Human Rights
Field Hospital Begins Construction in Matamoros Migrant Camp in Response to COVID-19
As cases in Mexico begin to surge and U.S. immigration offices remain closed, medical aid volunteers at a Matamoros migrant camp prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
A 20-bed field hospital at a migrant camp near Matamoros has been approved for setup by American and Mexican officials after weeks of negotiating permission req...Read More
At Least Seven Texas Detention Center Employees Who Tested Positive for COVID-19 Were Not Officially Reported by ICE
Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it is not obligated to report contractors’ employees who have tested positive. Meanwhile, the agency confirmed its first positive case in Texas detention centers and continued facility transfers.
In late March, an employee at the Houston Contract Detention Facility became the first detention center staff case reported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enfo...Read More
Thousands of Migrants in Matamoros Set to be Moved to a New Encampment, Advocates Say
According to camp volunteers, Mexican immigration officials plan to move migrants to an abandoned Matamoros soccer field as early as today.
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned Holy Week—a time when Matamoros’ streets and churches are typically packed to the brim—into a private affair. But on Frid...Read More
Migrants and Advocates Call to Close Detention Centers as COVID-19 Spreads
A new lawsuit argues that an outbreak in detention could overwhelm local health care systems.
As COVID-19 cases begin to permeate the immigration system nationwide, detainees in Texas are calling for better conditions and release. Their pleas became more...Read More
The Future of Fair Housing in Texas
John Henneberger has spent 45 years advocating for Texans’ right to have a safe, affordable place to live.
In 1974, while he was an undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin, John Henneberger started volunteering with a community group in Clarksville, a form...Read More
In Migrants Camps Along the Texas-Mexico Border, Close Quarters and Closing Borders Raise Concerns
Advocates and lawyers warn new measures implemented along the southern border in response to COVID-19 are putting vulnerable migrants at higher risk.
COVID-19 is lurking along the Texas-Mexico border. As suspicious illnesses begin to appear in migrant camps, close proximity, unhygienic conditions, and travel ...Read More
COVID-19 Reveals the Urgent Need to House the Homeless
As state and local governments scramble to provide the homeless access to rooms in order to save them (and us) from the coronavirus pandemic, it’s worth keeping one eye on the future.
For weeks, advocates and news outlets have been sounding the alarm: The homeless are profoundly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The disease is a new and ur...Read More
How Is COVID-19 Impacting the Immigration System?
As immigration courts and detention centers fear the spread of coronavirus, migrants in the camps along the U.S. border say they are more afraid of staying in Mexico than COVID-19.
Ten immigration courts across the country have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday night, and all hearings for immi...Read More
10 Ways to Help Your Fellow Texans Endure the Coronavirus Pandemic
Give to your local food bank, donate blood, or support an emergency housing fund.
As Texans hunker down, learn to keep our 6 feet of “social distance,” and gradually get used to life in quarantine to reduce the spread of COVID-19, many of...Read More
U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Trump Administration on ‘Remain in Mexico’
Following weeks of back-and-forth in the courts, SCOTUS has reversed the decision of an appeals court and allowed Remain in Mexico to continue.
The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, can continue while legal challenges play...Read More