The latest border news from The Texas Tribune.
In a letter to Gov. Rick Perry, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano laid out the effects of federal budget cuts on agencies in Texas. The letter discusses increased wait times at at land ports and a loss of emergency management grants. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry on Monday demanded that Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton provide details about the release of thousands of undocumented immigrants from detention centers. Full Story
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“The border is safe.” That’s a common refrain from lawmakers who say the unprecedented buildup of law enforcement in the region has netted positive results. But as sequestration looms, lawmakers say federal inaction could put that reality in jeopardy. Full Story
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As lawmakers in Washington, D.C., wade into discussion of immigration reform, some El Paso leaders are urging them to include commerce considerations in their talks about safety and security on the southern border. Full Story
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The debate over what to do with the estimated 12 million people living in the country illegally has dominated the discussion on comprehensive immigration reform. But attorneys say key fixes are needed to the legal immigration system as well. Full Story
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For the second consecutive year, seizures of methamphetamine in the Laredo customs district — the country’s busiest land port — climbed significantly. Full Story
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Many in El Paso say the conditions are just right for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform with bipartisan support. And they say that some lawmakers' demands for more border security first ignore reality. Full Story
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Many in El Paso say the conditions are just right for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform with bipartisan support. And they say that some lawmakers' demands for more border security first ignore reality. Full Story
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Two years after legislation to ban "sanctuary cities" was made a top priority, immigration legislation is barely discussed at the state Capitol. It’s put some lawmakers in a weird spot — especially when some of their own recently came out in support of what’s a no-no in politics — amnesty. Full Story
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Democratic Texas House members on Wednesday filed an immigration resolution that could serve as a litmus test for Republican support for reforms being suggested at the national level. Full Story
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The Texas agriculture commissioner on his book and campaign to highlight what he sees as a crisis on the border, his opinions on which immigration policies work and which don't, and why Americans shouldn't believe it when they are told the border is secure. Full Story
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El Paso again ranks as the safest city of its size, according to a report released the same day that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visited the border city. Full Story
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A decision by the Texas Railroad Commission has paved the way for an open-pit coal mine to begin operating on the Texas-Mexico border. Opponents of the plan are weighing their options, which include making a request for another hearing. Full Story
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State Rep. Lance Gooden says he will carry legislation to make it illegal to use a drone to capture video or photographs of private property without the consent of the property’s owner or occupant. Full Story
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized about 1.7 million pounds of narcotics in Texas in fiscal 2012, about 270,000 pounds more than their counterparts in Arizona, New Mexico and California combined. Full Story
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President Obama on Tuesday offered his own plan for immigration reform, and his proposal earned both praise and criticism in Texas. Full Story
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Eight U.S. senators unveiled a plan Monday for an overhaul of the country’s immigration system. Reaction in Texas ranged from praise to concerns over the plan’s border-security component. Full Story
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Some Mexican and American officials hope that the gun control debate might spur laws that curb the flow of illegal weapons over the United States' southern border. But others say that changing gun laws in the U.S. would not change gun behavior in Mexico. Full Story
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Republicans and Democrats say the appointment of Eduardo Medina Mora as Mexico's ambassador to the U.S. opens an opportunity for the nations to forge a new relationship. Full Story
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Officials on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border have reported a decrease in holiday season tourism, likely due to the persistent threat of Mexican drug violence. But Mexico's new president hopes to do something about that. Full Story
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