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• Title 42 ends with migrants lined up and border cities braced for the unknown

  By Uriel J. García Updated: May 11, 2023

  Long lines formed again next to the border wall in El Paso — a scene repeated in other parts of the southern border — as migrants anticipated the end of a policy that has allowed immigration agents to quickly expel them. Full Story 

• Migrants waiting to cross the border say government’s app for asylum-seekers is a mess

  By Uriel J. García May 9, 2023

  Hundreds of migrants have waited on the U.S. bank of the Rio Grande for days to be apprehended. Others say they want to follow the rules to enter legally — if they could just get the government phone app to work. Full Story 

• Texas troopers renew inspections of commercial vehicles at Brownsville border bridge, triggering long delays

  By Uriel J. García Updated: May 5, 2023

  Truckers have reported waiting up to 24 hours to cross the border because of the inspections. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered similar inspections last year to stop smuggling, but troopers found no contraband after checking more than 4,000 vehicles. Full Story 

• As U.S. prepares to end rapid expulsions of migrants, a Venezuelan family decides to risk crossing the border

  By Uriel J. García May 5, 2023

  A Venezuelan couple with two children waited in Mexico for weeks for a chance to claim asylum. They decided to cross the border after a relative died in a detention center fire and other family members successfully made it across. Full Story 

• New Biden plan will let people in Latin American countries apply to legally enter U.S., Canada or Spain

  By Uriel J. García April 27, 2023

  As it prepares for the end of Title 42, which lets U.S. officials rapidly expel migrants, the Biden administration said it will open centers in Guatemala and Colombia where people can apply to legally enter the three participating nations. Full Story 

• Immigrant rights advocates waited over 9 hours to testify against a proposed Border Protection Unit to “deter and repel” migrants

  By Uriel J. García and William Melhado April 13, 2023

  House Bill 20 introduced by Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, would create a unit whose officers can “arrest, apprehend, or detain persons crossing the Texas-Mexico border unlawfully,” and deter those attempting to cross the border. Full Story 

• Fire at migrant center in Mexico near El Paso kills at least 39

  By Uriel J. García Updated: March 28, 2023

  Mexico’s president said the fire started in the Ciudad Juárez center when migrants learned they would be deported and set fire to mattresses in protest. Twenty-nine injured migrants were sent to local hospitals. Full Story 

• Uvalde families ask to join suit pushing for DPS to release public records

  By Uriel J. García March 15, 2023

  The lawyers for some of the Uvalde families say there is “a compelling need” for records into the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary to be publicly released. Full Story 

• House unveils bill giving state authority to “repel” and return migrants crossing from Mexico

  By Uriel J. García March 10, 2023

  House Bill 20 by state Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, would test the boundaries of the state’s ability to enforce immigration law, which courts have historically ruled falls under federal purview. Full Story 

• Uvalde district attorney fights release of public records against wishes of most families

  By Uriel J. García, The Texas Tribune, and Lexi Churchill, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica March 8, 2023

  Joining the Texas Department of Public Safety’s fight against the release of records, the district attorney claims the support of every family who lost a child in the 2022 mass shooting. Attorneys representing many of the families refute that claim. Full Story