By John Burnett U.S. Customs and Border Protection—the nation's largest law enforcement agency—is attempting to reform itself. Washington spends $13 billion on border control and immigration enforcement, more than every other federal law enforcement force combined. Yet the huge agency—with 56,000 gun-toting agents—is dogged by complaints that too many of them will take a bribe or use excessive force and avoid consequences. Continue reading

Heard on All Things Considered Along the border between the U.S. and Mexico, armed groups on patrol — mostly men — look for illegal immigrants and drug traffickers. They're not U.S. Border Patrol, but regular people who've decided to take matters into their own hands. Continue reading

By Alexa Mencia Shena Gutierrez’s husband José almost died March 30, 2011. As the leader of a support network for those affected by the U.S. Border Patrol’s use of force, Gutierrez knows her husband was one of the lucky ones. But after José survived a coma and traumatic brain injuries attempting to cross back into Arizona after being deported, he hasn’t been the same. Continue reading

By Liberation Staff From October 7 to 10, over a thousand people gathered in Tucson and Nogales, Ariz. for a U.S./Mexico Border Convergence against the militarization of the border, border patrol violence and murder, and the division and imprisonment of immigrant families. The weekend of action was sponsored by the School of America Watch and included representatives from nearly 400 organizations from across the country. Continue reading

By Associated Press A record number of Central American families fleeing violence crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in the most recent fiscal year and total apprehensions were up, according to figures released by the U.S. government. Continue reading

By Adam Liptak In June of 2010, four boys were playing in the dry bed of the Rio Grande that separates El Paso from Juárez, Mexico. The international borderline, unmarked, runs through the middle of the culvert. Continue reading

Congresswoman Wilson (FL) has taken the lead to circulate a dear colleague letter (below) to express strong opposition to the sudden policy shift from DHS towards Haitian earthquake survivors. Continue reading

By Madalyn Mendoza Handmade rosaries, letters to loved ones and jewelry attached to the skeletal remains of immigrants who attempted to cross into the U.S. on foot are sometimes the only clues forensic anthropologists in Tuscon have in identifying bodies found by border agents and ranchers to return them to families. Continue reading

By Joshua Breisblatt For over two years, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has examined body-worn cameras to see if this technology which is quickly becoming standard police practice, should be used by its agents and officers. In their most recent step forward in implementing body-worn cameras for its agents and officers, CBP announced last week they will be requesting quotes to purchase 108 body-worn cameras and 12 vehicle-mounted cameras by the end of September. Continue reading

By Jorge Rodríguez The House Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing tomorrow, September 13, to discuss Border Patrol’s power grab in the government’s 100-mile border zone. For me, this hearing isn’t about efficiency. This is about my right — and the rights of roughly 200 million Americans — to travel freely and be respected in my community. Continue reading