DMN Morning Debrief: New Visa Rule, Fort Worth Lockdown and the Flock Camera Debate

This is the Dallas Morning News. This episode is brought to you by Facebook. So you were scrolling on Marketplace, and there it was, the bike you'd been searching for. You sent a message, and it turned out the seller was super chatty, kind of funny, and an avid cyclist. The next thing you know, you're in a cycling crew, well, a community cycling group. The thing about Facebook, you might find more than what you're looking for. From a browse to a bike ride, this summer find more on Facebook. Welcome to the DMN morning debrief. Everything you need to know about what's going on across North Texas. I'm Samantha Guzman. Coming up on the debrief, the day's top stories, and we'll explain how cameras are being used to track cars in the city of Dallas. But first, the weather and today's headlines. This next segment is read by an AI voice. A heat advisory remains in effect through 8 p.m. Tuesday for Dallas, Denton, Kaufman, Terrant and Wise counties, with sunshine highs around 100. Drink water, avoid long stretches in the sun, and check on loved ones and neighbors. No significant rain is forecast through Friday, and triple-digit high temps are expected into next week. This weather report is compiled using information from our news partner KXAS TV NBC5. In today's headlines, a new federal rule taking effect September 15th will limit how long international students can stay in the United States. The rule ends a policy that generally allowed students to remain as long as needed to finish their studies and approved student visa work. Students will be capped at four years or the end of their programs, whichever comes first, and many will have to ask the Federal Immigration Agency for extensions. For North Texas universities, the stakes include tuition, revenue, and workforce contributions at a time when international enrollment has already fallen. The University of Texas at Dallas fell 40 percent, and the University of Texas at Arlington fell 33 percent between fall 2023 and fall 2025. The Department of Homeland Security says the rule is meant to prevent abuse of the visa system, while students interviewed by the Dallas Morning News said it adds fees, less time, and more uncertainty. In public safety news, O.D. Y at High School in Fort Worth went into lockdown Monday, the first day of classes, after a photograph of a student with a firearm on campus was reported, according to Fort Worth ISD. The district said five people, including the student who took the photograph, have been arrested. Fort Worth Police said a student called a parent to report someone had a gun at school, and that parent called police. The district said students and staff were safe, students were being released by late afternoon, and police and school officials were continuing to investigate. Finally, in Richardson, Ty Soon will close after dinner on August 23rd, ending a family restaurant run that began nearly 40 years ago.

Owner Ararine Irian Wang Ching Chai told the Dallas Morning News that shutting down the restaurant her mother started was, quote, the most difficult decision of my life. Tai soon opened on Dallas's Greenville Avenue in 1987 and later moved to Coit Road near Beltline in Richardson, where it has served customers for 26 years. Wang Ching Chai said the restaurant is not profitable, is not selling enough food to make rent, and owes $10,000 to the landlord. She is now the only cook and server with one dishwasher and a buyer or investor never materialized. She said she avoided raising prices even as ingredient costs went up because she did not want customers to worry about eating there. Wang Ching Chai said she may need to file for bankruptcy after closing, and she is unsure what comes next, though a catering kitchen is possible someday. Hi, it's Samantha again, and it's time for today's debrief extra. Have you noticed cameras atop 12-foot poles while driving around Dallas? They're called flock cameras, and they're at the center of a growing local and national privacy debate. Dallas Morning News staffer Anika Suncara has more. There are over 600 flock safety cameras in Dallas, using AI to record license plates and help police solve crimes. But Dallas police say at least 25 of them have been vandalized or cut down since March. Here's how the cameras work and why controversy is surrounding them. Flock markets what it calls its vehicle fingerprint technology, a system that doesn't just read license plates, but analyzes a vehicle's make, model, color, and other cosmetics, like bumper stickers or decals, to flag it across a network of cameras. According to company documents, the technology can identify vehicles with paper tags or no tags at all. Search for them without a plate number and match images with scanned vehicles to give investigators new leads. Dallas City Council first approved a contract with Flock in 2022. And since then, the city's camera network has expanded rapidly. Police and proponents say Flock cameras make it easier to identify suspects and solve crimes. On a podcast last year, DPD chief Daniel Como said Flock helped investigators arrest a gunman who'd committed two fatal shootings in one month. But some citizens are concerned about mass surveillance and believe flock cameras infringe on their privacy. Police departments, including DPD, often don't reveal exactly where the cameras are located. Some of those concerns have spurred action. In Texas, a handful of city and county governments have turned away from flock. Last month, U.S. Representative Keith Self, a Republican from McKinney, introduced a bill that would require federal law enforcement to obtain a warrant to search Flock's database and other surveillance records. Damage to Flock cameras in recent months has cost the city $2,400, though DPD said Flock waived most of the costs to replace them. This story was produced by Onika Sankara. Thanks for listening. Find more reporting and today's stories at Dallas News.com.

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