Fronteras: A Changing America

PHOENIX — In Arizona, more than a dozen faith, labor and pro-immigrant groups are launching a state-wide grassroots push for immigration reform. The push coincides with the period when Senators and Representatives are home from Washington, D.C. on a recess.

These groups want an immigration reform package that keeps families together and includes a pathway to citizenship. They announced a two-week effort promote this message in front of Sen. John McCain’s Phoenix office on Monday, and are scheduled to attend his town hall meeting later in the day.

Organizing For Action, the successful group behind President Obama’s re-election campaign, is wading into the immigration debate.

PHOENIX — Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor grew up in a rural Arizona town on a working ranch. Before her judicial career, she spent her childhood riding horses and raising cattle.

She and her eldest son, Scott O'Connor, came to StoryCorps Phoenix to talk about Sandra's early life. She was sent to El Paso to attend school and live with her Spanish-speaking grandmother.

Approximately one-third of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) major Information Technology systems, or projects, are not meeting costs or schedule commitments, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office.

Undocumented Immigrant Deaths Spike At Border

Crossing the border may be more dangerous than ever before.

A study released Tuesday by The National Foundation for American Policy suggests an immigrant attempting to cross illegally into the United States is eight times more likely to die in the attempt than a decade ago.

As it stands, immigration reform hinges on a secure border. But measurements to evaluate overall conditions and security are as opaque as ever.

In 2010, James Dinkins, the executive associate director for homeland security investigations at ICE told Congress he had started a process “to completely redo our performance measures.”

Tijuana’s 18 cases of meningitis, including six deaths, are about three times more than the city typically sees in a year. In San Diego County, where an average of nine cases per year are reported, there have been two cases and one death in recent weeks.

A 39-year-old man died earlier this week, while a one-year-old child was hospitalized late last month and is recovering.

TUCSON, Ariz. — It’s been obvious for some time that law enforcement will monitor social media accounts for signs of illegal activity or criminals.

In fact, it makes sense when you stop to consider the brazenness of people’s online activities.

Mexico continues to be the most popular tourist destination for the Americans traveling abroad. But the two largest points of entry for tourists — border crossings and ports for cruise ships — have seen dwindling numbers in the past few years.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — President Barack Obama is pushing for an increase to the national minimum wage. If passed by Congress, the pay rate would jump from $7.25 per hour to $9.00. That jump would directly impact many in the Latino community.

Irasema Cavazos is a San Antonio home health care worker who makes more than the national minimum wage.

As I reported a story this week on the start of an historic trial of a former Guatemalan dictator, all the reasons I was first captivated by that country (and still am) came flooding back.

SAN DIEGO — Several beaches along the Tijuana-San Diego border are closed due to a sewage spill, however the extent of the spill remains unknown.

WiLDCOAST, a conservation non-profit in Imperial Beach, reported Tuesday that a sewage treatment plant in Tijuana had a collapsed collector and shattered line that resulted in pollutants dumping into the ocean at two liters a second, or 45,600 gallons in 24 hours.