The same week Texas Democrats touted the results of a government study that shows border communities are safe, a federal stalemate could shrink the law enforcement build-up that helped make those results possible.... Read more»
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, including improvements at ports of entry.... Read more»
For the second consecutive year, seizures of methamphetamine in the Laredo customs district — the country’s busiest land port — climbed significantly, an indication that drug cartels continue to bank on sales of the drug in the U.S. despite vigilant enforcement efforts on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border.... Read more»
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.... Read more»
Republicans saw how poorly they fared among Latino voters in November and know they have more than a year until the next election cycle. Many in El Paso say those conditions make the timing right for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform with bipartisan support. (with video)... Read more»
Grover Norquist wants voters to know that Republicans are not the anti-immigrant party, and he thinks Texas can lead the conversation on immigration reform.... Read more»1
As the debate over federal immigration reform ramps up — and the border security component continues to be a major factor — statistics on border apprehensions are often used as a barometer to measure how effective security policies are.... Read more»
With a plan for an open pit coal mine on the Texas-Mexico border one step closer to being in operation, opponents looking to block the mine are left hoping to win a possible court injunction or an unlikely reversal by the Texas Railroad Commission.... Read more»
As eight U.S. senators unveiled a plan Monday for an overhaul of the country’s immigration system, the reaction in Texas ranged from praise to concerns over the plan’s border-security component.... Read more»
In the recent debate about stricter gun control, some officials on both sides of the Rio Grande saw a sliver of hope — that such laws might curb the flow of illegal weapons over the United States’ southern border.... Read more»
Responding to petitions from Texas and seven other states calling for the right to secede, the White House called for healthy debate, but to not let “that debate tear us apart.”... Read more»
As Congress prepares for what is expected to be a contentious debate over immigration reform, with issues like the DREAM Act and what kind of reforms constitute “amnesty” expected to be at the forefront, immigration lawyers say addressing lesser-known and arcane policies could be just as important and effective.... Read more»1
A $5.5 billion infrastructure project under way in Central America will have far-reaching effects on Texas, but not in the way many had originally guessed. A report predicts that the project will do more for selling Texas goods to the rest of the world than the other way around, because of the long trip from Asia.... Read more»
Security initiatives recently announced by the Mexican government suggest that the country may move to reaffirm its sovereignty and focus less on the interests of the U.S. and other foreign countries. Last month President Peña Nieto utlined a strategy to fight crime that would create a 10,000-member force to focus on crimes like murder, kidnapping and extortion. It emphasized a shift from the previous administration’s focus on top cartel leaders.... Read more»1
While the federal government and other states ponder more rigorous gun control laws following the shootings at a Connecticut elementary school, some legislators in Texas have taken the opposite approach. They have emphasized the need to make firearms more available, and their discussions have included increasing access for teachers and other school personnel.... Read more»
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