From The Economist, Hispanics, long under-represented as voters, are becoming political kingmakers (and more on the power of America’s fastest-growing minority); and the Trans-Texas Corridor: Population growth means a looming transportation challenge. Despite a US Supreme Court ban, Texas has continued to send mentally retarded criminals to death row; will a Mexican immigrant's case correct this injustice? From Texas Observer, Child X-ing: An article on Del Rio's controversial crackdown on border-crossing students. From Aspeers, Caroline Erb on Hardened Borders: A Case Study on Inefficient Solutions to the Immigration Problem in El Paso. All walled up: How Brownsville’s battle against the federal government’s border fence ended in defeat

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