Houston immigrant rights groups lauded an injunction halting a law criminalizing illegal entry into Texas. Now, they brace for a long legal battle.
Anna-Catherine Brigida
Anna-Catherine (Anna-Cat) Brigida is the immigration reporter for Abdelraoufsinno. A Boston native, she began reporting on immigration as a journalism student at USC Annenberg in Los Angeles. Before joining Abdelraoufsinno, she previously worked as the Argentina correspondent for Reuters and spent seven years reporting from Central America, mainly El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, for outlets including The Washington Post, National Geographic, and Al Jazeera. Her 2018 story on the danger deportees face upon return to El Salvador was selected as a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. She speaks Spanish and is learning Portuguese. In her free time, you can usually find her trying a new Houston restaurant or out salsa dancing.
Posted inImmigration
“We’re not going to stand by idly”: Houston immigrant rights groups prepare for SB 4
Senate Bill 4, which criminalizes illegal border entry, will go into effect on March 5. Houston groups are preparing undocumented Texans to know their rights.
Posted inImmigration
Solitary confinement cases are on the rise for detained immigrants in Houston
ICE placed over 600 Houston immigrants under solitary from 2018-2023, prompting scrutiny for potential violations of international law.
Posted inImmigration
As border tensions heat up, Montgomery County backs Operation Lone Star
Montgomery County is the latest to endorse a controversial $10 billion border initiative that has come under scrutiny for potential civil rights abuses.
Posted inImmigration
Fort Bend will not target immigrants under controversial SB 4 law
Fort Bend’s Sheriff’s Office is the latest law enforcement agency to say that it will not target immigrants under the controversial SB 4 law.
Posted inExplainers & Guides
Houston is experiencing a serious lack of immigration lawyers, a trend seen nationwide
A recent report shows Texas has one of the lowest rates of representation in immigration court. Houston lawyers explain the challenges.
Posted inImmigration
“No solution”: Houston’s growing Venezuelan population lacks consular servicesÂ
JesĂşs, who grew up in the tropical Venezuelan coastal city Barcelona, spent his first freeze in Houston without power. He tried to set up his electricity days before, but the energy company didn’t accept his expired Venezuelan passport. “I sent in my documents. Five days passed by, and I was rejected. So we had to […]
Posted inImmigration
Houston family torn apart by Trump policies shocked Congress could revive immigration law
When their dad isn’t home, Walter and Carmen Escobar sometimes call out to him to see if he’ll answer. This week, he’s in Dallas for work, but he’s connected to a video system in the living room so he can see and hear his kids, 14 and 9. The cameras are a remnant of Jose’s […]
Posted inImmigration
A Houston legal service group keeps getting court notices for immigrants — but they can’t be found
The notices to appear in court arrive at immigration lawyer Liza Garcia’s office at Catholic Charities almost every month. She searches for each name in the organization’s records, but usually confirms what she already suspects: The person is not her client. So, she reports these notices to the relevant immigration authorities and hopes the person […]
Posted inImmigration
Record numbers of Cuban immigrants are choosing to make Houston their home
A 2023 Migration Policy Institute report shows that Cubans are among the fastest-growing immigrant populations in Houston.