INSIDER
Former Eagle Pass detective sentenced to 10 years in prison for running migrant stash houses
Read full article: Former Eagle Pass detective sentenced to 10 years in prison for running migrant stash housesHazel Eileen Diaz received nearly $40,000 in cash and money transfers for letting human smugglers use her rental properties.
Takeaways from the Texas Tribune-Associated Press report on 24 hours along the Texas-Mexico border
Read full article: Takeaways from the Texas Tribune-Associated Press report on 24 hours along the Texas-Mexico borderReporters from both organizations spent a day documenting the reality on the border. Here’s a summary of what they found.
Many Americans say immigration is out of control, but 24 hours on the Texas-Mexico border showed a new reality. Will it last?
Read full article: Many Americans say immigration is out of control, but 24 hours on the Texas-Mexico border showed a new reality. Will it last?The Texas Tribune and The Associated Press visited five locations along the 1,254-mile span to separate the facts from the political narrative during a heated election year.
Judge rejects Ken Paxton’s bid to question leader of Brownsville migrant aid organization
Read full article: Judge rejects Ken Paxton’s bid to question leader of Brownsville migrant aid organizationThe AG’s office sought to depose the leader of Team Brownsville, which provides water, shelter and basic necessities to asylum-seeking migrants.
US arrests at Mexico border are expected to drop 30% in July to a new low for Biden's presidency
Read full article: US arrests at Mexico border are expected to drop 30% in July to a new low for Biden's presidencyU.S. arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico during July have plummeted to a new low for Joe Biden’s presidency, raising prospects a temporary ban on asylum may be lifted soon.
Texas' floating Rio Grande barrier can stay for now, court rules as larger legal battle persists
Read full article: Texas' floating Rio Grande barrier can stay for now, court rules as larger legal battle persistsA floating barrier in the Rio Grande meant to discourage migrants from trying to cross from Mexico into Texas can stay for now, a full federal appeals court has ruled.
GOP-led states have pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions of dollars to help Texas secure the border this year
Read full article: GOP-led states have pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions of dollars to help Texas secure the border this yearThe federal government has deployed National Guard to the border for years, but more than a dozen states have dug into their own budgets to send even more personnel
Eagle Pass residents have mixed feelings about sharing their city with the National Guard
Read full article: Eagle Pass residents have mixed feelings about sharing their city with the National GuardTexas has sent thousands of soldiers to the border as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s multibillion-dollar initiative Operation Lone Star. No border town has felt their presence more than Eagle Pass.
Migrant apprehensions are down at the Texas border. Have state policies had an impact?
Read full article: Migrant apprehensions are down at the Texas border. Have state policies had an impact?Abbott has credited his Operation Lone Star for a recent drop in migrant encounters on the Texas-Mexico border.
Mexico ‘condemns’ controversial Texas immigration law, says it won’t accept deportations from the state
Read full article: Mexico ‘condemns’ controversial Texas immigration law, says it won’t accept deportations from the stateAs a legal battle between state and federal government wages on over Texas' controversial immigration law, Mexico is making its voice heard on SB 4.
Supreme Court extends block on Texas law that would allow police to arrest migrants
Read full article: Supreme Court extends block on Texas law that would allow police to arrest migrantsThe Supreme Court has extended its block, for now, on a Texas law that would give police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S. while the legal battle it sparked over immigration authority plays out.
Supreme Court temporarily blocks Texas law that allows police to arrest migrants
Read full article: Supreme Court temporarily blocks Texas law that allows police to arrest migrantsTexas’ plans to arrest migrants who enter the U.S. illegally and order them to leave the country is headed to the Supreme Court in a legal showdown over the federal government’s authority over immigration.
As Biden and Trump visit the border, many Texas residents feel ignored
Read full article: As Biden and Trump visit the border, many Texas residents feel ignoredWhen the two presidents used the Texas-Mexico boundary as a backdrop for the national immigration fight, residents felt they were left out of the conversation.
EXPLAINER: What you should know about SB 4′s rollout
Read full article: EXPLAINER: What you should know about SB 4′s rolloutSenate Bill 4, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in December, has been a topic of controversy in Texas. Recently, a federal judge in Austin blocked the enforcement of SB 4. #SB4 #ImmigrationEnforcement #LegalBattle
In two Texas border towns, Biden and Trump push for different immigration approaches
Read full article: In two Texas border towns, Biden and Trump push for different immigration approachesImmigration is a driving issue in the almost-certain presidential rematch between the Democratic incumbent and ousted Republican.
Texas will build camp for National Guard members in border city of Eagle Pass
Read full article: Texas will build camp for National Guard members in border city of Eagle PassTexas is expanding its grasp of a border city that has become the focus of a political struggle between the state and federal government.
Texas and Biden administration lawyers face off in court over new law making illegal border crossing a state crime
Read full article: Texas and Biden administration lawyers face off in court over new law making illegal border crossing a state crimeAn Austin judge will decide whether Senate Bill 4 will go into effect on March 5. The new law allows police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the border.
Judge expresses skepticism at Texas law that lets police arrest migrants for illegal entry
Read full article: Judge expresses skepticism at Texas law that lets police arrest migrants for illegal entryA federal judge has voiced concerns over a Texas law that would give police broad authority to arrest migrants on charges of illegal entry starting in March.
GOP governors back at Texas border to keep pressure on Biden over migrant crossings
Read full article: GOP governors back at Texas border to keep pressure on Biden over migrant crossingsTexas Gov. Greg Abbott returned to the Eagle Pass border to highlight his escalating attempts to curb illegal crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Texas' standoff with the feds in Eagle Pass is igniting calls for secession and fears of violence
Read full article: Texas' standoff with the feds in Eagle Pass is igniting calls for secession and fears of violenceThe calls for Texas to defend itself and defy the federal government have set fire to a long-simmering fight over states’ rights, emboldening right-wing figures.
Illegal border crossings from Mexico reach highest on record in December before January lull
Read full article: Illegal border crossings from Mexico reach highest on record in December before January lullU.S. authorities say arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico reached an all-time high in December since monthly numbers have been released, exposing a growing vulnerability for President Joe Biden in his campaign for a second term.
Biden administration renews demand for Texas to allow Border Patrol to access a key park
Read full article: Biden administration renews demand for Texas to allow Border Patrol to access a key parkThe Biden administration is renewing demands for Texas to give Border Patrol access to a riverfront park that is a popular corridor for migrants illegally entering the U.S. A letter sent Tuesday to Texas officials continues a clash between the state and the Biden administration over immigration enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court says Texas can’t block federal agents from the border
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court says Texas can’t block federal agents from the borderThe high court’s order effectively maintains long-running precedent that the federal government — not individual states — has authority to enforce border security.
Supreme Court allows federal agents to cut razor wire Texas installed on US-Mexico border
Read full article: Supreme Court allows federal agents to cut razor wire Texas installed on US-Mexico borderA divided Supreme Court is allowing Border Patrol agents to cut razor wire that Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border while a lawsuit over the wire continues.
In Eagle Pass, a tense border standoff between Texas and the federal government is reaching a crescendo
Read full article: In Eagle Pass, a tense border standoff between Texas and the federal government is reaching a crescendoA park on the Rio Grande is the new focus of a long battle over border enforcement that’s reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
Texas is blocking US border agents from patrols, Biden administration tells Supreme Court
Read full article: Texas is blocking US border agents from patrols, Biden administration tells Supreme CourtThe Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to order Texas to stop blocking Border Patrol agents from a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border where large numbers of migrants have crossed in recent months.
Feds say Texas is blocking Border Patrol from a section of the border, ask US Supreme Court to intervene
Read full article: Feds say Texas is blocking Border Patrol from a section of the border, ask US Supreme Court to interveneThe Justice Department says agents can’t access 2.5 miles of the border and a boat ramp in Eagle Pass.
Speaker Johnson demands hard-line policies during a border visit as Ukraine aid hangs in the balance
Read full article: Speaker Johnson demands hard-line policies during a border visit as Ukraine aid hangs in the balanceU.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has led about 60 fellow Republicans in Congress on a visit to the Mexican border.
Two railroad crossings are temporarily closed in Texas. Will there be a significant impact on trade?
Read full article: Two railroad crossings are temporarily closed in Texas. Will there be a significant impact on trade?The federal government has closed railroad crossings in two Texas border towns, raising concerns about the potential impact on cross-border trade.
Appeals court halts ruling that Border Patrol can legally cut Texas’ border concertina wire
Read full article: Appeals court halts ruling that Border Patrol can legally cut Texas’ border concertina wireLess than a week after a Del Rio-based federal judge ruled against Texas in the ongoing fight over the state’s razor wire, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals paused that decision while it reviews the case.
Court orders Texas to remove floating buoy barrier that drew backlash from Mexico
Read full article: Court orders Texas to remove floating buoy barrier that drew backlash from MexicoA federal appeals court has ruled that Texas must move a floating barrier on the Rio Grande that drew backlash from Mexico.
Court orders Texas to move floating buoy barrier that drew backlash from Mexico
Read full article: Court orders Texas to move floating buoy barrier that drew backlash from MexicoA federal appeals court has ruled that Texas must move a floating barrier on the Rio Grande that drew backlash from Mexico.
Texas judge rips into Biden administration's handling of border in dispute over razor wire barrier
Read full article: Texas judge rips into Biden administration's handling of border in dispute over razor wire barrierA judge for now isn't stopping Border Patrol agents from cutting razor wire that Texas has put on the U.S.-Mexico border to deter migrants.
Judge denies Texas’ request to stop feds from cutting border razor wire
Read full article: Judge denies Texas’ request to stop feds from cutting border razor wireJudge Alia Moses ruled in the federal government’s favor but chided the Biden administration for not allowing migrants to use international bridges to claim asylum.
US closes border crossing to vehicles and limits traffic at another in response to illegal entries
Read full article: US closes border crossing to vehicles and limits traffic at another in response to illegal entriesU.S. authorities say they are closing a Texas border crossing to vehicles and limiting traffic at an Arizona crossing to shift more resources to illegal entries.
Illegal border crossings into the US drop in October after a 3-month streak of increases
Read full article: Illegal border crossings into the US drop in October after a 3-month streak of increasesU.S. authorities say illegal border crossings from Mexico fell 14% in October from a month earlier, following three months of big increases.
State Senate approves bill to spend $1.5 billion for border walls, more policing of Liberty County development
Read full article: State Senate approves bill to spend $1.5 billion for border walls, more policing of Liberty County developmentAlong with the money to build more border barriers, Senate Bill 6 would devote $49 million to beef up law enforcement of the Colony Ridge development that’s become a target of far-right media.
Federal judge orders immigration agents to stop removing Texas’ concertina wire on the border
Read full article: Federal judge orders immigration agents to stop removing Texas’ concertina wire on the borderBorder Patrol agents have cut through the state’s wire to free migrants or take them into custody. Judge Alia Moses will hear arguments from Texas and the Biden administration next week to determine whether her temporary order will continue past Nov. 13.
Judge orders federal agents to stop cutting Texas razor wire for now at busy Mexico border crossing
Read full article: Judge orders federal agents to stop cutting Texas razor wire for now at busy Mexico border crossingA federal judge has ordered Border Patrol agents not to interfere with razor wire installed by the state of Texas at a busy crossing for migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Texas sues Biden administration seeking to stop federal agents from cutting razor wire on border
Read full article: Texas sues Biden administration seeking to stop federal agents from cutting razor wire on borderThe Texas Attorney General has filed a lawsuit over the breach of the state's controversial razor wire, strung along the border in key areas to deter immigration.
Texas sues to stop Border Patrol agents from cutting state’s razor wire at the border
Read full article: Texas sues to stop Border Patrol agents from cutting state’s razor wire at the borderAttorney General Ken Paxton’s latest lawsuit against the federal government claims Border Patrol agents cut through concertina wire purchased and deployed at the border by the state.
Biden administration settles lawsuit over Trump-era migrant family separation policy
Read full article: Biden administration settles lawsuit over Trump-era migrant family separation policyIf the settlement is approved, the federal government would be prohibited from adopting a similar policy for the next eight years. Affected immigrants would be allowed to be in the country legally and receive work permits and other benefits.
Biden administration presses forward with border wall plans in Texas, angering allies
Read full article: Biden administration presses forward with border wall plans in Texas, angering alliesEven as the president says the barriers don’t work, his administration says it will waive environmental laws to build them quickly.
Mexico agrees to deport migrants after El Paso reaches “breaking point”
Read full article: Mexico agrees to deport migrants after El Paso reaches “breaking point”Mexican immigration officials said they will negotiate with five countries’ governments to ensure they will take back their citizens. The agreement was announced after shelters in El Paso said they are over capacity.
Gov. Abbott deploys more buses to border amid migrant surge
Read full article: Gov. Abbott deploys more buses to border amid migrant surgeGov. Greg Abbott announced that he has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy additional buses to Eagle Pass and El Paso to assist in what he called a “border crisis.”
After a lull, asylum-seekers adapt to US immigration changes and again overwhelm border agents
Read full article: After a lull, asylum-seekers adapt to US immigration changes and again overwhelm border agentsAfter a dip in illegal crossings that followed policy changes in May, the Biden administration is again on its heels as more asylum-seekers cross the U.S. border from Mexico.
Texas border cities scramble to shelter thousands of newly-arrived migrants
Read full article: Texas border cities scramble to shelter thousands of newly-arrived migrantsThousands of migrants have crossed the border into Eagle Pass and El Paso in recent days, the highest number since the emergency health order known as Title 42 expired in May.
Federal audit shows DHS needs to improve system of obtaining valid addresses for migrants released from custody
Read full article: Federal audit shows DHS needs to improve system of obtaining valid addresses for migrants released from custodyA recently released audit from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General calls for improvements in how the government obtains and validates addresses of migrants released into the United States.
The legal back-and-forth over buoys in the Rio Grande
Read full article: The legal back-and-forth over buoys in the Rio GrandeAn appellate court added another twist in the ongoing legal battle over buoys placed in the Rio Grande river as a deterrent to illegal immigration. Earlier this week a federal court judge ordered Texas to move the buoys to the riverbank, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed that order roughly 24 hours after it was issued.
Texas can keep buoys in the Rio Grande while legal challenge continues, federal appeals court rules
Read full article: Texas can keep buoys in the Rio Grande while legal challenge continues, federal appeals court rulesNearly three months after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of the 1,000-foot line of buoys and mesh in the Rio Grande, an Austin federal judge ordered the state to remove the barrier and stop building further obstructions in the river. One day later a higher court sided with Texas.
Judge orders Texas to move floating barrier from the waters of the US-Mexico border and onto a riverbank
Read full article: Judge orders Texas to move floating barrier from the waters of the US-Mexico border and onto a riverbankJudge orders Texas to move floating barrier from the waters of the US-Mexico border and onto a riverbank.
A judge orders Texas to move a floating barrier that's used to deter migrants between US and Mexico
Read full article: A judge orders Texas to move a floating barrier that's used to deter migrants between US and MexicoA federal judge has ordered Texas to move a large floating barrier to the bank of the Rio Grande by Sept. 15.
U.S. Justice Department argues for removal of Texas’ floating border barrier in federal court
Read full article: U.S. Justice Department argues for removal of Texas’ floating border barrier in federal courtIn a court hearing over the barrier near Eagle Pass, the U.S. Justice Department argued it was installed without federal authorization, while lawyers for the state said it notified the proper authorities.
Hearing set in lawsuit over Texas’ deployment of buoys on the Rio Grande
Read full article: Hearing set in lawsuit over Texas’ deployment of buoys on the Rio GrandeGovernor Greg Abbott gave several GOP Governors a tour of the Texas border Monday afternoon. The tour comes on the eve of a federal court hearing involving a lawsuit challenging Texas’ authority to deploy nearly a thousand feet of buoys near the Camino Real bridge in Eagle Pass.
Gov. Greg Abbott, US governors discuss Operation Lone Star focused on border security
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott, US governors discuss Operation Lone Star focused on border securityGovernor Greg Abbott is holding a news conference on Monday with four other governors and other officials regarding Operation Lone Star.
Illegal crossings on the US-Mexico border rose in July but were still down from last year
Read full article: Illegal crossings on the US-Mexico border rose in July but were still down from last yearU.S. border authorities stopped migrants entering the country illegally more than 33% more often in July than in June, suggesting lower numbers that followed the end of pandemic-related asylum restrictions may have bottomed out.
Eagle Pass residents sour on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star
Read full article: Eagle Pass residents sour on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone StarAfter initially supporting the governor’s efforts to stem illegal immigration, many residents say Operation Lone Star has gone too far.
Texas separates migrant families, detaining fathers on trespassing charges in latest border move
Read full article: Texas separates migrant families, detaining fathers on trespassing charges in latest border moveTexas officials say state police officers separated migrant families along the border with Mexico by detaining fathers on trespassing charges and turning over mothers and children to federal agencies.
Mexico recovers 2 bodies from the Rio Grande, including one near floating barrier installed by Texas
Read full article: Mexico recovers 2 bodies from the Rio Grande, including one near floating barrier installed by TexasMexican authorities are working to identify two bodies recovered from the Rio Grande, one of them along the floating barrier that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had installed in the river, across from Eagle Pass, Texas.
Body seen along floating barrier Texas installed in the Rio Grande, Mexico says
Read full article: Body seen along floating barrier Texas installed in the Rio Grande, Mexico saysThe Mexican government has reported for the first time that a body was spotted along the floating barrier that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott installed recently in the Rio Grande river, across from Eagle Pass, Texas.
Number of migrant families with kids crossing U.S. border nearly triples in 2 months, report says
Read full article: Number of migrant families with kids crossing U.S. border nearly triples in 2 months, report saysThe number of migrant families with children crossing the southern border has nearly tripled in the past two months, according to Customs and Border Protection data obtained by NBC News, feeding concern among some senior administration officials about a potential uptick in overall migrant crossings.
U.S. sues Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott declines to remove floating border barrier
Read full article: U.S. sues Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott declines to remove floating border barrierThe U.S. Department of Justice made good on its warning last week that it would sue Texas unless the state agreed to remove the barrier in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass.
Biden administration sues Texas governor over Rio Grande buoy barrier that’s meant to stop migrants
Read full article: Biden administration sues Texas governor over Rio Grande buoy barrier that’s meant to stop migrantsThe Justice Department is suing Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over a floating barrier that the state placed on the Rio Grande to stop migrants from entering the U.S. The lawsuit filed Monday asks a court to force Texas to remove a line of bright orange, wrecking ball-sized buoys that the Biden administration says raises humanitarian and environmental concerns.
Call for federal probe issued following ‘inhumane’ Texas-Mexico border allegations
Read full article: Call for federal probe issued following ‘inhumane’ Texas-Mexico border allegationsThe Texas Senate Democratic Caucus released a letter Wednesday that shares a request for the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a formal investigation into the allegations made against the Texas Department of Public Safety.
State investigating claim that DPS troopers were told to push migrants back into the Rio Grande and deny them water
Read full article: State investigating claim that DPS troopers were told to push migrants back into the Rio Grande and deny them waterThe Office of the Inspector General is investigating the claims, which include pushing small children and women with nursing babies back into the river and turning away a 4-year-old girl who later passed out on the riverbank from the heat.
Mexico files diplomatic complaint over Gov. Greg Abbott’s floating border barriers
Read full article: Mexico files diplomatic complaint over Gov. Greg Abbott’s floating border barriersThe Mexican government plans to send an inspection team to see if Texas’ buoys have crossed into Mexico’s side of the border.
Mexico files border boundaries complaint over Texas' floating barrier plan on Rio Grande
Read full article: Mexico files border boundaries complaint over Texas' floating barrier plan on Rio GrandeMexico's top diplomat says her country has sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. government expressing concern that Texas' plan to deploy floating barriers on the Rio Grande may violate 1944 and 1970 treaties on boundaries and water.
Texas prepares to deploy Rio Grande buoys in governor’s latest effort to curb border crossings
Read full article: Texas prepares to deploy Rio Grande buoys in governor’s latest effort to curb border crossingsTexas began rolling out what is set to become a new floating barrier on the Rio Grande on Friday in the latest escalation of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s multibillion-dollar effort to secure the U.S. border with Mexico, which already has included bussing migrants to liberal states and authorizing the National Guard to make arrests.
Texas prepares to deploy Rio Grande buoys in governor's latest effort to curb border crossings
Read full article: Texas prepares to deploy Rio Grande buoys in governor's latest effort to curb border crossingsTexas has started rolling out what is set to become a new floating barrier on the Rio Grande.
At Texas-Mexico border, Ron DeSantis unveils immigration platform with Trump in mind
Read full article: At Texas-Mexico border, Ron DeSantis unveils immigration platform with Trump in mindThe Florida governor calls for deputizing local law enforcement to police the border and deport migrants, saying his plan is “more aggressive” than the former president’s proposals.
In a border graveyard, volunteers exhume migrants’ bodies and search for their families
Read full article: In a border graveyard, volunteers exhume migrants’ bodies and search for their familiesIn Maverick County, 26 bodies pulled from the Rio Grande were buried, some without attempts to identify them. Teams of Texas State students are trying to learn their names so their families can be notified.
Meth pumpkins? $402K in liquid meth found in 4 gourds confiscated at the Texas border
Read full article: Meth pumpkins? $402K in liquid meth found in 4 gourds confiscated at the Texas borderTwo people attempted to use Halloween decorations to smuggle liquid methamphetamine into Texas, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
UN: 75% of 6 million Venezuelan migrants go unfed, unhoused
Read full article: UN: 75% of 6 million Venezuelan migrants go unfed, unhousedThe United Nations says almost three-quarters of the 6 million Venezuelan migrants currently in Latin America lack adequate food, shelter, employment or medical care.
Another National Guard soldier working Operation Lone Star dies by suspected suicide
Read full article: Another National Guard soldier working Operation Lone Star dies by suspected suicideThe soldier is the 10th known Texas Guard member linked to the mission to die since its rapid expansion began in September 2021.