Politics & Policy
December 18, 2019
2020 Bum Steer of the Year: Beto O’Rourke
For abandoning the state that had lifted him up from obscurity, Beto O’Rourke is the winner of one half of our annual booby prize!
El Paso
Books
December 2, 2019
Chef Aarón Sánchez Hasn’t Forgotten His Texas Roots
The El Paso native and celebrity chef is coming home in support of his new memoir, ‘Where I Come From.’
Books
November 15, 2019
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Time Traveling Novel Based in Galveston
Plus: JM Stevens’ solo debut album, a documentary examining the border crisis through art, and an El Paso cereal bar.
Art
November 13, 2019
How a Public Art Project in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez is Spurring Cross-Border Conversations
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s interactive ‘Border Tuner’ is visible this month from both cities along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Being Texan
November 4, 2019
The National Media Hilariously Misunderstands Texas Geography
All the news from the “Dallas suburb” of Marfa and the “adjacent” regions of El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Food
October 18, 2019
Texas Monthly Recommends: Sarah Jaffe’s ‘This Is Better’
Plus, a clothing company that sports El Paso pride and a one-stop shop for Mexican treats in Houston.
Dining Guide
October 16, 2019
Dining Guide: Highlights From Our November 2019 Issue
We review more than sixty restaurants each month. Here’s a peek at what’s new!
Food & Drink
October 16, 2019
Celebrating the Border’s Fusion of Cuisine and Culture in El Paso and Juárez
A pair of Mexico City’s best-known chefs team up to host benefit dinners that shine a light on all that unites this binational community.
Sports
October 8, 2019
More Than a Game
One month after a man from Plano drove to El Paso and murdered 22 people, a high school football game between the two communities became a chance to heal.
Border & Immigration
September 26, 2019
Weighing Just 107 Pounds and at Risk of Death, an Asylum Seeker on Hunger Strike Finally Gets His Freedom
After 76 days on hunger strike and almost a year in detention, Ajay Kumar has been released from ICE custody in El Paso.
Politics & Policy
September 19, 2019
Veronica vs. the Swamp
Veronica Escobar, the first Latina to represent El Paso in Congress, isn’t afraid of playing the Washington game—as long as it means the Texas borderlands get the respect they deserve.
Border & Immigration
August 29, 2019
What Texas Latino Leaders Want to Hear at the Democratic Debate in Houston
In the aftermath of the El Paso shooting, party leaders expect the presidential candidates to address racism and immigration.
Border & Immigration
August 16, 2019
ICE Doctor Defends Force-Feeding Detainees on Hunger Strike as ‘Uncomfortable’ But Necessary
At a hearing on Friday, the El Paso doctor said force-feeding was considered medically unethical, but that ICE's rules required her to do it.
Being Texan
August 14, 2019
What Does It Mean to Be Latinx in the Wake of El Paso?
A reflection on the recent shooting that left 23 people dead.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
August 12, 2019
Filmmaker Angie Reza Tures: “It’s a Crazy Time To Be an Artist, To Be a Brown Person”
The El Pasoan reflects on violence in her hometown, and why it’s important for the Latinx community to tell their own stories.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Best Thing in Texas
August 7, 2019
The Best Thing in Texas: This 11-Year-Old Is Showing the World What El Pasoans Are Made Of
After last weekend's mass shooting, Ruben Martinez created the viral #ElPasoChallenge to inspire random acts of kindness.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
News & Politics
August 6, 2019
Kacey Musgraves Speaks Out On Gun Reform at Lollapalooza
During her set at the Chicago music festival, the pop-country star decried last weekend’s mass shootings.
Politics & Policy
August 6, 2019
What the Shooter and Trump Don’t Understand About My Hometown of El Paso
What the rest of the country will see in the days to come is a city of resilience, compassion, and honesty.
Politics & Policy
August 3, 2019
‘El Paso Is Beautiful’: El Pasoans Come Together and Reach Out in a Day of Terror
At a jam-packed blood bank, El Pasoans said they were proud of their hometown and expressed dismay that an outsider could wreak such havoc on their city—one of the safest in the country.
News & Politics
August 3, 2019
The Shooting at an El Paso Walmart Is One of the Deadliest in Modern U.S. History
One of the deadliest shootings in U.S. history took place on Saturday afternoon.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Border & Immigration
July 23, 2019
The Other Side of the Border
Frustrated by the perception of the border as a lawless land, two native sons embarked on a 1,200-mile journey to capture, through a series of images and letters, the region’s untold stories.
Border & Immigration
July 18, 2019
More Asylum Seekers Stage Hunger Strikes at El Paso Detention Center
Four Indian men have refused to eat since July 8 in hopes of being released on bonds while awaiting deportation hearings.
News
June 11, 2019
In El Paso, Border Patrol Is Detaining Migrants in ‘a Human Dog Pound’
Immigration officials have resumed the much-criticized practice of keeping people outdoors for weeks to relieve dangerous overcrowding.
Border & Immigration
May 29, 2019
‘He Started Calling Me Papa Again’: A Separated Migrant Father and Son Reunite After 378 Days Apart
Juan is believed to be the first parent separated from a child under Trump’s zero-tolerance policy to win permanent protection against deportation.
Style & Design
May 29, 2019
A Transformative UTEP President’s Story, Told in Ten T-Shirts
Diana Natalicio has collected a few hundred UTEP tops over the decades—and has something to say about each of them.
Art
April 26, 2019
Behind Every Painting, a Desperate Kid: The “Uncaged Art” of Tornillo’s Detained Migrant Children
A new exhibit at UT-El Paso displays works by young people held last year at the immigration detention center.
By Katy Vine![Katy Vine's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
April 25, 2019
‘I’m in Danger’: Migrant Parents Face Violence in Mexico Under New Trump Policy
At hearings in El Paso, asylum seekers forced to stay in Juarez told of violence and fear.
Art
April 18, 2019
Corpus Christi Photographer to Use Guggenheim Grant on El Paso/Alaska Project
One of three Texans to earn a fellowship this year, Jennifer Garza-Cuen explores the interconnections of place and identity in her stunning images.
Border & Immigration
April 11, 2019
Two of the Asylum-Seekers Who Were Force-Fed at an El Paso Detention Center Are Now Free
In their first interview with the press, the two Indian nationals say the force-feeding process was dehumanizing and painful.
Border & Immigration
March 31, 2019
“They Treated Us Like We Are Animals”: Holding Pen for Migrant Families in El Paso Shut Down
The overnight move comes as ACLU files complaints alleging human rights violations.
Border & Immigration
March 27, 2019
Customs and Border Protection Head Says “Breaking Point Has Arrived” at Texas Border
Commissioner describes a humanitarian and national security crisis while in El Paso.
Border & Immigration
March 23, 2019
Border Patrol Inland Checkpoints Shut Down So Agents Can Help Process Asylum Seekers
“It’s really out of control. It’s bad,” said one official of the surge in families streaming across the border.
Border & Immigration
March 22, 2019
You Can Never Leave the Border Behind
Whether I lived in Chicago, Germany, or Dallas, I came to recognize one thing: it’s impossible to leave the borderlands behind.
Border & Immigration
March 20, 2019
Controversial Trump Administration Protocol for Asylum Seekers Will Begin in El Paso
The ”Migrant Protection Protocols” will send asylum seekers to Mexico to wait while their cases are processed.
Music
March 15, 2019
Khalid Said Goodbye to his ‘American Teen’ Days at SXSW on Thursday
With just three weeks until his new album, ’Free Spirit,’ the singer from the city of the 915 played the songs that made him a star one last time.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
News & Politics
March 11, 2019
Selection of Heather Wilson as Finalist for UT El Paso President Spurs Campus Protests
The protesters' key issue with Wilson was her congressional voting record on LGBT issues.
Border & Immigration
March 1, 2019
Controversial “Remain in Mexico” Policy for Asylum Applicants Headed to El Paso
Trump administration officials on Friday said they will continue to push forward with a controversial policy to require at least some Central American asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims are heard, but acknowledged they are moving slowly with the process. Officials said El Paso is likely to
Border & Immigration
February 21, 2019
Vatican Sending Representative to El Paso to Discuss Immigration With Bishops
The meeting comes as unprecedented numbers of Central American families are seeking asylum.
Politics & Policy
February 15, 2019
El Paso Native American Tribe Suffers Major Defeat In Quarter-Century Battle With Texas
A federal judge is the latest to rule the tribe's popular casino violates state gaming laws.
Border & Immigration
February 13, 2019
Immigration Officials Have Stopped Force-Feeding All Asylum Seekers on Hunger Strike in El Paso
In an extraordinary hearing that involved public and private testimony, a federal judge expressed legal support for the practice of force-feeding.
Border & Immigration
February 12, 2019
Donald Trump Vows to “Finish the Wall” in El Paso Political Rally
The president also seemed focused on a nearby counter-protest featuring Beto O’Rourke.
Politics & Policy
February 8, 2019
El Paso Has Been a Reminder of President Trump’s Failures On the Border. Now He’s Campaigning There.
In a political rally scheduled for Monday, Trump is expected to once again push for a border wall.
Music
February 7, 2019
Listen to ‘Talk,’ a Killer Single From Khalid’s Upcoming Second Album
El Paso’s favorite adopted son teams up with British superproducers Disclosure to preview his April album release.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Border & Immigration
February 7, 2019
“If the Police Aren’t Safe Here, What About Us?” Asylum Seekers Fear “Remain in Mexico” Policy
Immigration advocates worry that the policy, which is in effect in California, sends migrants fleeing danger towards more violence.
Politics & Policy
February 6, 2019
Texas Has Been Just a Prop for Trump From the Beginning
Our state is accustomed to deference from Republican administrations—deference it has earned. Why are our Republican leaders letting him create our narrative?
Politics & Policy
February 5, 2019
These El Pasoans Are Rejecting Trump’s False Claims About the City’s Border Fence and Crime Rate
The city's congresswoman says that Trump lied about the west Texas city during his state of the union speech.
Border & Immigration
February 1, 2019
Citing Inhumane Conditions, Detained Asylum Seekers in El Paso Go On Hunger Strike
Eleven asylum seekers detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement El Paso field office have gone on hunger strikes to protest their lengthy detention and what they view as inhumane treatment. Several who have been on a hunger strike for more than a month are being force-fed by ICE. The
Being Texan
January 30, 2019
From East Texas to El Paso, Four Texans Reflect on Where They’re From
Over the years, Texas Monthly’s most celebrated voices have written about the places that shaped them, from the Panhandle to the border. We revisit some of the classics.
Border & Immigration
December 24, 2018
Hundreds of Asylum Seekers Being Released on El Paso Streets Over Christmas
Immigration authorities dropped busloads of immigrants at a Greyhound bus station without giving warning to local officials, despite having promised to do so.
Politics & Policy
November 26, 2018
Beto O’Rourke Sidesteps Presidential Question, Harshly Criticizes Trump Border Policies
In his first town hall since narrowly losing his election, O'Rourke shows he may not be ready to leave public arena.