Cases Dismissed, Judges Replaced: Texas Struggles to Prosecute Migrants
The New York Times
More than 2,500 migrants have been arrested on trespassing charges under a program created last year by Gov. Greg Abbott. About 900 are still being held in state prisons.
HOUSTON — When Texas authorities began charging migrants who crossed into the state from Mexico with trespassing last year, officials quickly encountered a problem: The two small rural counties tasked with prosecuting the cases became overwhelmed.
Among the many issues — crowded jails, a lack of defense lawyers — there were not enough judges, particularly in Kinney County, a border community about 120 miles west of San Antonio where the state’s effort has been most aggressively enforced. Three retired judges were brought in by the state to help, starting in the late summer.
Then, last month, the county attorney accused the judges of impropriety. The next day, all three were replaced with others handpicked by the top county official, Tully Shahan.
