Lawmakers said they had more questions than answers after touring Border Patrol facilities in New Mexico where a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl was held before her death.
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
Immigration
Family of 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died in federal custody speak out, call for “objective and thorough investigation”
“Premature and inaccurate statements undermine the integrity of the investigation,” attorneys for the family of Jakelin Caal Maquin said in a statement Saturday.
Posted in
Immigration
Beto O’Rourke and other Democrats urge public to keep Tornillo migrant facility in spotlight
The population at the detention center for migrant children has quietly swelled from a few hundred to about 2,800 in about six months.
Posted in
Politics
Beto O’Rourke says Julián Castro’s likely 2020 presidential bid won’t affect his own plans
O’Rourke also wouldn’t rule out challenging U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in 2020.
Posted in
Congress
Texas border-area officials could get a funding boost to help ID human remains
The Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act of 2018 would allow border counties to apply for federal grants to help identify bodies of undocumented immigrants.
Posted in
Families Divided
With contract set to expire, still no word on what’s next for immigration center at Tornillo
After receiving several contract extensions, the tent city’s operators say they want the government to find a long-term solution. But they also don’t want to abandon the children held there.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
South Texas DA will seek death penalty against Border Patrol agent accused of “serial killing spree”
Juan David Ortiz, an intelligence supervisor for the Border Patrol, was arrested in the pre-dawn hours Sept. 15 after local and state law enforcement say he allegedly murdered four Laredo-area sex workers.
Posted inState Government
Beto O’Rourke no longer ruling out 2020 presidential run
U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, said at a town hall in El Paso Monday that he and his wife had “made a decision not to rule anything out.”
Posted in
Immigration
With federal agents redeployed to manage migrant caravan, Texas border-crossers expect long holiday waits
Keep calm and come on over. That’s the holiday message El Paso city and business officials are sending to their neighbors directly across the Texas-Mexico border.
Posted in
Immigration
Border Patrol conducts “crowd control” exercise in El Paso
As a caravan of Central American migrants continues to make its way toward the U.S., the Border Patrol held a mobile field force training exercise near the Paso Del Norte international bridge.
