Human Rights
Wall Flowers
Salvadoran Man Seeks ‘Sanctuary’ from Deportation in Austin Church
At least 800 churches across the U.S. have joined a movement to shield immigrants from removal.
Rather than submit to Trump’s deportation machine, Alirio Gámez went to church. On Tuesday, the 40-year-old Salvadoran announced to a group of faith leaders,...Read More
Deputies Go Unpunished for Invasive Cavity Search on Houston Roadside
This month prosecutors unexpectedly dropped charges against Harris County deputies accused of violating a woman during a 2015 traffic stop.
The courts have long ruled that warrantless body cavity searches are, in most circumstances, unconstitutional. Impromptu roadside anal and vaginal probes are pr...Read More
The Rising Storm
A new book on climate and migration predicts a future of "guards, guns and gates" unless we act soon.
In Todd Miller’s prescient new book, Storming the Wall: Climate Change, Migration, and Homeland Security, the Tucson journalist and author travels the glo...Read More
Houston City Employees are Fighting to Uphold Marriage Equality in Texas
Couples turn to the federal courts after Texas’ highest court ruled against benefits for same-sex spouses of government employees.
Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage across the country, Texas couples are still fighting for marriage...Read More
Meet the Expert Who Helps Texas Cops Justify Extreme Behavior
Gilbert Flores’ hands were raised when two Bexar County deputies shot and killed him. A former cop who’s trained thousands of state police officers explains why he thinks that’s OK.
Gilbert Flores was already taunting the cops when his mother called 911 the morning of August 28, 2015. “My son, he’s gone crazy, I think he’s on drugs, I...Read More
Red is the New Orange: Handmaids Bring More than Just Silence to the Abortion Fight
The grassroots group of reproductive justice activists have seized a terrifying political moment and created a defiant act of pop-cultural resistance.
In white bonnets and bright-red robes, they sit silently in protest as lawmakers usher in yet another bill that will make it harder for Texans to access abortio...Read More
Why Dallas is One of the Few Places Killer Cops Could be Held Accountable
This summer, Dallas County officials took the rare step of indicting killer cops — twice.
Something extraordinary happened in Dallas County this month: A grand jury returned a murder indictment against a police officer who shot and killed someone. On...Read More
Compassionate (Ab)use: Family Battles Texas over Medical Marijuana
The Zartlers have gone through a veritable pharmacy of prescription drugs, but they say medical marijuana is the only thing that stops Kara from hitting herself.
Mark Zartler measures how well his 17-year-old daughter, Kara, is doing by what he calls a “hit test” — counting the number of times she hits herself on a...Read More
Trump’s New Immigration Lockup Draws Local Opposition in Conroe
A private prison company is building an immigrant detention center in the seat of Montgomery County—whether residents like it or not.
The people of Conroe are getting a new, 1,000-bed immigrant detention center whether they like it or not. The GEO Group Inc., one of the largest private prison ...Read More