The Baines Report
By Francisco Alvarado I. Preface This piece is an attempt to paint a panorama of the lives, deaths, and experiences I came across during a 5-day research trip to South Texas sponsored by the Robert Strauss Center’s Central America and Mexico Policy Initiative. The trip was ostensibly a simple exercise in data collection. In this […]
This piece won second place in the 2019 Baines Report Op-Ed Contest. _ Immigrant children with disabilities are suffering neglect and abuse under the hands of the Trump Administration. These children, who require specialized services and treatment, have often been separated from guardians and have been placed in facilities with insufficient oversight. Amid increased reports […]
Some of the most devastating wars in history have been fought in the name of religion. It is undeniable that differences in belief systems and ways of worship can cause irreconcilable disputes. Though religion plays a role in causing many conflicts, it also has the unique power to resolve them. In part one, I examined […]
Photo: Michael Stravato The state’s new ban on sanctuary cities increases the risk of food insecurity and hunger among undocumented immigrants and their children, many of whom are U.S. citizens. Texas is home to roughly 1.5 million undocumented immigrants, 38 percent are undocumented families living with at least one U.S. citizen under the age of 18. Currently, 1 of every […]
Photo shows the Perkowti Valley near FOB Tillman in Paktika, Afghanistan, taken by author The guard drops Tim and Luis off ten minutes late for GED math prep at the Travis County Jail. Shuffling to our shared circular work table, they apologize for their tardiness. We dive into simple interest calculations. Tim’s got it down, but […]
Photo: Callie Richmond Undocumented immigrants are human beings. They work, love, have fun, and — like everyone else — get sick. Sometimes they get really sick, the kind of sick that requires comprehensive, ongoing treatment and lots of community support. But unlike everyone else, it is nearly impossible for undocumented immigrants to get the medical attention […]
Photo: Morguefile Like many people waking up last Saturday morning, I was shocked by President Trump’s executive order restricting immigration and banning refugees from entering the United States. As a Sudanese-American Muslim holding dual citizenship, I am anxious and confused as to how this may affect my family and thousands of others. Like many immigrants, […]
Photo Credit: Huck Magazine Over half a century ago, Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport was at the center of the Berlin Airlift, a U.S.-led effort to supply the western half of the city when the Soviets tried unsuccessfully to cut it off from West Germany. The airport, now closed and converted into a public park, recently served as […]
Photo Credit: AFP / Baraa al-Halabi Refugee Ceilings and Admitted Refugees to the U.S., FY 2009-2014, American Immigration Council, 2014 The Syrian Civil War has created the largest refugee crisis of the twenty-first century. Some 40% of Syria’s population has been forced to leave their homes and seek safety elsewhere, either abroad or in Syria itself. […]
The recent Civil Rights Summit at the LBJ Library looked back on the actions of courageous individuals who made tremendous sacrifices in order to extend the promises of the American Dream to all citizens. Today we are reminded that despite many victories, the struggle for civil rights continues in today’s immigration debate. The summit’s second […]