Following are stories airing this week on Texas Public Radio's "Fronteras."
· There’s a processing backlog at the southern California border where Haitian immigrants are overwhelming customs officials.
· The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Texas abortion clinics but now they’re struggling to reopen.
· Residents in New Mexico's South Valley live near polluting industries. Now they’ve scored a victory in their quest for a place where kids can play.
· A Mexican born U.S. Olympian runner wants to beat his silver medal finish four years ago.
Border Customs Officials Overwhelmed By Haitian Immigrant Influx
Hundreds of mostly Haitian immigrants continue arriving in Tijuana, Mexico hoping to cross over into the United States. There are so many, customs officials can’t keep up. The migrants fled to Brazil after the destructive Haiti earthquake six years ago. They now want to enter the United States before President Obama leaves office. Jean Guerrero of KPBS reports that overwhelmed customs officials are relying on Tijuana’s charitable migrant shelters for help while coping with the surge of immigrants.
Reopening Texas Abortion Clinics May Take A Long Time
This past week abortion providers won a big victory when the United States Supreme Court struck down state restrictions that made it difficult for abortion providers to operate. But many clinics closed while the legal battle was being waged. And Texas Public Radio’s Ryan Poppe reports reopening them might take a long time.
Most of the clinics that closed during the legal battle are in the rural parts of Texas and along the Texas border. Whole Women’s Health, operates the only clinic providing abortions south of San Antonio. It’s in McAllen, serving a border area with a lot of women of reproductive age. Amy Hagstrom-Miller is the executive director for Whole Women’s Health.
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Environmental Justice Experiment In New Mexico Is A Win
In New Mexico the new Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge is a place of firsts. It’s the first urban wildlife refuge in the Southwest and the first wildlife refuge in the country to have an environmental justice plan. Ed Williams of KUNM reports it’s also the first time kids in one largely Hispanic community have a wild outdoor space to play in nearby.
Immigrant U.S. Olympian Focused On Gold
The U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials are underway this weekend. One of those determined to make the team is Mexican born Leo Manzano. His parents migrated to the United States when he was three years old. Manzano grew up in Marble Falls west of Austin and won a silver medal in the 2012 Olympics 1500 meter race. KUT’s Jimmy Maas reports, Manzano is focused on talking home gold next month and not worrying about the doping scandals plaguing the summer Olympic games.