Janet Napolitano minced few words about the killing of a U.S. agent in Mexico today: “Let me be clear: Any act of violence against our ICE personnel — or any DHS personnel — is an attack against all those who serve our nation.”
Julián Aguilar
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.
Posted in
State Government
Lawmakers: Loophole Allows Cockfights to Flourish
A loophole in state law allows cockfights in Texas to flourish and be a breeding ground for more serious criminal activity, including drug use, prostitution and trafficking associated with Mexican drug cartels, state lawmakers say.
Posted in
Demographics
Bill Would Prevent Immigration Inquiries by Peace Officers
Freshman state Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso, filed SB 600 on Friday, which would prevent law enforcement from asking the immigration status or nationality of a witness to or victim of a crime “except as necessary to investigate the offense.”
Posted in
Health care
For Senate Democrats, Abortion Bill Reveals Split
Unlike the debate over voter ID, in which Senate Democrats stood united in their opposition, a combination of politics, religion and personal histories have made the sonogram bill more divisive in their caucus.
Posted in
Health care
Sonogram Bill Reworked
Even before state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, tweaked a bill requiring a woman seeking an abortion to have a sonogram performed, he said lawmakers and the media had misunderstood his intent.
Posted in
Demographics
Mexican Reporter Asylum Case Postponed Until 2012
A final ruling in the case of a Mexican reporter seeking asylum in the U.S. with his teenage son has been postponed until 2012 after his attorney was subpoenaed to appear in federal court in an unrelated case and asked for a rescheduling.
Posted in
Demographics
Mexican Border Police Chief Gunned Down
The police chief in the border city across the Rio Grande from Laredo was killed late Wednesday, less than five weeks after taking office.
Posted in
Demographics
E-Verify Battle Could Soon Greet Texas Lawmakers
At least half a dozen bills have been filed in the Texas House mandating the use of the federal electronic employment verification system known as E-Verify. But is the system so fraught with errors that it actually hinders employers who use it to check the eligibility of new hires?
Posted in
Demographics
Undocumented Immigrant Population in Texas Increases
The number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. remained relatively unchanged in 2010, with a population of about 11.2 million. That’s about 3.7 percent of the country’s total population. Texas, however, was one of the few states that saw an increase over the last few years, according to a new study released by the Pew Hispanic Center.
Posted in
Demographics
TribBlog: Perry: Sanctuary Cities Stance Being Misinterpreted
Border lawmakers who oppose Gov. Rick Perry’s call to abolish “sanctuary cities” in Texas are misinterpreting his stance on the issue, according to his aides.
