What makes Corpus Christi significant as a case is not that the drought was unpredictable. It is that the drought was predicted, and that the planning systems in place were calibrated to conditions that are no longer stable.

“We are grateful for the 37 years we had her and her warmth,” they said. “Today and everyday we remember what we have lost but remain so thankful for what she gave to all of us. We love and miss you so much, Nae.”

“It is for your safety” the agent explained. Safety from what? Gallegos wondered. The last gunshot she remembered was in 2011, when the Border Patrol killed 19-year-old Carlos LaMadrid as he climbed the wall to return to Mexico… www.theborderchronicle.com/thou-shall-n...

Days after bombing Iran, Border Patrol quietly banned civilians from the Douglas, AZ border wall, blocking a church group mid-prayer. A supervisor cited “escalations worldwide.” No announcement was made. Full Story🔗🦂:

In one of his final acts in office, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy had vetoed a bill that banned local partnerships with ICE, citing potential legal challenges. Governor Mikie Sherrill has signed a slightly modified bill into law.

We are $39 trillion in debt with it accelerating more rapidly during Trump’s presidency than any other in history and Trump is asking for an obscene record shattering amount of military spending for his forever wars & bombings after he just got an obscene increase for DOD & ICE.

The Colorado Times Recorder reports on ICE’s sprawling network of unofficial detention sites:

Raskin: "It doesn't give me a lot of comfort that Todd Blanche is now the acting AG. This is the guy who transferred Ghislaine Maxwell from the higher security prison to the low security prison camp in Texas."

A federal board just ruled that immigration judges can be fired at will by the president, stripping the civil service protections meant to insulate them from political interference. This is a HUGE deal for asylum seekers and the courts.

Bounty hunters seen in viral videos brandishing weapons in Minneapolis charged with felonies www.startribune.com/two-bounty-h...

An important DNA database that has helped hundreds of families find their missing loved ones has vanished. Reporters @cetracey.bsky.social and Gabriel Schivone investigate what happened and also report on how NGOs could get it back, if it hasn't already been destroyed.

A lot of Trump voters I spoke to during the campaign were convinced the Wrong People were getting free stuff and that Trump would make sure the Right People (them) got it. bsky.app/profile/fact...

The death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Blind Rohingya refugee who was left on the freezing streets of Buffalo by Border Patrol officers, was ruled a homicide. New from me at @motherjones.com. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

It's been 66 days since agents killed Alex Pretti. DHS has body-cam footage. They haven't released it. 66 days and counting. www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/...

The Trump administration is demanding that states hand over their voter files. Most states have refused, but at least 10 have provided full voter lists, placing the sensitive data of more than 37 million voters in the federal government’s hands. Here’s what you need to know: bit.ly/3JFbKaB

Today, the Archive published a Disappearing Data Chronology--a timeline tracking changes in access to federal information under Trump, including major data losses and restorations, legal challenges to information takedowns, and threats to archival collections. nsarchive.gwu.edu/special-exhi...

Four-byline alert: 🚨 “.. A broker for Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, attempted to make a big investment in major defence companies in the weeks leading up to the US-Israeli attack on Iran, according to three people familiar with the matter.” www.ft.com/content/744e...

Today we launched an investigation with @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social on Trump's declaration of a "national emergency" and what that means for border communities a year into the declaration. More than 40% of the U.S.-Mexico border is now under military control.

“Even sites once protected by Congress, including a butterfly refuge and a historic church, are slated for fencing funded by the “one big beautiful bill”—while the river itself is transformed by a floating barrier.” www.texasobserver.org/trump-border...

A construction contract was awarded March 18, using money from the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” to build wall through the National Butterfly Center and the Santa Ana refuge, among other once-protected sites. New from Michael Gonzalez, copublished with @theborderchronicle.bsky.social:

Congress approved $47B for border barriers in the Rio Grande Valley. A butterfly refuge, a historic chapel, and family homes are now in the wall's path. Residents who fought this before are gearing up to fight again. Read the full story copublished with @texasobserver.org 🔗🦂:

New joint investigation between @bellingcat.com @calmatters.org @evidentmedia.org where we identified agents causing chaos and violence across the country. These guys were some of the worst repeat offenders we saw. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03...

Another one of the helpers. Humanity built asylum laws for a reason. Great profile of Carlos Spector by @mdelbosque.bsky.social for @theborderchronicle.bsky.social. Que su memoría sea un bendición. www.theborderchronicle.com/whoever-save...

An environmental activist and her family escaped death threats in Honduras... then 11 days before their asylum hearing, ICE arrested her husband, severed his case from theirs, and then deported him back to Honduras – where he's now in hiding.

The Trump admin. has escalated its campaign to cast doubt on the 2020 election as part of a broader effort to undermine future elections, enlisting intelligence officials and agencies even though those same agencies have repeatedly affirmed that the election was secure and accurate. bit.ly/4lvimHJ

Please support our independent journalism from the U.S.-Mexico border. Sign up and become a free or paid member today!

WEEKLY ROUNDUP🌵: Walls in Big Bend. A refinery threatening Brownsville. ICE raids across the Rio Grande Valley. Border communities are fighting back, and we're there to cover it. Independent journalism like this depends on YOU. Become a paid subscriber today🦂🔗:

I have watched 6 hours of a DOGE bro deposition. The whole thing, start to finish. It's a fascinating, and horrifying, look at the people who caused so much damage, didn't really achieve anything at all, while still being so sure they are right. Here's what they said: www.404media.co/i-watched-6-...

Trump touted a "first new U.S. refinery in 50 years" at Port of Brownsville. The air permit was approved under Biden; the project dates to 2017. Local residents and environmental groups are already protesting over pollution and health risks. Read the Full Story🦂🔗:

Lol.

Employees at Camp East Montana are being told that the massive detention Center in El Paso is not closing, internal messages obtained by the El Paso Times show. My story:

Wow. The corruption and self-dealing is boundless — in the billions.

I testified in Sosa’s Ottawa trial, along with other experts and one of the only living massacre survivors and witnesses, Ramiro Osorio Cristales. Click on @nsarchive.bsky.social ‘s website to see the ruling + US and Guate declassified documents used in the case.

I don't know why the federal government has declared war on my state, but this is clearly because their attempt to conduct an invasion was thwarted. So they're now retaliating economically.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection told [Tohono O’odham] officials that guidance from Washington, D.C., was to complete the wall in Arizona — including construction on the tribe’s land. Tribal officials pushed back on those plans.” www.azcentral.com/story/news/p...

BREAKING Former ICE agent: On my first day training new cadets, I received secretive orders to teach them to violate the Constitution by entering homes without a judicial warrant.

How does Trump’s extraordinary self-enrichment since retaking office compare to historic instances of political corruption? To learn more, read our latest Money in Politics Roundup: 1/3 bit.ly/3MSYmBN

Kudos to @nickturse.bsky.social for following up on this Noem whopper. She is truly "flooding the zone."

After a "heartbreaking" visit with Julia Benitez, the 79-year-old asylum seeker known as "la abuela" among Eloy detainees, U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-AZ, said Wednesday she will advocate for Benitez's release from ICE detention on humanitarian grounds. tucson.com/news/local/b...

Super proud of this @lighthousereports.com led collaboration in Tennessee out today. A lot of states are trying to keep ICE out and demanding accountability. But what happens when your state invites ICE in with open arms? www.lighthousereports.com/investigatio...

As one community organizer put it, "In many ways, Tennessee has been a testing ground for a lot of these things." It could be a new playbook for how red states treat immigrants—particularly in their blue cities. (14/14) For more, read @mdelbosque.bsky.social's piece here:

NEW from @mdelbosque.bsky.social and @lighthousereports.com, in partnership with @motherjones.com: How ICE partnered with Tennessee state troopers to terrorize Nashville’s immigrants, thanks to the state's Republican supermajorities

Conservative commentator Katie Zacharia will join DHS as a spokesperson following Tricia McLaughlin's departure, a Trump administration official told Reuters www.reuters.com/world/us/dhs...

There is no drawdown. There is no retreat. ICE is just redistributing their assets to better avoid accountability.

What does it mean to grow up where the Wild West is a daily tourist show? Poet Logan Phillips was born in Tombstone, AZ. His new book Reckon explores masculinity, myth & memory. New podcast episode out now. Listen to the full podcast episode🔗🦂:

“Today’s technologies— high-definition cameras, microphones, digital data harvesting & AI-driven analysis— are being used to create an environment of mass surveillance that ensnares almost all individuals within the US,” EFF’s Beryl Lipton told @themarshallproject.org.

Join us next week for an important conversation on covering immigration safely and with care. We'll hear from experienced reporters & editors about their experiences on the ground. With @adriancarrasquillo.bsky.social, @arelisrhdz.bsky.social, @jcollins.bsky.social, Michelle Zenarosa

Our Weekly Roundup is here! 🗞️ Stay up to date with this week’s stories, and how you can continue to support the Border Chronicle🦂. For Full Roundup🔗:

DEVELOPING: Federal judge will let Marimar Martinez release text messages sent by Border Patrol agent who shot her From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/2026/02/06/f...