The first arguments were held Friday in a federal lawsuit challenging Texas policies that effectively deny birth certificates to some U.S.-citizen children of undocumented immigrants. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman questioned the state’s reasoning.
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
Criminal Justice
McCaul, Vela Praise Extradition of Alleged Criminals
A pair of Texas congressmen who lambasted the Mexican government after the embarrassing July escape of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán lauded Mexico on Thursday for extraditing 13 alleged criminals to the United States.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
DPS Chief Calls Harassment Claims “Garbage”
The director of the Texas Department of Public Safety on Thursday said it was absurd that some border residents claim state troopers are harassing residents during the ongoing border surge in the Rio Grande Valley.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Cane Eradication Funds Lost in Political Thicket
Carrizo cane sprouts along the banks of the Rio Grande, providing easy cover for smugglers and drug mules. A new state law says it should be eradicated, but lawmakers neglected to set aside any money for razing cane.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Confusion Over State Screening for Unauthorized Workers
State agencies are now required by law to screen potential hires through the federal E-Verify system to ensure they can legally work in the United States. But does an order by former Gov. Rick Perry still require the same for state contractors?
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Abbott Opens Grassroots Tour in Rio Grande Valley
Saying he was making good on a promise he made to the supporters who helped usher him into office, Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday launched a nine-city tour of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.
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Criminal Justice
Union Chief: Send 5,000 More Agents to the U.S.-Mexico Border
Outgunned and outmanned, the U.S. needs at least 5,000 more agents on the southern border, according to the chief of the Border Patrol union. But civil rights groups fear a hiring surge could lead to less oversight and more abuse by federal agents.
Posted in
Politics
Cornyn: The Federal Government Will Not Shut Down
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Monday dismissed the idea of a federal government shutdown, saying instead that elected officials had a duty to serve despite disagreements within Congress.
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Criminal Justice
Cubans Flood Texas Ports After Thaw in Relations
If current trends hold, the port of Laredo is on pace to welcome about 60 percent more Cubans than it did last fiscal year. Why the exodus when the island-nation is on the verge of reestablishing ties with the U.S.?
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Criminal Justice
Detainees Face Challenges Despite Judge’s Ruling
After a federal judge ruled that most women and children being held in Texas immigration detention centers should be released, attorneys say they are making some progress on their clients’ cases. But they argue the government is making their work harder because it hasn’t established a clear set of rules.
