Year in Review: The Border and Immigration
Advocates for immigration reform hoped 2013 was the year they'd get a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s immigration system. But lawmakers left D.C. without passing a measure. Full Story
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Julián Aguilar
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Julián Aguilar reported for the Tribune from 2009 to 2021, most recently on politics and on the Texas-Mexico border. He focused on immigration reform and enforcement, voter ID, international trade, border security, and the drug trade. His political coverage has included local, legislative and congressional races in Texas, as well as local and national elections in Mexico. Before joining The Texas Tribune, he was a freelance writer for the Fort Worth Weekly, a government and crime reporter for the Laredo Morning Times, and a political writer for the Rio Grande Guardian. A native of El Paso, he has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Texas and a master's degree in journalism from the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas.
Past Contributions
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More Than 368,000 Deported From U.S. in FY 2013
The Obama administration on Thursday announced that it deported fewer undocumented immigrants in 2013 than in 2012, but the numbers still drew criticism from immigration advocates. Full Story
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Immigration Reform Advocates Open to Taking Piecemeal Approach
Steadfast supporters of comprehensive immigration reform say that to have a chance for any change in 2014, they may have to be content with legislation that only addresses some of their overall objectives. Full Story
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![Immigration reform protesters walked up Congress Avenue toward the Texas Capitol on Feb. 22, 2013.]()
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ACLU Lawsuit Targets Feds Over Search of U.S. Citizen
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union alleges that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in El Paso subjected a U.S. citizen to unwarranted searches, including vaginal probes and a CT scan. Full Story
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Vast Rio Grande a Source of Numerous Legal Battles
With various levels of government in two countries making decisions that affect the Rio Grande, the 1,900-mile river has become the subject of interstate and international legal battles that have intensified during the continuing drought. Full Story
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El Paso Electric Reaches Deal on Proposed Power Plant
A West Texas utility company and a coalition of neighborhood activists have reached an agreement that paves the way for the construction of a natural gas power plant in far east El Paso County. Full Story
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![Seen is the Longhorn Pipeline petroleum tank storage terminal in the Montana Vista community in far East El Paso, Texas on April 1, 2013. El Paso Electric plans to build a natural gas power plant that will be able to provide electricity to 80,000 homes in the area.]()
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González Draws Challenger in HD-75 Race
State Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, will face a Fabens school board member in the Democratic primary. Full Story
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Participants Say Mérida Initiative Making a Big Difference in Juárez
The Mérida Initiative, a $1.5 billion U.S. aid package whose beneficiaries include Mexico, has faced its share of criticism. But in Ciudad Juárez, many say they see the positive results of the initiative every day. Full Story
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![Children who participate in an after school program in Ciudad Juárez dance to Beyoncé as part of their routine. The program is one of several Merida Initiative projects in this border city designed to help the city rebound.]()
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While Searching for Their Mother, Sisters Form Drug-War Support Group
The mother of twin sisters Mitzi and Nitza Alvarado Espinoza disappeared from their home in Mexico in 2009. Now exiled in El Paso, the sisters have formed a movement aimed at providing comfort to young victims of the drug war. Full Story
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![Twins, Nitza Alvarado Espinoza (black shirt) and Mitzi Alvarado Espinoza, with their sister Deisy, at a rally in Austin on November 9. The sisters started "Hijos de Desaparecidos" after their mom was kidnapped by the Mexican military in Chihuahua. They are currently in deportation proceedings but their attorney has filed a petition seeking a special-immigrant status since they were abandoned or orphaned.]()
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Dispute Tied to Border Bridge Persists, but 2011 Deal May Offer Opening
A 2011 settlement between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Union Pacific could play a role in ending the current stalemate over the transfer of a Cameron County rail scanning machine. Full Story
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![The uncompleted new international railroad bridge near Brownsville passes over the border fence and US 281 before crossing the Rio Grande.]()
Credit: Douglas Young