Immigration roundtable

Rosario Dawson and Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia become TV buddies (withvideo)

Celebrities and immigration policy?

University of San Diego made it happen at a town-hall forum broadcast live on MSNBC, featuring actress and activist Rosario Dawson appearing alongside Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia.

Hot topics included the influence of Hispanic voters in American politics, the Arizona immigration battleground and San Diego's legacy as the 1990s hotspot for cross-border conflict. Actress Rosario Dawson, of Rent, Sin City and Alexander fame, brought her savvy sense of Latino issues to the fore, while Garcia brought to the table the issue of immigrant influx in Texas.

In the first segment of the discussion, Garcia discussed the effects of illegal immigration for legal U.S. citizens with Dawson, co-founder of Voto Latino.

Prior to being elected Harris County sheriff in 2008, Garcia served 23 years with the Houston Police Department under former Houston Mayor Bob Lanier, who chose Adrian as HPD's liaison to the mayor's anti-gang office. Garcia has experience on City Council, and he's also served as a consultant for the U.S. State Department to analyze law enforcement and policing programs in Central America. He's the first Hispanic sheriff in Harris County history.

Telemundo anchor José Díaz-Balart, United Farm Workers leader Dolores Huerta and USD Trans-Border Institute director David Shirk rounded out the list of Latino issues luminaries. The broadcast will be re-aired Sunday at 11 p.m. on MSNBC.

Watch Garcia and Dawson discuss immigration here:

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This Week's Hot Headlines

New Memorial City development leads Houston's top 5 stories this week

Courtesy of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

Greenside will feature a one-acre greenspace.

Editor's note:It's time to recap the top stories on CultureMap from this past week. The top Houston news includes a family-friendly Memorial City development, a Montrose pizzeria closure, and a stylish new lounge for Upper Kirby. Get the details below, and find fun stuff do in town this weekend here.

1. New development with 1-acre green space coming to Memorial City area. The rapidly growing area will soon be home to Greenside, boasting a mix of restaurant, retail, and other family-friendly businesses, designed by the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.

2. Creative Montrose pizzeria will shutter after only a year-and-a-half. ElRo Pizza & Crudo will close at the end of the year, due to a steady decline in business.

3. Stylish new lounge shakes up Houston with art-inspired drinks and caviar. Cheers to this new nightlife spot, which is now open in Upper Kirby.

Sante cocktail lounge Sante's Garden Room is decorated with two olive trees. Photo by Chris Furia

4. These are the 6 most affordable ZIP codes for Houston renters. One of these ZIPs is also among the 10 most affordable in the U.S.

5. 15 Houston restaurants crafting nostalgic and decadent ice cream sundaes. The classic ice cream sundae is having a moment, and these restaurants are serving up decadent versions.