In some places, the governor’s border security efforts have led to a reduction in crime — in rural counties, for instance, where there aren’t many people and there wasn’t much crime to begin with. But in large urban counties like El Paso and Webb, it’s a different story.
Immigration
In-depth reporting on border issues, policies, communities, and the impact of immigration across the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Demographics
On the Records: Redact Much?
The Texas Public Information Act allows agencies to redact information for security and privacy reasons. The Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition decided redact just about everything they possibly could on the invoices they sent me.
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Demographics
Broken Border, Part Four: Who’s Watching?
The Web site where you can view border cameras isn’t getting the predicted traffic, calling into question the program’s law enforcement impact.
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Demographics
TribBlog: Sharp, Valley legislators push for veterans health care
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Sharp and state Reps. Ryan Guillen and Veronica Gonzales fired off a letter today to the two Republican Texas senators asking them to find money to boost health care funding for Rio Grande Valley veterans.
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Demographics
On the Records: Srsly, Border Patrol? Srsly?
The mildly pleasant woman who answered the phone explained to me that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Freedom of Information Act office does not accept requests electronically.
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Criminal Justice
Broken Border, Part Three: Decriminalize?
Experts from around the U.S. and Mexico are debating the War on Drugs and its affect on violence south of the border. Some of them wonder whether decriminalization is the answer.
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Demographics
Broken Border, Part Two: The Checkpoint Conundrum
Texas’ chain of inland checkpoints has created a border within a border, separating abused and sometimes undocumented children in counties adjacent to Mexico from services north of the invisible line.
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Demographics
Broken Border, Part One: Justin’s Story
Drugs are abundant in border communities. Poverty is rampant. Substance abuse treatment is scarce. What’s a 16 year old to do?
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Demographics
Mixed impressions inside the poll numbers
Texans say immigration tops their list of state concerns. Nearly half of them say illegal immigrants should be deported, as against 41 percent who think the immigrants should be allowed to keep their jobs, assimilate, and eventually be allowed to apply for legal status.