Troop Trauma
The expected deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops to the border has angered border advocacy groups, which fear the militarization of their communities will damage the local economy and impact their way of life. Full Story
The latest demographics news from The Texas Tribune.
The expected deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops to the border has angered border advocacy groups, which fear the militarization of their communities will damage the local economy and impact their way of life. Full Story
The Hutto immigration detention center is under scrutiny again after a guard at the private facility was accused of sexual assault. Full Story
Ramsey on what the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll says about the governor's race, education, immigration, and other issues; Grissom on a far West Texas county divided over Arizona's immigration law; Ramshaw talks health care reform and obesity in Texas with a legendary Dallas doctor; M. Smith on the Collin County community that's about to break ground on a $60 million high school football stadium; Aguilar on the backlog of cases in the federal immigration detention system; Philpott of the Green Party's plans to get back on the ballot; Hu on the latest in the Division of Workers' Comp contretemps; Mulvaney on the punishing process of getting compensated for time spent in jail when you didn't commit a crime; Hamilton on the fight over higher ed formula funding; and my sit-down with state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin: The best of our best from May 24-28, 2010. Full Story
A commissioner's court resolution supporting Arizona's controversial immigration law has split rural Hudspeth County in far West Texas, whose 3,000 residents are largely Hispanic. Commissioner Jim Ed Miller, who introduced the resolution, says he simply wants the federal government to do its job and stop illegals from crossing the border. "Now what the hell is wrong with upholding the law?" he asks. But commissioner Wayne West, who opposed it, describes the prospect of law enforcement asking people to prove their citizenship as “nothing but pure harassment.” Full Story
The number of unresolved cases in the federal immigration detention system has reached an all-time high, driven in part by surging backlogs in Texas, especially in San Antonio and El Paso. Blame it on not enough judges. Full Story
A majority of Texans believe the state is on the right track, while a plurality thinks the country is on the wrong track, according to a new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
Texans narrowly oppose a "pathway to citizenship" for illegal immigrants, strongly favor an end to in-state tuition for non-citizens at state colleges and universities, would support a constitutional "English-only" amendment and overwhelmingly say that businesses should verify the immigration status of their workers, according to the new UT/Texas Tribune poll. Full Story
U.S. National Guard troops will soon patrol the United States' border with Mexico — again. Full Story
The Arizona law misses the mark because it fails to address the underlying problems with our broken borders. Full Story
If the federal law was enforced, there would be no need for an Arizona law or any other law in a state that is proposing similar legislation. Full Story
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is pushing hard for the FAA to approve a second aerial drone to surveil the Texas-Mexico border — holding an Obama nominee hostage until Texas gets its way. Full Story
Five members of the U.S. House are lashing out at Gov. Rick Perry for what they say is his refusal to allocate more of the federal funding that moves through his office to the border. Perry claims his hands are tied and insists the congressmen need to check their math. While the back and forth continues, residents of the border fear for their lives. Full Story
Nearly two months after border-area cattle inspection stations in Mexico ceased operations amid security concerns, the sites have reopened on the Texas side of the border. A popular South Texas lake, however, is now on the radar. Full Story
City of El Paso representatives call for a change in drug policy, allege current laws are a failure. Full Story
The long-awaited debate over the Arizona immigration law between state Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, and state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio — promised but never facilitated by CNN — took place today on Dallas radio station KRLD. Full Story
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund has filed a lawsuit challenging Arizona’s controversial new immigration law. Full Story
An unmanned aerial drone will begin patrolling Texas’ border with Mexico next month. Full Story
The federal government has more than tripled the number of visas granted to undocumented victims of such crimes as domestic violence and rape. The policy change is designed to aid prosecutors in securing witnesses and convictions, but some fear the incentive of legal status will spur false accusations. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry today released his updated homeland security plan, and border congressmen want to know why he's not sending more federal security money to the border. Full Story
More than 30 religious, immigration and environmental advocacy groups sent a letter to Democratic U.S. Senate leaders Thursday calling on them to oppose a Republican measure to build more fencing on the southern border. Full Story