1/ More than 300 migrant children remain separated from parents who were already deported.

This is the story of one family. Meet David Xol and his 7-year-old son, Bryon.

They were separated nearly 3 months ago. They remain apart.

NEW with @nomadagt. trib.it/l3
2/ In May, Xol and his son travelled here through Mexico in a wooden crate in the back of a tractor trailer — for three days.

They had an apple apiece.

They swallowed pills that kept them from defecating. trib.it/l3
3/ At a processing center, Xol was separated from his son.

“Don’t worry, son, it’s all part of the journey,” he said.

But Xol would remain separated from Byron.

trib.it/l3
4/ But immigration officials informed Xol that under “the new law signed by President Donald Trump,” he wouldn’t see his son again anytime soon.

Instead of staying with his father, Bryon would stay in the BCFS facility for immigrant minors in Baytown.

trib.it/l3
5/ Xol begged to be kept with his son.

When officials wouldn’t budge, he signed a form the Americans described to him as his own deportation order — all of it written in English, which he doesn’t understand. trib.it/l3
6/ Now, Xol remains separated from his 7-year-old son. By more than 1,000 miles.

It’s been nearly three months. trib.it/l3
7/ In his first calls home, Byron cried.

Now he's just angry.

"If I am your son, find a way to come and get me out," he told his father recently.

"My son has started to hate me," Xol said. "He said, 'Why did you leave me? Am I not your son?'"

trib.it/l3
8/ The Trump administration rolled back the zero-tolerance policy in June.

Then the country’s attention drifted away from the crisis, as hundreds of immigrant families reunited.

But hundreds of children remain separated. trib.it/l3
9/ A judge said earlier this month: “For every parent who is not located, there will be a permanently orphaned child." trib.it/l3
10/ Xol said he brought his son with him on the advice of a local smuggler, who told him that parents with children have an easier time getting into the country than adults traveling solo.

He hoped to enroll his son in school in the U.S. trib.it/l3
11/ Not everyone in their group survived the journey North. At one point, Xol heard screams from the other crates.

A woman had suffocated. trib.it/l3
12/ But when Xol arrived in America with his son, he says "I felt hope."

"But nothing went as it was planned." trib.it/l3
13/ How long it will take the authorities to get Byron back with his family remains anyone’s guess.

"There’s still no clear indication of the government’s willingness to do this."

trib.it/l3
14/ The case was at a standstill until late last week, when @MichaelAvenatti and his Laredo-based associate, civil rights attorney Ricardo De Anda, agreed to represent the family. trib.it/l3
15/ But for now, Byron remains in the shelter in Texas.

He turned 8 in June. But he didn't celebrate it.

"No, no," he said on a recent call home. "Here I didn’t have a birthday."

trib.it/l3
16/16 This story was done by partnering, sharing resources and reporting with @nomadagt. Read their story here.

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More from @TexasTribune

Feb 17
A devastating winter storm hit Texas one year ago this week.

Millions lost power. Hundreds of Texans died. People were traumatized.

Many Texans still question the reliability of the state’s power grid and want assurance that it won't happen again. bit.ly/3JzO5mN
2/ Cynthia Pierce was one of the hundreds who died in the 2021 winter storm. She was an ex-hippie from Lubbock with a lifelong love for learning.

Her family still has questions after she froze to death in an assisted living facility. bit.ly/3H1om4S
3/ Some Texans are still reeling from the aftermath of the 2021 storm. One estimate says the storm caused roughly $295 billion in damage.

The extended freeze severely damaged this family's home:
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Feb 14
🗣Early voting in the Texas primary election begins today 🗳

Most years, less than a quarter of registered voters in the state cast primary ballots.

Follow this thread for everything you need to participate in 2022. trib.it/G-e #TX2022
2/ Members of the same party run against one another in primary elections to decide who will be the party’s candidate in the general election for each race.

Our guide has what you need to know about important deadlines and what to expect at the polls. bit.ly/3GP066b
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Texans hunkered down this week, anxious after the traumatizing collapse of the power grid in February 2021 and fearing a severe storm could come again.

The grid didn't fail this time, but here’s what you should know about changes made to it since 2021. trib.it/G-k
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But the state’s grid largely runs on fossil fuels. trib.it/G-l
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But it will likely take years before those changes are fully implemented. trib.it/G-m
Read 9 tweets
Feb 1
This week’s cold front could be the first significant test of the state’s main power grid since last February’s freeze left millions of Texans without power for days in subfreezing temperatures.

There could be local power outages in the state. bit.ly/3uiS0Qo
“No one can guarantee there won’t be [power outages],” Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday, just over two months after he promised the lights would stay on this winter. bit.ly/3ujdooz
Catch up on our reporting about whether the state's power grid is prepared to handle another deep freeze: bit.ly/32OEiJM
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Baseless claims of widespread voter fraud repeated by Texas Republicans have influenced policy decisions.

The state has dozens of residents charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — including one who's running for office.

Here’s how the insurrection is still affecting Texas. 1/
2/ Rejection of President Joe Biden’s victory was at the root of the insurrection that day, and Texas Republicans have continued to echo false claims of widespread voter fraud.

New voting restrictions in some states — including Texas — have followed. n.pr/3HJXSpA
3/ Legislation passed in 2021 further tightens state election laws and constrains local control of elections by limiting counties’ ability to expand Texans’ voting access. bit.ly/3zzNSMp
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Dec 13, 2021
The U.S. Supreme Court allowing Texas' abortion law to remain intact creates a roadmap for other states that may seek to limit other constitutional rights, legal experts say.

On Saturday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom took a step toward that prediction. Here's how we got here:
2/ Though the constitutional right to an abortion has been recognized by federal courts since Roe v. Wade nearly 50 years ago, Texas' law is designed to get around that.

It's enforced by lawsuits brought by private citizens rather than the state. bit.ly/3EMBkmR
3/ Under the law, anyone can sue anyone who performs, aids or intends to aid in an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy — regardless of whether they have a personal stake in the abortion performed.

It marks an unprecedented change to who has standing to bring a lawsuit.
Read 8 tweets

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