Reclaiming ‘Friendship’ Across Borders
In reading U.S.-Mexico treaties, I trip over the word “friendship.” Ostensibly, it's like saying, “We are friends, so I’m taking your land.”
Civil Rights
Texas State Police Gear Up for Massive Expansion of Surveillance Tech
DPS plans to spend millions in taxpayer dollars on a controversial software, used first as part of Governor Abbott’s border crackdown, to “disrupt potential domestic terrorism.”
Observing the Borderlands
As the Texas Observer’s border reporter from 2008 to 2018, Melissa del Bosque investigated corruption and uncovered injustices.
When Summer Heat Hits My Texas Prison
High temperatures and scarce air conditioning cause tempers to flare for prisoners and guards alike.
A Rancher Who Leads a Paramilitary-Style Group Sues Biden over Border Policies
The rancher is joined by a rural Texas sheriff, who has collaborated with vigilantes, in the legal challenge to federal immigration policies.
Neo-Nazi Gang Affiliates Attacked a Mixed-Race Family in Martindale, Only One Was Arrested
Members or supporters of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, identified by the Texas Observer and Bellingcat, appear to have perpetrated a possible hate crime at the location of a river tubing company.
Their Laws. Our Bodies.
Two years after the constitutional right to abortion was eliminated, what’s left of Texans’ reproductive rights is ambiguous.
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Texas’ Plantation Prisons: Inside a 200-Year History of Forced Labor Shrouded in Secrecy
Punishments, injuries, and deaths—including from heat—on TDCJ farms are more hidden than they were in the years following convict leasing.
Kinney County Sheriff to Buy Pepper Ball Guns for Deterring Migrants Who ‘Try To Storm The Point of Entry’
Following the Texas National Guard’s example, the border county approved the purchase of “less lethal” weapons using state funds.
Taking Prison to Court: Fighting for the Right to Sleep
Michael Garrett sued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice more than a decade ago, and he’s working from inside to keep the case alive.