State agency awards $11 million contract to oversee construction of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Texas-Mexico border wall
The two firms awarded the contract have previously built barriers and designed ports of entry for the federal government. Full Story
Uriel J. García is an immigration reporter based in El Paso. Before joining the Tribune in 2021, he worked at the Arizona Republic where he covered police violence and immigration enforcement. He started his journalism career at the Santa Fe New Mexican where he covered the city's immigrant community and criminal justice issues. Originally from Mexico and a native Spanish speaker, Uriel grew up in Phoenix and graduated from Arizona State University.
The two firms awarded the contract have previously built barriers and designed ports of entry for the federal government. Full Story
The state is expected to award the contract in mid-September to begin the construction of a Texas-Mexico border wall. Full Story
Border wall opponents say President Joe Biden broke his promise to halt border wall construction when Homeland Security started building a wall and calling it a levee. Full Story
The Biden administration says it will continue its legal fight against the revival of a Trump-era policy that requires asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases are pending. Full Story
A border sheriff told lawmakers that some landowners who are afraid of migrants crossing their property have asked him, "When can I shoot?" Full Story
Amid the heated rhetoric around an increase in migrants, people on opposite ends of the Texas-Mexico border see the problems — and solutions — differently. Full Story
Advocates say the policy that forced 70,000 non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are pending will create dire conditions for migrants if it’s revived. Full Story
Abbott instructed state troopers to pull over civilian drivers transporting migrants who may be infected with COVID-19 and seize vehicles if they don’t comply. Full Story
The situation is the result of Abbott ordering the licenses be lifted, followed by a state agency allowing the shelters to continue to operate. Full Story
On Wednesday, Abbott issued the order, allowing Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to reroute civilian vehicles back to their origin point or a port of entry, or seize the vehicles, if police suspect the driver is transporting migrants who have COVID-19. Full Story