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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
How a Drop in Border Crossings May Change the Presidential Campaign
The Democratic National Convention sought to address one of the party’s biggest weaknesses with voters.
Silhouettes of about 11 people stand in a line outside. An overpass bridge and parked cars can be seen in the background.
Tim Walz, a White man with white hair and glasses, wearing a navy suit jacket and khaki pants, walks outside with two men behind him to his left.
Election 2024 August 7
Tim Walz on Criminal Justice: 5 Things to Know
Where Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, stands on policing, guns, prison reform and other issues.
By and
A man in an orange uniform looks out of a small window in his solitary confinement cell, which contains a narrow bed, a sink and attached toilet, and a small desk and chair.
Closing Argument April 20
The Enduring Use of Solitary, and New Proposed Limits That Will Likely Fail (Again)
Isolation’s damaging effects are widely known. But many facilities confine people — even youth — virtually all day, sometimes in shower stalls.
By
Texas Tactical Border Force guardsmen dressed in uniforms sit on a bus at the airport in El Paso, Texas.
Closing Argument March 30
This Ain’t Just Texas: More States Want Power to Wage ‘War’ on Migrants
Several states are sending troops to the Southern border, even as the legal battle over immigration enforcement rages on.
By
A group of migrants exit from a bus parked in the middle of a street. The U.S. Capitol can be seen in the background.
Closing Argument February 17
What Crime Data Says About the Effects of Texas Busing Migrants
The influx has sparked fears of rising crime in some cities. The Marshall Project looked at policing data to see if the anxiety reflects reality.
By , and
Three men in National Guard uniforms place razor wire alongside a river.
Closing Argument January 20
Texas vs. the USA: Inside the Immigration Showdown
The Southern border is now an open battle between Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden Administration.
By
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.
Closing Argument May 13, 2023
Title 42 is Over. What Comes Next for Asylum-Seekers?
The Biden administration’s new plan has led to confusion along the southern border.
By
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.
By The Marshall Project
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