Texas manufacturing activity fell this month as business executives report increasing uncertainty about President Trump's looming tariff policy and concerns about changes to immigration policy, per a new Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas report.

Why it matters: Texas stands to lose $47.1 billion — the most of any state — if tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico take effect, along with those already imposed on China.

• Automakers are already delaying new vehicle launches due to uncertainty about manufacturing costs if tariffs are enacted.

Driving the news: Production and new orders dropped among Texas manufacturers this month compared to January, with many businesses reporting they were shortening workweeks and potentially cutting workers, per a Dallas Fed survey released this week.

• Still, manufacturers reported they expect production to increase in the next six months or by early 2026.

Zoom in: General Motors executives said last week the company would consider moving plants if U.S. tariffs become permanent.

• The automaker employs thousands in Texas.

What they did: The Dallas Fed surveys manufacturers statewide every month about orders, employment and prices. The latest survey includes responses from 89 of the 118 manufacturing firms surveyed Feb. 11-19.

• The survey also asked questions about tariffs and immigration, to which 327 business executives in manufacturing, retail and service industries responded.

By the numbers: About 32% of Texas firms reported they've relied on hiring workers from out of state in the past year, and a quarter reported relying on hiring workers who moved from another country.

• 18% of Texas executives surveyed reported immigration policy changes would affect their ability to hire or retain employees.

Responses on tariffs

The Trump administration's federal workforce layoffs have hit Texas National Park Service sites.

Why it matters: Advocates for the parks warn the layoffs — part of a nationwide reduction of 3,400 U.S. Forest Service and 1,000 NPS jobs — could weaken the maintenance of beloved campgrounds and trails heading into spring break season.

• Officials with the Association of National Park Rangers say the cuts will result in slower emergency response times, park closures, reduced hours and educational programs, and more uncollected litter.

By the numbers: At least nine employees at NPS sites in Texas have lost their jobs, Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, tells Axios.

• That includes five people at Big Bend National Park, two at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park in the Hill Country, and two at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park in Brownsville.

Yes, but: Texas doesn't appear to be as severely impacted as other states.

• More than 150 workers have been cut in Colorado and over 60 were laid off in Oregon.

The big picture: The cuts come as NPS sites nationwide already face staffing shortages amid growing park visitation, Cary Dupuy, Texas regional director with the National Parks Conservation Association, tells Axios.

Between the lines

"Leave no trace" has long been the mantra for preserving our wild spaces, but with fewer federal employees on the ground at national parks and other natural areas, that ethos will be more important than ever.

What they're saying: Evelynn Escobar, the founder and executive director of Hike Clerb, a nonprofit that aims to increase diversity in natural spaces, said on Instagram that everyone needs to think "What would a ranger do?"

• "If you see trash on the ground, pick it up and put it in the trash," Escobar said. "You see restoration areas marked 'in progress,' you're going to stay off those lands."

The bottom line: Mark Eller, spokesperson for Leave No Trace — an educational nonprofit that promotes environmental stewardship — reiterated that message, and said he hopes people gain a renewed sense of personal responsibility.

• "The degree to which the public can equip themselves to be stewards of the parks is going to make a huge difference," he said.

🚓 Gov. Greg Abbott's widely publicized immigrant crackdown in Liberty County's Colony Ridge subdivision this week resulted in 118 arrests, federal authorities said. (Houston Chronicle)

💨 The derecho that thrashed downtown Houston in May 2024 was even more destructive because of a unique "bouncing" effect as high winds moved between skyscrapers, new research found. (Houston Public Media)

🗣️ Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, said he wasn't serious when he was caught on a hot mic saying he wanted to "f---ing kill" podcast host Tucker Carlson. (Chron)

Bankrupt arts and crafts retailer Joann will close all of its stores, after its restructuring plans faltered and a liquidator agreed to buy its assets.

Why it matters: The closure includes eight Houston-area stores, from Clear Lake to Sugar Land to Katy and The Woodlands.

• The retailer also has a store in Beaumont.

Catch up quick: Joann had about 800 stores and 19,000 employees when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January. That included 15,600 part-time workers.

State of play: In a customer FAQ posted on its restructuring website, the company said subject to court approval, it expects to begin or continue "going-out-of-business sales at all locations immediately."

• Stores will be accepting gift cards through Friday, the company said on its website.

🧶 Shafaq's thought bubble: Joann has been a fixture in my life, from tagging along with my mom for fabrics and zippers to hunting down yarn and supplies for my own projects.

• Oh, how I'm going to miss having its selection just a quick drive away — truly the end of an era.