Religion
February 5, 2024
Who’s in God’s Army?
At “Take Our Border Back” rallies across Texas, the convoy’s Christian nationalist rhetoric was on wide display. But not all soldiers are equally devout.
Border Patrol
Latest
1-50 of 59 Articles
Border & Immigration
February 1, 2024
Border Patrol and Texas Troopers Were Once the Best of Friends. What Happened?
For almost three years, Texas DPS agents worked hand in hand with the feds, but their partnership has unraveled into a bitter standoff in Eagle Pass.
Medicine
October 30, 2023
A Taller Border Wall Brings a Surge of Costly Injuries to El Paso
The city's University Medical Center is among the trauma centers dealing with many more migrants severely hurt in falls from the thirty-foot fence.
Border & Immigration
May 10, 2023
If All the Officers Assigned to the Texas-Mexico Border Stood Side By Side, How Far Apart Would They Be?
Hint: if one of them were Baker Mayfield, he could pass a football to the folks on either side of him.
Border & Immigration
March 28, 2023
A Fire in Juárez Killed Dozens of Migrants, Some Fleeing Danger en Route to Texas
It’s not yet clear what caused the fire at a migrant center near El Paso that claimed 39 lives and injured 29 men.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The U.S.-Mexico Border Is Not Just a Line on a Map
As a child, I experienced the boundary between Texas and Mexico as its own distinct place. Now I know why.
Border & Immigration
December 14, 2022
In Rural Far West Texas, Justices of the Peace Confront a Death-Investigation System That’s Failing Unknown Migrants
As the migrant death toll rises, county officials, forensic laboratories, and locals work with little governmental assistance to process, identify, and repatriate the bodies.
True Crime
December 9, 2022
What Drove Juan David Ortiz, a Respected Border Patrol Agent, to Become a Serial Killer?
Ortiz was found guilty of capital murder this week. In 2019, Texas Monthly reported on the string of murders targeting sex workers in Laredo.
Politics & Policy
September 20, 2022
Biden’s New Border Patrol Leader in the RGV Promoted Trump’s Family Separation Policy
Twenty months after the former president left office, those who carried out his administration’s cruelest policy are still in place.
News & Politics
May 26, 2022
Border Patrol Agents Killed the Uvalde School Shooter. But Why Were They on the Scene?
Customs and Border Protection is a ubiquitous presence in many Texas communities, and agents are often first responders.
Politics & Policy
April 14, 2022
“Migrant Lockdowns” Are the New Active-Shooter Drills in the Rio Grande Valley
When undocumented immigrants venture near campuses, many schools institute security protocols. But criminal acts by migrants aren't common.
Border & Immigration
October 21, 2021
Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz on the Crisis in Texas and Why Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star Concerns Him
The Del Rio–raised law enforcement official chatted with ‘Texas Monthly’ about the situation in his hometown and immigration enforcement across the state.
Politics & Policy
October 7, 2021
A Migrant Appears to Have Been Lynched in South Texas
The incident serves as a reminder that, over the past two centuries, hundreds of migrants and Texans of Mexican descent have been murdered.
Film & TV
February 2, 2021
In El Paso, Joining Border Patrol Offers a Rare Path to Financial Security. But for Some Immigrant Kids, It’s Complicated.
The new documentary ‘At the Ready’ follows the members of Horizon High School’s criminal justice club as they train for Border Patrol careers—and grapple with what that means.
News & Politics
January 27, 2020
A Year After 7-Year-Old Jakelin Caal Died in U.S. Custody, Everything (And Nothing) Has Changed for Her Family
Few of the promises made to her family and community were kept. And Jakelin’s father has given up on the American Dream.
Politics & Policy
July 24, 2019
Autopsy Offers Jarring New Details About the Death of a 16-Year-Old Guatemalan Boy
Days after he was supposed to be in a children’s shelter, Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez died of the flu near the toilet in his Border Patrol holding cell.
Border & Immigration
July 5, 2019
The Cruelty at the Border Is Increasingly Pointless
As the Trump administration ratchets up its dehumanization of migrants, we Americans stand to lose our moral center.
Border & Immigration
July 3, 2019
Q&A with a Texas Attorney on the Frontlines of Migrant Child Detention
“We’re definitely seeing a race to the bottom in terms of the dehumanization of immigrants,” the lawyer said.
Politics & Policy
June 25, 2019
What the Hell Is Happening at the Border? (An Occasional Series, June 25 Edition)
The acting Border Patrol chief steps down as migrant children go without soap or toothpaste and bodies are found along the Rio Grande.
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 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 5, 2019
Border Patrol Apprehensions Are at an 11-Year High. Most Are Families and Children.
"The Border Patrol has no reason to expect that this trend will decrease; in fact we believe it will increase," said Border Patrol chief of operations.
Art
February 22, 2019
How ‘Checkpoint Carlos,’ a Work of Art Along the Texas Border, Was Inspired by Memories of the Berlin Wall
As government land seizures roil the Valley, a German-born artist points to stark historical parallels.
Politics & Policy
November 7, 2018
ACLU: U.S. Border Patrol’s Planned ‘Crowd Control’ Exercise Violated Federal Voting Rights Act
The civil rights group filed a complaint one day after the Border Patrol postponed an Election Day "crowd control" exercise.
Politics & Policy
November 5, 2018
Border Patrol Postpones Plans To Conduct ‘Crowd Control’ Exercise on Election Day
The decision to postpone the exercise in El Paso, the home of U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke, comes amid widespread criticism by members of Congress and civil rights groups.
Border & Immigration
October 19, 2018
Can an International Hotline Help Stop the Cartels?
The U.S. Border Patrol and the governor of Tamaulipas are looking for a few good anonymous tips—and hoping it doesn't all backfire.
Border & Immigration
September 19, 2018
A Brownsville Cop Was Charged With Smuggling Her Undocumented Boyfriend. She’s Been Acquitted. He’ll Likely Be Deported.
Brownsville police officer Valerie Rivas was charged with smuggling her undocumented boyfriend. She’s been acquitted. He’s likely to be deported.
Border & Immigration
July 17, 2018
Putting Asylum-Seeking Immigrants in Impossible Positions
Rio Grande Valley attorney Jennifer Harbury explains the nightmares facing immigrants today, whether they gain entry or are turned away.
Border & Immigration
June 20, 2018
Southwest Key Hired Child Case Manager Previously Arrested for Child Pornography
The man, a former Border Patrol agent, worked directly with children.
Border & Immigration
June 19, 2018
A Pediatrician’s View Into a Border Patrol Processing Center
Dr. Marsha Griffin, co-chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics special interest group on immigrant health, tells us what she's seen and what separation traumas could mean in the long term for immigrant children.
Border & Immigration
June 5, 2018
Mother and Son Are Reunited After Months of Separation by Immigration Authorities
They had entered the U.S. illegally, seeking asylum from an abusive home, and were completely unaware they would be separated.
Politics & Policy
April 17, 2018
Speaking Truth to the Powerful
A small-town sheriff took on his president and his governor and learned that facts can get in the way of a good political narrative.
News & Politics
April 11, 2018
Texas Border Patrol Agent Allegedly Murdered Woman and Her One-Year Old Son
Ronald Burgos-Aviles, a nine-year Border Patrol veteran, was arrested Monday in Laredo.
Border & Immigration
February 8, 2018
FBI Investigation Finds No Evidence That Border Patrol Agent Was Murdered
Despite some earlier claims, it appears that Rogelio Martinez was not the victim of an attack.
Politics & Policy
August 23, 2017
Crossing the Line in El Cenizo
A small Texas border town defies a crackdown on immigration.
Border & Immigration
April 19, 2017
The Secret Agent
Over the course of his legendary career, customs officer Hipolito Acosta saw terrible suffering in Mexico. Today, he worries about both sides of the border.
Border & Immigration
October 7, 2015
The Sheriff At The Infamous Sierra Blanca Checkpoint Isn’t Interested In Enforcing Marijuana Laws Anymore
Come back through, Willie/Snoop/Nelly/Fiona Apple!
News & Politics
July 16, 2014
Faces of the Border Crisis: The Border Patrol
Disgruntled agents are overwhelmed and overworked, processing groups of hundreds of undocumented immigrants.
Politics & Policy
June 15, 2014
Where Are the Videos?
If the Border Patrol really wants to be more transparent, it should release key surveillance footage of questionable shooting incidents.
News & Politics
April 11, 2014
Border Lines
The human cost of a militarized border.
News & Politics
April 8, 2014
Who Will Watch the Watchers?
Heightened security measures along the border—including a dramatic increase in personnel and highly sophisticated military equipment—have made that part of our state resemble a war zone. As violent clashes with Mexican citizens increase, a crucial question emerges: Who will hold the U.S. Border Patrol accountable?
Politics & Policy
February 6, 2013
El Paso Named Safest U.S. City
And the border was declared secure. What does this mean for immigration laws?
Politics & Policy
January 20, 2013
Near/Far
Despite rampant fears to the contrary, the bloody drug violence in Mexico hasn’t spilled over into Texas—but that doesn’t mean it’s not transforming life all along the border.
Books
January 20, 2013
Bill Broyles and Mark Haynes
On their new book, Desert Duty: On the Line With the U.S. Border Patrol.
Books
January 20, 2013
Desert Duty: On the Line With the U.S. Border Patrol
Read an excerpt from the new book by Bill Broyles and Mark Haynes.
Politics & Policy
January 20, 2013
The Desert of the Dead
While politicians and bureaucrats endlessly debate the best ways to secure our borders, undocumented immigrants are dying to get into America—literally.
Feature
January 20, 2013
Badges of Dishonor
Two Border Patrol agents are sent to prison while the dope smuggler they pursued and wounded is granted immunity by federal prosecutors and goes free. A miscarriage of justice? Not so fast.
Border & Immigration
July 10, 2012
Details About Shooting of Matamoros Man Still Emerging
How did a thirty-year-old Mexican man end up dead on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande in Matamoros?
Border & Immigration
May 9, 2012
Juárez Death Toll Surpasses 10,000
Earlier this week, the drug war claimed the city's 10,000th victim.
Books
March 31, 2012
Secret Agent Man
Retired Border Patrol officer Hipolito Acosta remembers his time on the beat in The Shadow Catcher.