Justice of the peace courts, where a majority of debt claims are filed in Texas, aren’t required to report case-level information. Here’s how ProPublica and Texas Tribune reporters got around it to reveal one company’s aggressive tactics.
The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit uncovers big stories that matter to Texans and the nation, taking aim at corruption, injustice and malfeasance across the state. Read on for the latest stories, and be sure to sign up to get the latest on the people and policies shaping the future of Texas with the Tribune’s weekday newsletter.
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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
Nonprofit that financed a private border wall is now the focus of a corruption case
Investigators say fundraisers for nonprofit We Build the Wall, including Steve Bannon and founder Brian Kolfage, lied to donors and pocketed funds. Trump has tried to distance himself from the group but Kolfage has bragged about their ties.
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Coronavirus in Texas
ICE is making sure migrant kids don’t have COVID-19, then expelling them to “prevent the spread” of COVID-19
The administration has used infection risk to justify expelling thousands of children without legal protections. But it’s only expelling kids who’ve tested negative.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Federal agents are expelling asylum seekers as young as 8 months from the border, citing COVID-19 risks
Thousands of migrant children have been expelled by the Trump administration since March. Some have been held in hotels without access to lawyers or family. Advocates say many are now “virtually impossible” to find.
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Coronavirus in Texas
“It cost me everything”: Hispanic residents bear brunt of COVID-19 in Texas
Not only are Hispanic Texans catching the coronavirus at higher rates in the state’s largest county, but they also suffer some of the worst outcomes.
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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
This private border wall was already at risk of falling down if not fixed. A hurricane made things worse.
Engineering experts said photos of damage from last weekend’s storms reinforce the idea that building and maintaining a border fence so close to the river poses serious challenges.
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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
Trump says he disagreed with privately funded border wall. The builder got $1.7 billion in wall contracts from his administration.
President Donald Trump now claims this privately funded border wall in the Rio Grande Valley — touted as the “Lamborghini” of fences — was built to “make me look bad,” even though the project’s builder and funders are all Trump supporters.
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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
Eroding private border wall to get an engineering inspection just months after completion
Months after the “Lamborghini” of border walls was built along the Rio Grande, the builder agreed to an engineering inspection of his controversial structure. Experts say the wall is showing signs of erosion that threatens its stability.
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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
He built a privately funded border wall. It’s already at risk of falling down if not fixed.
Trump supporters funded a private border wall on the banks of the Rio Grande, helping the builder secure $1.7 billion in federal contracts. Now the “Lamborghini” of border walls is in danger of falling into the river if nothing is done, experts say.
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Coronavirus in Texas
When small businesses can’t access PPP, local governments struggle to close the gap
Thousands of small businesses, especially those owned by people of color, have been left behind by the stipulations of the Paycheck Protection Program. In Texas, local governments are lending millions of dollars, and it’s not enough.