Border

Over the next month, three nations mired in political, economic and social discord will pause to co-host the world’s best soccer players and millions of their fans. Along the shared borderlands of the U.S. and Mexico, people steeped in two cultures are looking beyond conflict to don the colors of their native or chosen homes – or maybe both

New cases involving a calf in La Salle County, a dog linked to New Mexico and Mexico, and a goat in Gillespie County bring Texas' total to five confirmed detections as state and federal officials ramp up containment efforts.

Officials are increasing trapping efforts, establishing quarantine zones and releasing millions of sterile flies after New World screwworm was confirmed in South Texas.

Mount Cristo Rey overlooks New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. Every year thousands of pilgrims hike up to the large statue of Christ at the top towering over the border. The Catholic Diocese owns the property and considers it a holy site. The federal government has filed a lawsuit to seize some of the land at the foot of the mountain facing Mexico for a border wall project sparking a legal battle over border security vs religious freedom.

Though New World screwworm has not been found in the United States, Florida is restricting any livestock imports from six “high-risk” counties in South Texas.

Nestled in the pecan groves just east of El Paso, Sonic Ranch is a quiet space where top recording artists come to contemplate and create. Its on-site lodging, shared kitchen, and six studios filled with vintage instruments make the ranch a world class recording studio where well-known artists from the United States, Mexico and beyond come to experiment and rediscover the joy of making music.

A West Texas river guide and church preservation group, along with a national advocacy group, argue in a lawsuit filed Thursday that the administration illegally bypassed a range of environmental protection laws as it plans a 175-mile stretch of border wall in the state's Big Bend region.

The congressionally mandated inspection by Immigration and Custom Enforcement's Office of Professional Responsibility uncovered 49 violations at the nation's largest detention camp. They include security lapses, excessive force and medical failures that may have exposed detainees to unsafe conditions.

Deportations of Mexicans dropped to 144,000 in 2025, roughly half the annual figure under President Biden, according to data analyzed by Quinto Elemento Lab, an investigative news organization. President Trump's beefed-up border security may have deterred many from Mexico from attempting to enter the U.S. illegally.

El Paso is home to a new $15 million Mexican American Cultural Center. Voters approved a quality-of-life bond in 2012 that included some funding for the center. A huge crowd flocked to the MACC to celebrate the grand opening.