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There is a constant flow of people, cars and commerce between Laredo and its twin city in Mexico, Nuevo Laredo. Many people live in Mexico and come over daily for work or school in Laredo. Often they have border crossing cards that allow them to enter the United States easily. On an October afternoon, people walked across the Gateway to the Americas bridge returning to Mexico.

Texas

Kirsten Luce for The Marshall Project
Closing Argument
His Rap Lyrics Helped Send Him to Death Row. Travis Scott and T.I. Are Trying to Stop His Execution.
The rappers argue that James Broadnax’s case exemplifies a larger problem in American courtrooms: The use of rap lyrics as evidence.
By
Young Thug, a Black rapper wearing a white shirt and striped pants, holds a mic as he performs in a crowd during a concert.
An elderly man, wearing glasses and a blue prison uniform, is reading a newspaper. He sits in his wheelchair, which is next to a couple of bunk beds within his prison cell block.
Closing Argument March 21
Mercy or Money: How to Grapple With a Rapidly Aging Prison Population
Research shows people often “age out” of crime, and health care costs are ballooning. But still, many states oppose releasing elderly prisoners.
By
A black-and-white photo showing a White woman with a bouffant hairstyle singing into a microphone on the left side of the frame on the dirt grounds of a rodeo, while in the background are Black and White incarcerated men, wearing dark colored jackets, black ties and billowing white pants playing guitars and a drum. The drummer is wearing sunglasses, as a correctional officer stands guard behind him dressed in white and a cowboy hat with the brim upturned on both sides. In the distance, crowds sit in the stands.
Feature March 10
When Texas Was Fertile Ground for Prison Bands
Until the 1980s, an annual prison rodeo offered a chance for men inside to perform and sell albums. Now we’re making them available to you.
By
A photo shows a woman with medium skin tone and black hair with her head turned toward an open red door. She holds an infant in one arm.
News March 2
The Harrowing Journey Home for Families Leaving Immigration Detention
Parents and children from a detention center in Texas found themselves dropped at a border town shelter with few means to leave.
By , and
A bail bonds office with a blue-and-white sign is lit up at night. A ramp leads up to the door.
Closing Argument February 28
As Texas Restricts Cashless Bail, More People Will Be Jailed for Months Based on an Accusation
Despite evidence that cashless bail doesn’t increase crime, several states are moving to restrict it.
By
A photo shows a white surveillance tower at the top of a hill.
Closing Argument February 7
How AI Surveillance Tech is Creeping From the Southern Border Into the Rest of the Country
Surveillance technology has long been part of policing the border. ICE’s growing raids are bringing it to many other areas.
By
An illustration shows three people on patient beds inside a dark room, with the orange sky visible through the window. On the right side, there are dark silhouettes of dialysis machines and tubes with puddles of water on the floor.
Feature December 16, 2025
Women Are Sent to This Federal Prison for Dialysis. They Say It’s Killing Them.
Patients at Carswell medical prison in Texas describe unsanitary conditions, missed treatments and substandard care.
By Kaley Johnson
A photo shows Luigi Mangione sitting at a courtroom table, wearing a gray blazer and red-checkered shirt, leaning to his right and engaging in conversation with an attorney out of the frame. Behind him are two court officers dressed in navy blue uniforms, with a pair of shiny handcuffs attached to the officers’ waists.
Death Sentences December 15, 2025
How Cases Like Luigi Mangione’s Could Widen the Death Penalty Divide
Even as more state leaders try to expand capital punishment, fewer jurors are choosing it.
By
A balding White man wearing a white prison uniform talks on a phone, hand outstretched toward the camera, from behind protective glass at a Texas prison.
Death Sentences October 9, 2025
5 Things to Know About Robert Roberson’s Stayed Execution in Texas
The state wanted to put him to death by lethal injection. Then a court intervened.
By
Robert Roberson, a White man wearing a prison uniform, sits in a phone booth behind glass at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit.
Death Sentences October 6, 2025
Did the ‘Psychopath Test’ Help Send an Innocent Man to His Execution?
The case against Robert Roberson, whose execution is scheduled for Oct. 16, is the latest to raise questions about a controversial diagnosis.
By
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