The Border Chronicle

For Lydia Otero, researching the history of the Southwest is personal and political. Growing up in Tucson, Arizona, their family frequented a place they called La Calle that was bustling with shops and pedestrians. The family did not own a car, so they walked there.

Soon, the construction of I-10 through the city divided them from La Calle. Then, while Otero was living in Los Angeles working as an electrician and becoming active in LGBT+ organizing, La Calle was torn down as part of Tucson’s urban renewal initiative.

Otero decided to become the person to tell these stories. They returned to Tucson to pursue a PhD in history at the University of Arizona, where they later worked as a professor of Mexican American studies. They are the author of four books, including: "La Calle, a history of urban renewal in Tucson"; "In the Shadow of the Freeway and L.A. Interchanges", both memoirs; and the new "Storied Property: María Cordova’s Casa", which tells the story of one woman’s resistance to urban renewal and her efforts to save what Otero calls “the most important house in Tucson.”

For this episode of the Border Chronicle Podcast, reporter and editor Caroline Tracey is joined by Otero to discuss their life and work.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone familiar with Tucson, Arizona and anyone interested in doing their own place-based historical research and memoir writing.

Tombstone, Arizona calls itself “The Town too Tough to Die.” It has an Old West-themed Main Street and daily re-enactments of gunfights. For most people, it’s a place to briefly drop into in order to experience a Disneyland-style version of Arizona history.

For Logan Phillips, however, Tombstone was once home. The Tucson, Arizona-based poet was born in the town and grew up nearby. His father worked at the town’s Historic Courthouse Museum; his uncle was an actor in Westerns. Phillips’s new book, "Reckon," out now from University of Arizona Press, examines what it means to be from a place that glorifies violent, colonial masculinity—and seeks to find a way forward though family, relationships to land, and reckoning with history.

In this episode of the Border Chronicle podcast, Caroline Tracey is joined by Phillips to discuss his new book and what it means to be born in the contemporary “Old West."

In the spirit of broadening the analysis beyond ICE, Border Chronicle cofounders Melissa del Bosque and Todd Miller discuss the leading role the U.S. Border Patrol has played in violent operations across the country.

We analyze how these shocking immigration sweeps—such as the one in Minneapolis that killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti—extend the U.S. border into the interior. To understand these operations, it is essential to examine the extraconstitutional powers that the Border Patrol has long exercised in the borderlands, where the agency has enjoyed impunity for its abuses. The people of the borderlands and border crossers have faced this ironfisted authoritarianism for decades.

Today, the United States appears to be entering a new phase of expanded border policing—similar to the Operation Gatekeeper deterrence of the 1990s or the sweeping powers and massive budgets that followed 9/11. Now the border can be anywhere, and the guns pointed at anyone—all with the enthusiastic support of the defense contractors who stand to profit.

But the good news is, people have had enough.

This has been a difficult week, as many mourn the deaths of Renee Good and others at the hands of ICE. As enforcement actions escalate across the country, the whole country becomes part of the borderlands, and thoughtful, detailed reporting from the region continues to become ever more important.

This week, we were happy to bring you a review by Caroline Tracey of an art exhibition by Sonora-born artist Miriam Salado that touched on themes of natural resources and violence in the Sonoran Desert and a reported analysis by Todd Miller about how a dramatic increase in private contracts figures into current border enforcement. Melissa del Bosque also spoke with border activist and ex-Border Patrol agent Jenn Budd about the recent ICE killings and agent impunity.

Now and into the future, we appreciate your readership and support!

This week in The Border Chronicle:

Upcoming arts and culture events:

For those readers in Phoenix, Arizona, there are two art events that may be of interest to Border Chronicle readers. This evening—Friday, January 16—artist Karima Walker, whose work was featured in this January 2025 article about the Santa Cruz River, opens Seers, a solo show related to themes of surveillance and artificial intelligence, at Step Gallery.

At Casa Caracol’s Raíz Gallery, artist maryhope | whitehead | lee’s solo exhibition, “Deadly Crossing: Death and Disappearance in the Sonora|Arizona Borderlands” is on view through Saturday, January 24. There will be a closing reception and borders collage workshop that day from 3-6 p.m.

More News from the Border:

Trump warned of a Tren de Agua invasion. US intel told a different story. WIRED

The U.S. is pressing Mexico to allow U.S. forces to fight cartels. The New York Times

Cochise Cronyism, Pt.1: A rural Arizona sheriff, ICE, and a quarter of a million dollars. Cochise County News

Cochise Cronyism, Pt. 2: Sheriff used office to shill for Canadian drone company seeking to cash in on militarized law enforcement. Cochise County News

Straight out of Project 2025: Trump’s immigration plan was clear. Capital and Main

How Donald Trump has transformed ICE. The New Yorker

Medical examiner likely to classify death of ICE detainee as homicide, recorded call says. The Washington Post

ICE prosecutor who runs racist X account returns to Dallas immigration court. Texas Observer

‘ELITE’: The Palantir app ICE uses to find neighborhoods to raid. 404 Media

Inside ICE’s tool to monitor phones in entire neighborhoods. 404 Media

Texas police invested millions in a shadowy phone-tracking software. They won’t say how they’ve used it. Texas Observer

You’ve heard about who ICE is recruiting. The truth is far worse. I’m the proof. Slate

ICE agents detain Navajo man in Arizona, ignoring US, tribal IDs. The Arizona Republic

Finally, while your holiday shopping might be finished, don’t forget to check out The Border Chronicle’s online Bookshop store to find something new to read! You’ll find the books we’ve covered as well as Todd, Melissa, and Caroline’s own books. A portion of all sales benefits our work.

Support independent journalism from the U.S.-Mexico border. Become a paid subscriber today for just $6 a month or $60 a year.

I’ve been speaking with Jenn Budd for years about Border Patrol crimes, impunity and how the agency could be (and should be reformed.) But both Democrats and Republicans have refused to demand oversight and accountability for the highly politicized agency.

Border Patrol and its paramilitary culture are now very much in control of the ICE & Border Patrol occupations in various cities in America. We talk about what this means for the investigation of Renee Good’s murder in Minneapolis by an ICE agent, and what that means for Americans as these occupations continue. We also talk about the many years of fatal shootings at the southern border, and the fact that not a single agent has been successfully prosecuted for lethal force.

We also discuss previous efforts at reform and what can be done to hold the agents accountable for their crimes.

You can learn more about Jenn’s work in this important documentary “Critical Incident: Death at the Border” which is out now on HBO Max. You can also listen to our 2022 podcast with Jenn about her memoir “Against the Wall: My Journey from Border Patrol Agent to Immigrant Rights Activist” about her time as an agent in the Border Patrol and her transformation into an activist and one of the fiercest critics against the agency.

Additional context mentioned in our discussion:

How Many People Have Been Shot in ICE Raids? The Trace

We Found That More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days. ProPublica

Support independent journalism from the U.S.-Mexico border. Become a paid subscriber today for just $6 a month or $60 a year.

This Week in The Border Chronicle:

More News from the Border:

River wall: Feds deploying 500-miles of water barriers near Brownsville MyRGV.com

San Diego sues federal government over concertina wire fence at border KPBS

Trump’s deportation drive is straining the US public coffers and labor market El Pais

The Rio Grande Valley among Texas regions most impacted by expiring health insurance subsidies The Texas Tribune

‘Renee Nicole Good, presente’: Tucsonans hold El Tiradito vigil after ICE shooting death The Tucson Sentinel

El secuestro de Venezuela La Verdad de Juarez

Support independent journalism from the U.S.-Mexico border. Become a paid subscriber today for just $6 a month or $60 a year.

Support local independent journalism from the U.S.-Mexico border today. Become a paid subscriber for just $6 a month or $60 a year at https://www.theborderchronicle.com/

This Week in The Border Chronicle:

More News from the Border:

The Trump administration announced this week that it will further militarize the California-Mexico border by creating another national defense area, which will be under the control of the U.S. Navy.

Interior Transfers Public Land to Navy to Support Border Security and National Defense U.S. Dept. of the Interior press release.

Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas, is now holding nearly 3,000 people in detention under deplorable conditions. The ACLU and other civil and human rights organizations are raising the alarm and warn that the administration will likely open other military detention camps soon.

ICE Letter Regarding Ft. Bliss the ACLU & read local border coverage in El Paso Matters

After Trump pardon, Rep. Henry Cuellar restored to homeland security funding post The Texas Tribune

The Department of War is celebrating the fact that it has deployed 43,000 rolls of concertina wire to be installed across the entire southern border.

Historic Border Security Milestone: Largest C-wire Delivery, Emplacement in U.S. Territorial History in Partnership with CBP The Dept. of War

DPS investigating fatal shooting involving Border Patrol in Starr County MyRGV.com

California’s Attorney General is asking people to report ICE, CBP and other federal agent misconduct.

Report Misconduct by Federal Agents to the California Attorney General

‘I made my American dream in my country’: How Rancho Feliz is confronting the immigration crisis at the source Cronkite Borderlands Project/The Tucson Sentinel

‘Tis the season to support local, independent fact-based border journalism. Become a paid subscriber today for just $6 a month or $60 a year.

Jeremiah Johnson was an immigration judge in San Francisco. On November 21, he was fired by email without explanation. “I didn’t even have time to print out the letter before the system was shut down and I was locked out,” he said. The email arrived with the subject line “Termination.” Johnson is now one of more than 100 immigration judges who have been fired nationwide since Trump took office.

A former asylum officer for the Department of Homeland Security, Johnson was appointed as an immigration judge in 2017 under the first Trump administration. He is also the vice president of the National Association of Immigration Judges. Until his firing, Johnson had a full docket and handled cases from the Eloy Detention Center, located midway between Phoenix and Tucson and run by the private prison company CoreCivic.

Johnson discusses the differences in working as an immigration judge under the two Trump administrations and the fate of the immigration case backlog, which currently stands at 3.4 million cases as more judges are fired. Recently, the administration started advertising for “deportation judges” and has deployed military judges to hear immigration cases, which constitutional experts say could violate posse comitatus. Johnson also discusses how the system could be fixed, noting that remaining immigration judges are wondering who will be next to be fired. “It is disheartening to see your colleagues being fired. People are worried that they will be next,” Johnson said. “If no cause is given, there’s no way to address the reasons to fire someone. So morale is extremely low.”

Support independent media. Become a paid subscriber today for just $6 a month or $60 a year.

This Week in The Border Chronicle:

More News from the Border:

3 people arrested after Border Patrol raids No More Deaths camp in Az The Tucson Sentinel

For additional context listen to our podcast with Scott Warren, a No More Deaths volunteer who faced 20 years in jail under the first Trump administration for providing humanitarian aid.

New Video: Border Wall Blasts Destroy Southern Arizona Jaguar Habitat The Center for Biological Diversity

Builders leader: Valley banks are also being impacted by ICE raids of construction sites Rio Grande Guardian

Senador de Ohio que nació en Colombia y gozó de la doble nacionalidad quiere prohibírsela a todos los demás Conecta Arizona

Liberan campesinos Aduana y puentes tras acuerdos; si nos incumplen volverán bloqueos, advierten La Verdad de Juarez

Border Report: The Unseen Cost of Detaining as Many Immigrants as Possible Voice of San Diego

A Tucsonan is Claiming Asylum in Canada. Her Case Could Reshape How LGBTQ+ People Seek Safety Abroad. Lookout

Gutting of key US watchdog could pave way for grave immigration abuses, experts warn The Guardian

Revealed: US veterans affairs to share immigration data about non-citizen workers with ‘appropriate agencies’ The Guardian

Support independent journalism from the U.S.-Mexico border today. Become a paid subscriber for just $6 a month or a discounted $60 a year.