immigration

2010: Border Battles

By Reeve Hamilton Jan. 12, 2010

Two days before they take the stage to debate in Dallas, Republican gubernatorial candidates are rolling out their plans for what will assuredly be a featured topic. Full Story
The Brief: January 12, 2010

By Abby Rapoport Jan. 12, 2010

Just because the Republican debates will make for good television, don’t forget the joys of a live show. Today, the State Board of Education is coming to town Full Story
TribBlog: A Bridge to Somewhere

By Julián Aguilar Jan. 11, 2010

U.S. and Mexican authorities can still put aside their differences long enough to link the two countries together. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith Jan. 9, 2010

Ramshaw's four-parter on the rural health care condundrum and depressing take-out on sexual abuse in youth lock-ups. Ramsey on filing day follies and the untimely death of a Democratic mainstay. Aguilar on the U.S. government's detention center mea culpa. Grissom on alien deportations in the name of making our streets safer. Rapoport on the organization and association endorsement dance. Hamilton on whether coattails exist. Hu and Philpott's multimedia profile of Linda Chavez-Thompson. And Philpott on big gubernatorial campaign bucks and even bigger candidate angst over the ways journalists are using social and new media to cover them. The best of our best from January 4 to January 8, 2010. Full Story
Fighting for Security

By Brandi Grissom Jan. 8, 2010

Immigration advocates say the feds are deporting thousands of illegal aliens who are minor offenders and some who've committed no crimes at all. But federal officials and local law enforcement argue that they're simply making Texas streets safer. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmerich
Big Border Business

By Brandi Grissom Jan. 7, 2010

For the last year and a half, Tom Barry visited immigrant detention centers in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Here's what he found. Full Story

Credit: Tom Barry
A Detention Center Mea Culpa

By Julián Aguilar Jan. 6, 2010

The U.S. government is imposing greater restrictions than necessary on most aliens held in custody for immigration violations, according to a charge made by ... the U.S. government. Full Story

Credit: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security
TribBlog: Not-so-happy New Year's Eve for MALDEF

By Brandi Grissom Dec. 31, 2009

The Third Court of Appeals in Austin said the Texas Department of Public Safety does not have to halt its policy that prevents some legal U.S. residents from getting driver's licenses. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey Dec. 26, 2009

Roll your own political videos ... interactive travel maps of your federal and state legislators ... scary movies, to keep the kids out of the border's scary drug wars ... puttting dropouts back in class ... rates squeezing families out of home health care ... how many lobby and trade associations do teachers in Texas need? ... enjoying the silence before an expected two-month siege of political advertising ... the dean of Texas political writers gets shut out of the gubernatorial debates ... and we have an interactive database of the state's best and worst public schools. The best of our best for a short news week, from December 19 to 26, 2009. Full Story
TribBlog: Border Mayor Escapes Mexico Shootout

By Brandi Grissom Dec. 23, 2009

Eagle Pass Mayor Chad Foster might have to change his tune about his idyllic border home after this week. Foster was having lunch Tuesday with Mexican officials across the border in Piedras Negras when a gunmen started spraying the place with bullets. Full Story

Credit: http://www.eaglepasstx.us/council/home.htm
TribBlog: Sun Bowl to Oklahoman: Drop Dead

By Brandi Grissom Dec. 22, 2009

The El Paso Brut Sun Bowl has sold out more quickly than ever in its 76-year history, officials said today. The sellout comes less than a week after the Oklahoma City daily The Oklahoman, ran a story about how the raging violence in Juarez was keeping many Sooner fans from buying tickets Full Story

Credit: http://www.sunbowl.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=86
Narco Terror

By Brandi Grissom Dec. 22, 2009

U.S. Border Patrol agents launched Operation Detour to shock kids away from Mexican drug cartel recruiters. Now they're expanding the program across the entire southwest border. Full Story
Shock Therapy

By Brandi Grissom Dec. 21, 2009

Border Patrol agents are combatting cartel recruitment with a graphic film designed to scare high school students straight. But some experts say the program misses the mark. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey Dec. 18, 2009

Stiles and Thevenot collaborate on the salaries paid to superintendents, and even compare them on price per student… Ramsey’s look at redistricting and next year’s elections… Aguilar’s report on jails, brought to you by the federal agency that’s in the ag business… Rapoport’s peek at the power behind Texas pre-kindergarten programs… Smith’s conversation with Dan Patrick, in three parts… Grissom’s narrative on a circular immigration and deportation route financed by two governments… Ramshaw finds doctors agreeing on public policy and split on strategy and tactics… Hu’s latest Stump Interrupted puts the camera on Farouk Shami… Hamilton’s story on two retired cops who are taking on cargo theft in Texas… And Kreighbaum and Stiles pop open the itineraries of your folks in Congress. The best of our best from December 12 to 18, 2009. Full Story
TribBlog: Forbes Says College Grads Making Bank in the 915

By Brandi Grissom Dec. 17, 2009

El Paso is in the national news today, and — for the first time in recent memory — it has nothing to do with its proximity to drug war-torn Juarez. Forbes actually has some good news about the border city: Incomes for college graduates in El Paso are rising faster than any other major metropolitan area of the nation. Full Story

Credit: http://jdlong.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/nighttime-downtown-el-paso.jpg
Outbound Brains

By Julián Aguilar Dec. 17, 2009

Border communities struggle to keep younger, educated residents when larger cities dangle economic and quality-of-life opportunities. They're afflicted with the reputation of being black holes of talent — where escape is necessary in order to prosper. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmerich
Slideshow: Border Bus

By Brandi Grissom Dec. 16, 2009

On both sides of the border, there are calls to end the U.S. Border Patrol's Alien Transfer and Exit Program. But Border Patrol officials say their plan to break the connection between smugglers and immigrants is working. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribBlog: Less Vitriol, More Laws on Immigration

By Brandi Grissom Dec. 15, 2009

The inflamed immigration rhetoric of the past couple of years has waned, but a report the National Conference of State Legislatures released today shows that state lawmakers still have passion for the issue. Full Story
Road to Nowhere

By Brandi Grissom Dec. 15, 2009

The U.S. Border Patrol says its illegal immigration repatriation program is working to break the crossing cycle in Arizona, but officials in Texas and Mexico worry the program creates more problems than it solves. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith Nov. 28, 2009

Ramsey and others on Bill White and the changing state of the race for governor; Thevenot's two-parter on what Dallas churches are doing to combat social ills and racial division; Ramshaw on the use of force by school district police departments (and why parents don't know about it); Grissom's two-parter, abetted by Stiles, on unregulated payday lenders; Aguilar on Mexican immigrants who play against type; and Rapoport on those missing extra checks for retired public employees. The best of the best from November 21 to 25, 2009. Full Story