Former Eagle Pass detective sentenced to 10 years in prison for running migrant stash houses
Hazel Eileen Diaz received nearly $40,000 in cash and money transfers for letting human smugglers use her rental properties. Full Story
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Alejandro Serrano writes about Texas politics and government, with a focus on immigration and education issues. Since joining the Tribune, he has helped investigate the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, lived for half a year in Eagle Pass during a temporary assignment covering immigration and documented a variety of major occurrences in the state from Houston, where he used to live. He previously covered education for the Houston Chronicle and breaking news for the San Francisco Chronicle. The Long Island, New York, native received his bachelor's degree in journalism from Northeastern University. He is based in Austin and speaks fluent Spanish.
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![The city of Eagle Pass, seen from Piedras Negras, Mexico, on Saturday, June 8, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
If it survives in court, Texas’ immigration law could upend immigration enforcement nationwide
Texas challenged federal supremacy by creating a state crime for illegal entry into the U.S. The courts will decide whether it’s constitutional — and whether other states can follow Texas’ lead. Full Story
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The sun rises behind new fencing installed at the Texas-Mexico border to prevent migrants from crossing the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas, on April 2, 2024. REUTERS/Cheney Orr]()
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Judge reportedly strikes down Texas law that Ken Paxton frequently uses to investigate companies and nonprofits
A federal judge said Texas’ “request to examine” statute amounts to unconstitutional search and seizure, Bloomberg reported. Full Story
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![Ken Paxton attends the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland on Feb. 23, 2024.]()
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Eagle Pass residents rally to have state return Shelby Park
Residents say they can no longer access the park after the state seized it against the city’s wishes in January. Full Story
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![Protesters march toward Shelby Park on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. A rally was held near Shelby Park protesting the current occupation of the park by the Texas Department of Public Safety as part of Operation Lonestar. The park, which became a global focal point for illegal border crossings, was once open to the public but is now closed to the public and heavily fortified.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Attorney General Ken Paxton targets El Paso nonprofit that offers legal services to migrants
Attorney General Ken Paxton has investigated at least five organizations this year that do immigration-related work. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Texas GOP Convention on May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
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Takeaways from the Texas Tribune-Associated Press report on 24 hours along the Texas-Mexico border
Reporters from both organizations spent a day documenting the reality on the border. Here’s a summary of what they found. Full Story
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![A private border wall that extends nearly three miles is seen in Mission, Texas on Aug. 9, 2024.]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
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. Full Story
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![Christina Smallwood, foreground, and Andrés García, Border Patrol agents and Public Affairs officers look for migrants underneath the vehicular McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge in Hidalgo, Texas, early Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton sues Travis County to block voter registration efforts
The Texas attorney general filed a similar lawsuit earlier this week against Bexar County, which includes San Antonio. Full Story
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![Voter registration forms at a booth on the campus of UT-Austin on Oct. 11, 2022.]()
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Group of Texas Democrats asks DOJ to investigate Texas over possible voter rights violations
The request by the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus in a letter to the Department of Justice follows a similar request by a Latino civil rights organization. Full Story
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![A bipartisan testing crew uses voting machines and tabulators during a state-mandated logic and accuracy test on Sept. 21 at the Hays County government building in San Marcos. Texas law requires public testing of the voting machines before and after every election.]()
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Judge rejects Ken Paxton’s bid to question leader of Brownsville migrant aid organization
The AG’s office sought to depose the leader of Team Brownsville, which provides water, shelter and basic necessities to asylum-seeking migrants. Full Story
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![Asylum seekers wait in line to get a meal provided by Team Brownsville near the Gateway International Bridge in Matamoros, Mexico on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Most of the people have been sent back under the Migrant Protection Protocols, MPP, also known as “Remain in Mexico” program along with some Mexican nationals awaiting their turn to seek asylum in the U.S.]()
Credit: Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune