A career Border Patrol official who was backed by the agents’ union was named Tuesday as chief of the agency, less than a week after his predecessor resigned under pressure. Continue reading

After a concrete and steel border fence went up between McAllen, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico, residents of both cities say it's been tough for people who've spent most of their lives seeing the borderlands as a single entity.   Continue reading

  By John Knefel A soldier in Afghanistan kneels down, maybe to tie his shoe or set his gear on the ground for a moment. A minute later, he stands up and keeps walking. To the casual observer, nothing out of the ordinary just happened, but a closer look reveals that he just buried a coffee mug-size sensor in the dirt, one of several he will sink on this patrol. Continue reading

To the Editor: Re “A Do-It-Yourself Tack on Border Patrol” (news article, Dec. 22): Vigilante militia groups patrolling the southern border are unnecessary because we already have the largest law enforcement agency in the country — United States Customs and Border Protection — excessively deployed here along with thousands of other federal and state agents. Continue reading

By Kelly Knaub President-elect Donald J. Trumpon Monday officially nominated Gen. John Kelly to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, saying his decades of military service and deep commitment to fighting the terrorism threat inside the nation’s borders make him ideal, while immigrants’ rights advocates say otherwise. Continue reading

By: Cassie Estassi Under current law, the Border Patrol is allowed to conduct certain enforcement activities within 100 miles of the U.S-Mexico border that it isn’t permitted to in areas further interior. In fact, some have dubbed this 100 mile radius a “constitution-free zone” because of the broad authority Border Patrol exercises there. One example of their activities in this zone is the operation of permanent and temporary interior checkpoints located on routes of egress from the border. The stated purpose of these checkpoints is to apprehend smugglers and recent entrants who were not apprehended at the border, however border residents and others contend that Border Patrol often goes too far. Continue reading

By: Cassie Estassi Under current law, the Border Patrol is allowed to conduct certain enforcement activities within 100 miles of the U.S-Mexico border that it isn’t permitted to in areas further interior. In fact, some have dubbed this 100 mile radius a “constitution-free zone” because of the broad authority Border Patrol exercises there. Continue reading

  By Brooke Binkowski As California’s presidential primary draws near, candidates are visiting the state and making the rounds to press the flesh and talk to voters. Former President Bill Clinton appeared in San Diego on Saturday to stump for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump, the sole remaining Republican candidate, will be in San Diego on May 27. Continue reading

  On the 6th Anniversary of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas’ Murder, Black and Brown Families Hold Community Conversation San Diego – To mark the 6th anniversary of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas’ death, his widow Maria Puga along with Jack Bryson, who is a member of the Oscar Grant Foundation, will participate in a community forum on Saturday, May 21 to discuss the struggles they’ve encountered with law enforcement abuse and impunity.  They will also discuss how Latino and African American communities can work together to strengthen their community organizing for accountability. Continue reading