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Just about every day, migrants walk across the Gateway to the Americas pedestrian bridge from Mexico to Laredo, Texas, to approach U.S. customs officers, saying they are afraid to return to their home countries. That act starts the legal process for them to apply for asylum. In October 2017, a couple from India had their first encounter with a customs officer at the bridge. In the last three months of 2017, about 4,000 people each month came to border stations in Laredo asking for protection.

Immigration

Kirsten Luce for The Marshall Project
Closing Argument
Title 42 is Over. What Comes Next for Asylum-Seekers?
The Biden administration’s new plan has led to confusion along the southern border.
Two women with medium skin tone, holding onto their belongings, stand in between brown pillars of a wall while waiting in a line. Several people stand in the background.
Analysis December 22, 2022
Some of Our Best Work of 2022
From coverage of prison violence and abuses in a juvenile lockup to investigations by our new Cleveland team, our reporters told stories that made a difference.
By
A man looks down with his arms behind his back, as he is being handcuffed by a police officer at the top of a jet bridge walkway. An officer to the right reads from a piece of paper.
Closing Argument December 3, 2022
Battles Brew Over the Power to Choose Who to Prosecute
The long-standing principle of prosecutorial discretion is under fire — another symptom of our nation’s fractured politics.
By
A light-skinned person, wearing a red hat and blue jacket, casts their ballot at a voting booth. An electronic voting machine can be seen on the left, in a different voting booth.
Closing Argument November 12, 2022
7 Key Criminal Justice Takeaways From the Midterms
Sheriffs. Prosecutors. Abortion and slavery amendments. Here’s what you should know about this week’s results.
error in byline
A photo collage composed of figures of, from left, former Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Sheriff David Clarke, a Black man; fictional Sheriff Andy Taylor from “The Andy Griffith Show,” a White man; Frederick County, Maryland, Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, a White man; former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a White man; Dallas County, Alabama, Sheriff Jim Clark, a White man; former Graham County, Arizona, Sheriff Richard Mack, a White man; Western lawman “Wild Bill” Hickok in 1860; and Grant County, New Mexico, Sheriff Frank Gomez. Sheriff's badges are scattered above the collage.
Feature October 18, 2022
We Surveyed U.S. Sheriffs. See Their Views on Power, Race and Immigration
In an exclusive new survey, The Marshall Project found that sheriffs are key to our debates on policing, immigration and much more.
By
A collage made up of figures of, from left: Texas pastor Mark Collins dressed as George Washington; Pinal County, Arizona, Sheriff Mark Lamb; activist Randy Weaver; former Graham County, Arizona, Sheriff Richard Mack; and the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association logo, which is an eagle. Sheriff's badges are scattered above the collage.
Feature October 18, 2022
Does Your Sheriff Think He’s More Powerful Than the President?
Richard Mack has built a “Constitutional sheriff” movement to resist state and federal authority on guns, COVID-19 and now election results. A new survey shows just how many sheriffs agree with him.
By
A group of about 15 people stand in line with their backs facing the camera, in front of a bus.
Closing Argument September 3, 2022
Thousands of Migrants Are Now Pawns in Immigration Politics
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s policy of busing migrants to other states has ignited heated political debate. People are caught in the middle.
By
A photo illustration shows Governor Greg Abbott's face torn in half, with one half of his face brighter and the other half of his face slightly darker. There is also an image of migrants crossing the Rio Grande River, a portion of a spreadsheet showing border security costs, powdered fentanyl near hundred dollar bills, and torn sections of trees and sky.
Analysis April 27, 2022
Reality Check: 7 Times Texas Leaders Misled the Public About Operation Lone Star
As reporters investigated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s border initiative, they repeatedly found instances where Abbott and DPS officials cited accomplishments that lacked crucial context or were misleading. Here are a few examples.
By Lomi Kriel and Perla Trevizo, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, Kengo Tsutsumi, ProPublica and , The Marshall Project
Images of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, former Gov. Rick Perry, people being arrested for crossing the border illegally, and sky and brush are overlaid on a timeline shown by a grid that starts from 2005 and goes just past 2020.
Analysis April 18, 2022
Texans Spend Billions on Border Operations. What Do They Get in Return?
Rick Perry and Greg Abbott have launched widely publicized and costly border initiatives for nearly two decades — often during reelection season or while eyeing higher office.
BY Lomi Kriel AND Perla Trevizo, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune AND
News April 4, 2022
Texas Border Operation’s Largest Share of Arrests: Trespassing On Private Property
About 40% of people arrested by Operation Lone Star over seven months face only this charge. They often spend months in prison, but the tactic does not appear to have slowed migration.
BY Jolie Mccullough, The Texas Tribune
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