RACE & IMMIGRATION

An international bridge connecting Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.
Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich
An international bridge connecting Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

Program Helping to Reduce Wait Times at Border Bridges

Nine months into a federal pilot program created to reduce wait times at international ports of entry, operators of bridges on the Texas-Mexico border say it appears to be accomplishing that goal. But they also say it’s difficult to measure whether cars, trucks and pedestrians are moving faster across the border.

A nod to the city's changing demographics, the masthead for a branch of Jefferson Dental Clinics in Irving, Texas includes a large Spanish-language sign on its storefront that reads, “A friend of the Hispanic family.”
Enlarge photo by: Cooper Neill
A nod to the city's changing demographics, the masthead for a branch of Jefferson Dental Clinics in Irving, Texas includes a large Spanish-language sign on its storefront that reads, “A friend of the Hispanic family.”

Changing Demographics Create a Battleground in North Texas District

Democrats are hoping to take advantage of the shifting demographics in Irving to flip Texas House District 105, which has been held by a Republican for more than a decade. 

Glenn Johnson, 55, was injured in a smelting accident near Amarillo in 1997 in which a furnace filled with molten metal exploded, crushed him and left major burns over 90 percent of his body. His left arm was amputated and all but two the muscles in his right forearm were removed.
Enlarge photo by: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson
Glenn Johnson, 55, was injured in a smelting accident near Amarillo in 1997 in which a furnace filled with molten metal exploded, crushed him and left major burns over 90 percent of his body. His left arm was amputated and all but two the muscles in his right forearm were removed.

State Fights Release of Race Records

The Texas Department of Insurance is fighting the Tribune’s request for records that could shed light on why the agency has failed to collect racial data on injured workers, despite a 1993 law that requires it. 

Changing Demographics Create a Battleground in North Texas District

A nod to the city's changing demographics, the masthead for a branch of Jefferson Dental Clinics in Irving, Texas includes a large Spanish-language sign on its storefront that reads, “A friend of the Hispanic family.”
Enlarge photo by: Cooper Neill
A nod to the city's changing demographics, the masthead for a branch of Jefferson Dental Clinics in Irving, Texas includes a large Spanish-language sign on its storefront that reads, “A friend of the Hispanic family.”

Democrats are hoping to take advantage of the shifting demographics in Irving to flip Texas House District 105, which has been held by a Republican for more than a decade. 

State Fights Release of Race Records

Glenn Johnson, 55, was injured in a smelting accident near Amarillo in 1997 in which a furnace filled with molten metal exploded, crushed him and left major burns over 90 percent of his body. His left arm was amputated and all but two the muscles in his right forearm were removed.
Enlarge photo by: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson
Glenn Johnson, 55, was injured in a smelting accident near Amarillo in 1997 in which a furnace filled with molten metal exploded, crushed him and left major burns over 90 percent of his body. His left arm was amputated and all but two the muscles in his right forearm were removed.

The Texas Department of Insurance is fighting the Tribune’s request for records that could shed light on why the agency has failed to collect racial data on injured workers, despite a 1993 law that requires it. 

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For Many Texans, "Miracle" Economy Doesn't Apply

Enlarge photo by: Callie Richmond

Tours Aim to Redefine Juárez, Revitalize Tourism

Historian Antonio Ramos poses as a Maderista soldier at a marketplace in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on Oct. 8, 2014.
Enlarge photo by: Julian Aguilar
Historian Antonio Ramos poses as a Maderista soldier at a marketplace in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on Oct. 8, 2014.

Hopes are riding on a new effort in which tour buses will come to Ciudad Juárez regularly from El Paso. Officials want the tours to help shed Juárez's image as a danger zone and showcase the city as a destination for area tourists.

Abbott Sets Sights on "The Bluest Part of a Red State"

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott answers a question during a Sept. 19, 2014, gubernatorial debate with state Sen. Wendy Davis. The debate, held at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, was the first of two scheduled before the November general election.
Enlarge photo by: Gabe Hernandez
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott answers a question during a Sept. 19, 2014, gubernatorial debate with state Sen. Wendy Davis. The debate, held at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, was the first of two scheduled before the November general election.

Greg Abbott, the Republican nominee for Texas governor, is trying to break the Democrats’ near lock on deep South Texas. The Democrats are dismissive of his effort, but it underscores the importance both camps are attaching to Hispanics this year.

Against Difficult Odds, Finding Refuge in El Paso

A woman, who asked not to be identified because she fears for her safety, stands near the pulpit at the end of service at First Baptist Church on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in El Paso. The woman fled Boko Haram in Nigeria and is now seeking asylum.
Enlarge photo by: Ivan Pierre Aguirre
A woman, who asked not to be identified because she fears for her safety, stands near the pulpit at the end of service at First Baptist Church on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in El Paso. The woman fled Boko Haram in Nigeria and is now seeking asylum.

Four years after fleeing Somalia, Dekha Hassan-Mohamed is living in El Paso after winning an asylum claim and bucking a national trend. Her lawyer is seeking the same protection for another client who fled Nigeria. Both women are grateful for the new chapters of their lives in El Paso. 

Cuellar: Debate on Immigration Surge Likely to Re-emerge This Year

US Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX 28th District) speaks with Rep. Doug Miller R-New Braunfels, during a visit to the Texas Capitol on February 19th, 2013.
Enlarge photo by: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
US Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX 28th District) speaks with Rep. Doug Miller R-New Braunfels, during a visit to the Texas Capitol on February 19th, 2013.

The congressional debate about how to address the influx of unaccompanied Central American minors crossing illegally into Texas is likely to re-emerge later this year when lawmakers debate an omnibus budget bill, according to a Texas lawmaker.

In Health Care, Some Organizers Find an Issue to Spur Hispanic Voters

Chris Ornelas, a Texas Organizing Project employee, speaking with Armando Rodriguez while canvassing in San Antonio's west side on Sept. 4, 2014.
Enlarge photo by: Spencer Selvidge
Chris Ornelas, a Texas Organizing Project employee, speaking with Armando Rodriguez while canvassing in San Antonio's west side on Sept. 4, 2014.

In three of Texas' most populous counties, organizers are working to use Hispanic support of affordable health care to spur a movement they think could change the state’s electoral tide. Republicans suggest the issue ranks far behind unemployment and the economy — areas where they say their policies have the market cornered.   

 

The Ford Foundation and the Hunt Family Foundation have supported coverage of immigration, demographics and the border region at The Texas Tribune.

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Immigration After the Election

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Patrick's Push to Repeal Texas DREAM Act Could Face Criticism

State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, and state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, during a legislative committee hearing on human trafficking in La Joya on July 24. Both senators are candidates for lieutenant governor.
Enlarge photo by: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, and state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, during a legislative committee hearing on human trafficking in La Joya on July 24. Both senators are candidates for lieutenant governor.

A vow by state Sen. Dan Patrick, the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, to repeal the Texas DREAM Act could face criticism from Republicans trying to reach out to Hispanic voters.