Locked In Limbo
Ankle monitors are preferable to putting immigrant families behind bars. But the devices interfere with daily life and work — and they aren’t always used as an alternative to detention.
Gus Bova
Gus Bova is the interim editor-in-chief of the Texas Observer. In 2016, he joined the Observer as an intern, later becoming a staff writer and an assistant editor. He's covered immigration, homelessness, labor, politics, and other major Texas stories. Before coming to the Observer, he worked at a shelter for recently arrived immigrants and asylum-seekers. He studied Latin American Studies at the University of Kansas.
Articles by Gus Bova
Video: ‘Queer Dance Freakout’ Outside the Governor’s Mansion
The crowd danced hard and carried signs reading "Trans rights are human rights," "Feminism for now, feminism forever" and "I don't care about your front; I got your back."
Sweeping Immigration Arrests Prompt Days of Protests in Austin
Up to 70 people have been detained by federal immigration officers in Austin in four days, according to a local organizer.
Myth-Busting Immigration Detainers: They’re Optional, Costly and Rarely Lead to Deportation
In 2015, federal authorities never followed up on 62 percent of immigration detainers issued to local jails. Overall, only 15 percent of detainers led to deportations.
Hundreds Fill Texas Capitol to Oppose Anti-Sanctuary Cities Bill
Popular resistance swells as Governor Abbott and Texas Republicans push anti-immigrant legislation.
Taking Shelter
For decades, residential shelters have operated as humane alternatives to immigrant detention. Could they work on a larger scale?
Texas Attorneys, Activists Working to Preempt Trump’s Expected Immigration Raids
"By midnight on election night, we were already flooded with inquiries from our clients. People were immediately panicked," one attorney said.
Up To 50,000 Gather in Austin for Women’s March
Many long-time Austinites, including the former police chief, said it was the largest rally they’d ever seen in the capital city.
On Inauguration Day, UT-Austin Students Demand School Be ‘Sanctuary from Oppression’
Hundreds of students gathered at UT-Austin to inaugurate resistance to the Trump administration.
Lawmakers, Advocates Unveil Campaign to Stop Anti-Immigrant Legislation
"We oppose these politics that have become poisoned with misinformation about immigrants and border life," said state Senator Jose Rodriguez.