Immigration Crisis: The Fight for the Southern Border

The Big Bend border wall debate heats up as Republican sheriffs oppose plans to build along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. As the “Save Big Bend” movement grows, the fight is now impacting the Texas 23rd Congressional District race, including candidates like Katy Padilla Stout, following a major political scandal. From an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning podcast, Emmy-winning investigative reporter Yami Virgin, with photojournalist Paul Sanchez and investigative producer Natalie Medina, delivers exclusive reporting on border security, Texas politics, and the future of Big Bend.

In Laredo, where a border wall has never been constructed, new federal plans are moving forward — but not without growing concern from residents and experts. A recent study by fluvial geomorphologist Dr. Mark Tompkins warns that combining a border wall with proposed buoy barriers in the Rio Grande could significantly worsen flooding risks. According to the study, the structures may trap debris, create dangerous entanglements, and increase water levels during flood events. Several neighborhoods along the river could be directly impacted. Residents voiced their concerns at a recent city council meeting, urging local leaders to push for more transparency and reconsideration of the plans. Tompkins described the situation as a “ticking time bomb,” highlighting potential threats to both property and public safety if the project proceeds without further study. City officials are now under pressure to engage with federal agencies and assess whether modifications or alternatives are possible.

A proposed border wall in Big Bend is raising concerns among local sheriffs, lawmakers and residents who say steel barriers could damage one of the most iconic landscapes in Texas. In this episode of Immigration Crisis: The Fight for the Southern Border, we travel deep into one of the most remote stretches of the U.S. Mexico border to examine the debate over security, technology and tourism. Hosted by Edward R. Murrow Award winning podcast host and Emmy winning investigative journalist Yami Virgin, with photojournalist and editor Paul Sanchez.

A sudden airspace shutdown over El Paso this week left travelers scrambling and officials searching for answers. Early reports indicated that no flights would be allowed in or out of El Paso for ten days — a restriction officials say we haven't seen since the September 11 terrorist attacks. Multiple officials at the local, state, and federal levels said they had not been given advance notice. Just hours later, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the ground stop, but questions remain about how such a sweeping closure came to be. New reporting suggests Border Patrol officials may have been preparing to test an anti-drone laser system on loan from the Department of Defense.

In this week’s Edward R Murrow Award winning podcast Immigration Crisis The Fight for the Southern Border, journalist Yami Virgin examines the FAA’s brief shutdown of El Paso airspace allegedly due to cartel drones, a viral San Antonio ICE home entry video, and what state and federal records reveal. The episode also features Rice University students who created an ICE heat map tracking enforcement nationwide, raising new questions about transparency and accountability. With editing by Photojournalist Paul Sanchez and Investigative Producer Natalie Medina.