The latest border news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas economists and politicians are closely watching what this summer's presidential contest in Mexico means for the peso and, in turn, the state's symbiotic business ties to our neighbor to the south. Full Story
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The head of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is stepping down, the Department of Homeland Security announced today. Commissioner Alan Bersin has been in the post since March 2010. Full Story
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Aerial surveillance in the form of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft will replace about 900 National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border as early as next year, a strategy not all Texas lawmakers like. Full Story
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The Dallas Cowboys have attracted a devoted fan base in Mexico, a country where American football ranks second to Mexican fútbol. Travelers risk overnight bus tours on roads traversed by violent drug cartels for the chance to see a game at Cowboys Stadium. Full Story
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The warnings were clear: avoid traveling the highways in northern Mexico at night. But it wasn't enough to stop some of the most fervent Mexican fans of the Dallas Cowboys from traversing them to get to a game. Full Story
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In this episode of Weekend Insider, Gov. Rick Perry heads out on a bus tour of Iowa, and reporters Ben Philpott and Jay Root are along for the ride. Reporter Julian Aguilar takes a different type of bus tour — from Mexico to Dallas with some serious Cowboys fans. Full Story
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Drug seizures are up but illegal immigrant arrests are falling on the southern border, according to data released today by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Full Story
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A decision by the White House to reduce the number of National Guard soldiers on the country’s border with Mexico has provoked a fierce but expected reaction from Gov. Rick Perry, a longtime advocate for more boots on the ground in Texas. Full Story
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Root on Rick Perry's controversial new ad, Tan on the fallout, Aaronson's map of where the food stamps go, my interview with Stephen Colbert's campaign finance lawyer, Aguilar on the drop in the number of illegal immigrants crossing into Texas, Hamilton on the growth of unregulated colleges, Galbraith's interview with S. David Freeman on the environmental failures of public power, Grissom on the newest state agency and and Hamilton and M. Smith on a sudden change at the top of UT's law school: The best of our best content from December 5 to 9, 2011. Full Story
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A sour economy, increased border law enforcement and skyrocketing smuggling fees are keeping more would-be crossers at home. But you wouldn't know it from the presidential campaigns. Full Story
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In this episode of Weekend Insider, Tribune reporter Julian Aguilar discusses immigration and politics, and executive editor Ross Ramsey discusses talks about candidates looking to voters for a second chance. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst released more interim charges he wants Senate committees to consider before the upper chamber gavels in January 2013. And it should be a surprise to few that there's a sustained focus on the Texas-Mexico border. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst released a list today of border security-related issues he wants Senate committees to consider in advance of the 2013 legislative session. Full Story
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Last night's CNN debate on national security highlighted significant differences among the GOP presidential candidates — in particular, between Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports. Full Story
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Mayors of cities along the Texas-Mexico border intent on protecting the images of their communities are drawing vastly different conclusions about a proposal that would bring in equipment from overseas war zones to bolster border-security efforts. Full Story
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Vikram Datta was a successful perfume businessman when the feds accused him of being part of a complex conspiracy to launder money from drug sales. What led to his downfall? An investigation into the Black Market Peso Exchange. Full Story
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In this edition of the Texas Tribune Weekend Insider, reporter Julian Aguilar explains the challenges and temptations facing business owners on the border. And reporter Morgan Smith takes us to West Texas, where school districts have benefited from the wind energy boom. Full Story
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Environmental groups are fighting a proposal that would grant U.S. Border Patrol greater authority to operate in public parks and on environmentally protected land, saying it would circumvent regulations designed to protect natural resources. Full Story
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The French photographer on why he documented the construction of the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and what he learned as he trekked through four states photographing the multi-billion dollar effort. Full Story
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced this week it deported more immigrants during the 2011 fiscal year than it did in any year since the agency's 2003 inception. Full Story
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