Republican House Speaker Joe Straus stopped in El Paso on Monday to continue his statewide push for Prop 6, a ballot initiative that would tap into the state’s savings account to finance a water development bank.
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.
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Criminal Justice
Border Probation Officers See Hope in Reduced Juvenile Offenders
In the Eagle Pass area, the number of juvenile felony cases referred to Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Bruce Ballou has fallen more than 40 percent since 2012. It’s a sign, he says, that his rehabilitative approach is working.
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Criminal Justice
USDA: Border Cattle Inspection Sites to Remain Shuttered
Elected officials and business leaders in Presidio and its Mexican sister city, Ojinaga, are drafting their own safety plan, hoping the USDA will consider reopening a cattle inspection site in Mexico.
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Criminal Justice
ACLU Sues Feds Over Excessive Force Claim
The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday filed a lawsuit against what the advocacy group claims are egregious abuses of power within the ranks of border law enforcement.
Posted in
Economy
Dispute Over Money for Scanning Machine May Stall Bridge Opening
Just weeks before a new rail bridge connecting Texas and Mexico is set to open, controversy surrounding an X-ray machine for the bridge has unfolded and could delay the opening.
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Criminal Justice
Cornyn Has “Grave Concerns” About DHS Nominee
UPDATED: U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says President Obama’s choice to succeed former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano lacks the experience to head the agency.
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Demographics
With Shutdown Over, Immigration Reform Advocates Step Up Efforts
After President Obama on Thursday said that Congress can now focus on tackling immigration reform after ending the federal shutdown, advocates called on Congress to fix the system before the end of the year.
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Criminal Justice
Mexican Exiles Speak Out Against Claims They’re Gaming Asylum System
As lawmakers in Washington call for a review of how asylum law pertains to Mexicans seeking protection, one Mexican exile is embarking on his own public relations campaign.
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Demographics
Revisiting Immigration Study a Popular Idea in Comptroller’s Race
The state of Texas last performed a study on the economic impact of undocumented immigrants in 2006. The majority of the candidates running for comptroller in 2014 say it’s time for that analysis to get an update.
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Criminal Justice
U.S. House Democrats Make New Immigration Reform Push
In an effort to keep immigration reform alive during the debate over the government shutdown, congressional Democrats have filed legislation that includes elements of a border-security measure backed by a key GOP leader.
