Santa Ana’s Last Stand
Congress repeatedly shielded the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge from the border wall. Now, construction has begun—and an irrigation district lawsuit may be the only option left to buy time for lawmakers to act.
Border and Immigration
These Rural Panhandle Towns Should be Shrinking. But Thanks to Immigrants, They’re Booming.
In the farming town of Dalhart, where voters resoundingly put Trump in office, immigrants have staved off population loss and boosted the local economy.
The Texas Observer’s Best Features of 2018
Our favorite longreads of the year.
Border Congressman Makes Last-Minute Move to Save Butterfly Center, State Park, Chapel from Trump’s Wall
The three sites, all near the town of Mission in the Rio Grande Valley, are high on the government’s list for wall construction.
In South Texas, the Catholic Church vs. Trump’s Border Wall
A charismatic priest and the local diocese hope to save a 120-year-old chapel near the Rio Grande.
How Climate Change Is Driving Central American Migrants to the United States
In the poor, violent Northern Triangle of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, worsening floods, drought and storms are pushing a growing number of migrants north.
Border Patrol Calls Cops on Lawyers, Activists Trying to Attend ‘Stakeholder’ Meeting
Police asked civil rights attorneys and opponents of the border wall to leave a Border Patrol station in McAllen, where an invite-only border wall meeting was taking place.
Chuco Style
The suits are flashy, the dancing is mesmerizing and the enchiladas are hot. For members of this El Paso club, borderlands identity runs deep.
Border Residents Protest Trump’s Wall in Hidalgo County
Activists and landowners called on Rio Grande Valley residents to resist construction of a wall and protect property rights and wildlife.
AUDIO: Melissa del Bosque and Rachel Poser on Border Patrol’s Unchecked Mission Creep
Listen to reporter Melissa del Bosque and Harper's editor Rachel Poser discuss del Bosque's groundbreaking feature, “Checkpoint Nation.”