Pablo De La Rosa

‘They Want to Have a Police State’: Trump’s Rio Grande Military Zone With Strykers and soldiers the Trump administration implemented its third National Defense Area in the Rio Grande Valley in June, alarming local groups.

In my latest: Trump's military zone on the Rio Grande, a community healing from alienation, the river that can no longer be photographed, and the drone that was originally designed to wage war in the Middle East and may now be gliding over us all. www.theborderchronicle.com/p/they-want-...

Audio Feature: "La Jaula de Oro", Trump's ICE Raids Cast a Shadow of Fear in the Rio Grande Valley Intensified ICE raids have turned South Texas' Rio Grande Valley into a “Golden Cage,” trapping migrant families in fear and isolation.

In South Texas, our reporter @pablodelarosa.bsky.social spoke with people about what it's like living under ICE raids. One woman said they live in a "jaula de oro" a golden cage, citing a song by Los Tigres del Norte. Listen to the full report here🦂

www.theborderchronicle.com/p/audio-feat...

Audio Feature: "La Jaula de Oro", Trump's ICE Raids Cast a Shadow of Fear in the Rio Grande Valley Intensified ICE raids have turned South Texas' Rio Grande Valley into a “Golden Cage,” trapping migrant families in fear and isolation.

In this audio feature for The Border Chronicle, I speak with people in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley to explore what life now looks like under the constant threat of a surge in ICE workplace raids and arrests — part of Trump's plan to deport millions. www.theborderchronicle.com/p/audio-feat...

“A huge setback for the Starship program”; huge explosion at Starbase, no injuries Local environmental justice groups have been warning federal regulatory agencies about possible explosions at the Starbase facility for ten years.

📰 From the Rio Grande Valley — Local environmental justice groups have been warning federal regulatory agencies about the possibility of an explosion at Starbase for ten years. On Wednesday night, SpaceX’s Starship 36 suffered a catastrophic explosion. www.acrosstheamericas.com/a-huge-setba...

“A huge setback for the Starship program”; huge explosion at Starbase, no injuries Local environmental justice groups have been warning federal regulatory agencies about possible explosions at the Starbase facility for ten years.

📰 From the Rio Grande Valley — Local environmental justice groups have been warning federal regulatory agencies about the possibility of an explosion at Starbase for ten years. On Wednesday night, SpaceX’s Starship 36 suffered a catastrophic explosion. www.acrosstheamericas.com/a-huge-setba...

With border crossings at historic lows, beginning in 2024, Strykers have now been sent to the Rio Grande Valley anyway. Just last year, a general testified that these border deployments have no "military value" and are a law enforcement mission, not a military mission.

Thanks for following along.

A New Phase in Border Militarization: Trump’s “National Defense Areas” New “National Defense Areas” in Texas and New Mexico are escalating a diplomatic crisis with Mexico, creating legal turmoil in U.S. courts, and even leading to deaths among active-duty troops

Melissa del Bosque wrote about Trump's National Defense Areas on the U.S.-Mexico border for @theborderchronicle.bsky.social back in May, and its definitely worth another look: www.theborderchronicle.com/p/a-new-phas...

Trump’s designation of “National Defense Areas” on the U.S.-Mexico border is an unprecedented effort to impose military-style exclusion zones—bypassing Congress to block migrants and raising legal and civil-liberties questions.

However, there's been no formal announcement of a National Defense Area in the Rio Grande Valley yet. There's also no information right now on how long these vehicles will stay here or how they will be used.

In case you missed it — Department of Defense strykers just arrived in the Rio Grande Valley, USBP RGV confirmed on Saturday. NewsNation's Ali Bradley reported two weeks ago that a National Defense Area would be set up along the border in our region.

Afraid of ICE raids, 100% of all workers are totally gone on this farm in the Rio Grande Valley — even those working legally. Working on a similar story now and what we're seeing out in the community is devastating. Full story from Border Report for KVEO: www.borderreport.com/news/100-per...

The Border Chronicle Weekly Roundup: June 13 Texas forces sheriffs to join Trump's mass deportation campaign, and Mexico's govt. wants three more dams in Sonora, but there's no water. Also border communities familiar with the MAGA rollout in LA.

I sat down for a conversation with Melissa del Bosque for @theborderchronicle.bsky.social this morning on the current moment in the Rio Grande Valley, ICE raids, and the new Texas bill that will force sheriffs to carry out immigration enforcement actions. www.theborderchronicle.com/p/the-border...

ICE'd Up A new Texas law will turn sheriffs into federal immigration enforcers. Racial profiling and rights violations are sure to follow, experts say.

A new Texas law will turn sheriffs into federal immigration enforcers. Experts say racial profiling and rights violations are sure to follow. My latest for @theborderchronicle.bsky.social. www.theborderchronicle.com/p/iced-up

How Musk’s Starbase Could Become the Most Powerful City in Texas “If these bills get passed, there’s nothing stopping other billionaires from creating their own company towns and owning more of Texas,” said Bekah Hinojosa, a local activist.

Beneath today’s Starship launch smoke at Boca Chica, a new kind of Texas city is rising in political power — “How Musk’s Starbase Could Become the Most Powerful City in Texas” My latest for @theborderchronicle.bsky.social: open.substack.com/pub/theborde...

The Border Chronicle | Substack Original Reporting and Analysis from the U.S.-Mexico Border. Click to read The Border Chronicle, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

Going live on @theborderchronicle.bsky.social at 11 AM CT Friday to chat with Todd Miller on video about his visit to Trump's new National Defense Area and also talk about my latest story on the endangered Rio Grande, and what its going to take to save it. www.theborderchronicle.com

Who Will Stand Up for the Rio Grande? The river is drying up, while Texas's elected leaders ignore the real border crisis.

The Rio Grande is drying up, while Texas's elected leaders play politics with Mexico. Experts I spoke with said political champions in Congress are needed. My latest for @theborderchronicle.bsky.social: www.theborderchronicle.com/p/who-will-s...

The Endangered Rio Grande Can Still Be Saved: A Podcast with Maria-Elena Giner Former IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner, a border native who led significant water infrastructure projects, was ousted last week by President Donald Trump amid ongoing U.S.-Mexico water disputes.

In this audio interview for @theborderchronicle.bsky.social, I spoke with Dr. Maria-Elena Giner, recently ousted by the Trump administration as Commissioner of the federal agency that manages water treaties and infrastructure between the U.S. and Mexico. www.theborderchronicle.com/p/the-endang...

New Border Wall is an 'Ecological Catastrophe': A Podcast with The Sierra Club's Erick Meza Arizona's San Rafael Valley and other critical wildlife corridors in the borderlands are targeted by the Trump Administration for new wall construction.

On The Border Chronicle podcast🦂

New Border Wall is an 'Ecological Catastrophe': A Podcast with the @sierraclub.org's Erick Meza

Arizona's San Rafael Valley and other critical wildlife corridors are targeted by the Trump Administration for wall construction. 🦂

Strengthening and Unleashing America's Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:Section 1.  Purpose and

I'm currently reaching out to legal experts to understand the full scope of this order.

Read the whole thing here: www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

"aggressively police communities against all crimes."

The executive order also says that "Homeland Security Task Forces" can be used to aid local police and that this order will result in "a law-abiding society in which tenacious law enforcement officers protect the innocent."

Breaking — a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump late Monday directs the DOJ, DHS, and DOD to work in coordination to, within 90 days, "increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist state and local law enforcement" to...

Texas Should Revitalize, not Militarize Border Communities: A Q&A with Amerika Garcia Grewal Eagle Pass resident, Garcia Grewal, talks about the reopening of Shelby Park and the impacts of Texas' new military base. And the creation of her new border-wide organization, Frontera Federation.

New in The Border Chronicle 🦂🔥 Amerika Garcia Grewal, speaks about the impacts of Texas's militarization of Eagle Pass, Texas, and about co-founding a new organization, Frontera Federation, to advocate for civil rights in border communities. open.substack.com/pub/theborde...

Just now — Dr. Maria Elena Giner resigns as head of the International Boundary and Water Commission. The announcement comes as American Rivers, a conservation group, said the lower Rio Grande is "endangered". Giner says the IBWC was given insufficient funding. More to come.

An image of Pope Francis waving. He is dressed in white papal garb. Under the photo is the text, "Pope Francis, 1936-2025."

Pope Francis, the first head of the Catholic Church from the Americas who became a symbol of hope and change during his papacy, died Monday at age 88.

He was the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin-American pope and the first pope from outside Europe in at least 1,000 years. to.pbs.org/3EjlyFb

"Disappearing before our eyes": Conservation group says the Rio Grande is endangered American Rivers said that the Rio Grande is "one of the least-funded and most overlooked major river basins in the United States."

📰 A national conservation group said the Rio Grande is "disappearing before our eyes." Experts say the key is infrastructure, but more equitable investments are needed in the historically marginalized Rio Grande Valley. www.acrosstheamericas.com/disappearing...

Hegseth shared Yemen attack details in second Signal chat, report says New claim raises more questions over Trump administration’s handling of secure information

Here's a paywall free version of the story from The Independent: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

The New York Times is reporting that Hegseth shared details of the Yemen strike in a second chat that included his wife and brother. It's unclear why the secretary of defense would go out of his way to use Signal if so many people are included in these sensitive conversations.

🕊️ Wishing everyone a nice and safe Easter weekend. I'm grateful to be with family and wishing peace for all. It's been a hard few weeks, but the way people in this region are supporting one other has been a source of hope. Saludos from the Rio Grande Valley!

Across The Americas Insightful, independent journalism from the Rio Grande Valley and North Tamaulipas in your inbox.

I've also been able to launch this local news project for my region, the Rio Grande Valley. Across The Americas is the newsletter of insightful, independent journalism from and for my region. Saludos! www.acrosstheamericas.com