Emilio Gutiérrez Soto fled with his son to the U.S. border in 2008 after his reporting on the Mexican military led to threats. He was working on a Michigan farm when he got the news that his asylum request was finally approved.
Immigration
In-depth reporting on border issues, policies, communities, and the impact of immigration across the state, from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Immigration
Afghan soldier Abdul Wasi Safi, once detained at Texas-Mexico border, wins asylum
The solider helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan. As a refugee, he hoped to save his life by joining his brother in Houston.
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Operation Lone Star
Slim majority of Texans support Gov. Greg Abbott’s border buoys, poll finds
The UT poll also touched on a range of other topics, including Texas voters’ opinions on the upcoming presidential election and the U.S. Senate race.
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Immigration
Texas can keep buoys in the Rio Grande while legal challenge continues, federal appeals court rules
Nearly three months after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of the 1,000-foot line of buoys and mesh in the Rio Grande, an Austin federal judge ordered the state to remove the barrier and stop building further obstructions in the river. One day later a higher court sided with Texas.
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State Government
Mexico officials say National Guard member who shot at migrant “separated from his position”
The Texas Military Department confirmed Friday the National Guard member who is accused of shooting across the Rio Grande and wounding a man was placed on paid leave.
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Operation Lone Star
Lawmakers call for federal investigation into Texas Guard intel ring
The lawmakers’ remarks came after an investigation published Tuesday by Military Times and The Texas Tribune revealed how Texas Guardsmen at the state’s border with Mexico spied on migrants via WhatsApp and allegedly mishandled secret documents.
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Operation Lone Star
Texas National Guard disbanded intelligence wing after members used WhatsApp to spy on migrants
Four members of the unit working on Gov. Greg Abbott’s border mission have been punished after whistleblowers reported the surveillance operation violated long-standing rules against state-run spy operations.
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State Government
U.S. Justice Department argues for removal of Texas’ floating border barrier in federal court
In a court hearing over the barrier near Eagle Pass, the U.S. Justice Department argued it was installed without federal authorization, while lawyers for the state said it notified the proper authorities.
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State Government
As a tropical storm bore down on Southern California, Texas sent migrants on a bus to Los Angeles
The migrants, mostly from Venezuela, voluntarily took the bus ride from Brownsville to Los Angeles even as Tropical Storm Hilary crossed into Southern California.
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State Government
Texas imprisoned migrants after they should have been released, lawsuit claims
The lawsuit alleges that four migrants who were arrested under Operation Lone Star remained locked up as long as six weeks after their criminal trespassing cases were dismissed or they served their sentences.