says undocumented immigrants are often afraid to seek help because they don't want to be seen and forced to leave the country.

What they're saying: "In their mind, they can survive the trauma that they're leaving behind in the hope for a new future," Garcini tells Axios. "But what happens when you come to the Promised Land — saying that in a rhetorical way — and you continue to face a lot of trauma?"

What's next

💰 U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat running for Houston mayor, filed a campaign finance report that included illegal contributions and a donation from a dead woman. (Houston Landing)

🏛️ Defend Texas Liberty, supporters of suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, donated $3 million to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is overseeing Paxton's impeachment trial. (Texas Tribune)

Houston recorded its first heat-related death on June 24, according to newly released reports. The victim was living in a home without air conditioning and died at the hospital. (Houston Public Media)

Dairy Queen is the most common ice cream chain across the Houston metro area, with Marble Slab and Baskin-Robbins as runners-up.

• That's according to a new Axios analysis of Yelp data from Axios' Kavya Beheraj and Erin Davis.

By the numbers: There are 93 Dairy Queens across the Houston area, followed by 52 Marble Slabs and 40 Baskin-Robbins.

The big picture: Dairy Queen is the most dominant chain in nearly 75% of U.S. counties, suggesting people really like their Blizzards.

💭 Jay's delicious thought bubble: I can dig a Blizzard every now and then, but when I really want a fix — and find myself in the Willowbrook area — I head to Connie's Frozen Custard.

• And when in Galveston, there's nothing better than a cone from Hey Mikey's Ice Cream after a hot day on the beach.

What's your favorite local ice cream joint? Hit reply to this email.

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👋 Shafaq here! It's been a difficult gardening year for me. I've regrettably neglected my garden a bit, but even with the scorching summer heat, nature finds a way.

Driving the news: For the past two years, I've tried growing amaranth — a grain that produces striking flowers. But they've always been measly, growing only about 2 feet. This year, I didn't plant any seeds, but I had volunteer plants all over my garden sprouting more than 5 feet, with dozens of offshoots and flowers.

• I also have several volunteer lemon cucumbers sprawling across the garden, protecting the soil from the heat.

My experience: Summer's the hardest gardening season in Houston. In the past, I've always had one star plant that keeps me going, like okra, roselle or black-eyed peas.

• This year, the volunteer plants persisting reminded me to return to the garden and prepare for the fall.

📬 Readers, what's still growing in your garden this summer?