Valerie Gonzalez
@valontheborder.bsky.social
Journalist with the Associated Press working in South Texas. Bilingüe.
Update: DHS shared a response to today’s decision from Judge Timothy J. Kelly, a Trump appointee.
For context, the government initially claimed Guatemalan parents asked for their kids back to be reunited, but they retracted that last week following contradictory evidence.
For context, the government initially claimed Guatemalan parents asked for their kids back to be reunited, but they retracted that last week following contradictory evidence.
September 18, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Update: DHS shared a response to today’s decision from Judge Timothy J. Kelly, a Trump appointee.
For context, the government initially claimed Guatemalan parents asked for their kids back to be reunited, but they retracted that last week following contradictory evidence.
For context, the government initially claimed Guatemalan parents asked for their kids back to be reunited, but they retracted that last week following contradictory evidence.
Breaking: Judge denied the Trump administration’s request to terminate the Flores Settlement Agreement which protects immigrant children in federal custody.
The judge noted the government made improvements, but attributed them to the agreement.
Story: apnews.com/article/immi...
The judge noted the government made improvements, but attributed them to the agreement.
Story: apnews.com/article/immi...
August 16, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Breaking: Judge denied the Trump administration’s request to terminate the Flores Settlement Agreement which protects immigrant children in federal custody.
The judge noted the government made improvements, but attributed them to the agreement.
Story: apnews.com/article/immi...
The judge noted the government made improvements, but attributed them to the agreement.
Story: apnews.com/article/immi...
Some tragic news: BP agent from the Rio Grande Valley drowned after saving his children caught in a rip current at SPI.
July 12, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Some tragic news: BP agent from the Rio Grande Valley drowned after saving his children caught in a rip current at SPI.
The 16 year old is an English speaking Valley resident and cheerleader at her high school before she was arrested at a BP checkpoint during a family spring break roadtrip. She told legal advocates she is trying to keep it together under immense pressure like Luisa from Encanto.
June 21, 2025 at 5:37 PM
The 16 year old is an English speaking Valley resident and cheerleader at her high school before she was arrested at a BP checkpoint during a family spring break roadtrip. She told legal advocates she is trying to keep it together under immense pressure like Luisa from Encanto.
This is the first insight into conditions at these detention centers since they started taking families in March.
One 16 year old from Donna, TX held with her mom and two siblings said an adult pushed her 12 year old sister to try to get bottled water first.
One 16 year old from Donna, TX held with her mom and two siblings said an adult pushed her 12 year old sister to try to get bottled water first.
June 21, 2025 at 5:31 PM
This is the first insight into conditions at these detention centers since they started taking families in March.
One 16 year old from Donna, TX held with her mom and two siblings said an adult pushed her 12 year old sister to try to get bottled water first.
One 16 year old from Donna, TX held with her mom and two siblings said an adult pushed her 12 year old sister to try to get bottled water first.
You heard right. That was on Tuesday in Colorado.
April 25, 2025 at 1:24 AM
You heard right. That was on Tuesday in Colorado.
Some context on how much time others were given to fight the designation:
April 25, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Some context on how much time others were given to fight the designation:
This is what the notice looks like.
April 24, 2025 at 9:06 PM
This is what the notice looks like.
BREAKING: The US is now only giving migrants 12 hours to decide whether they want to contest removal under the wartime authority, Alien Enemies Act, down from 24 hours. The government attempted to seal the document but judge just unsealed it.
April 24, 2025 at 9:04 PM
BREAKING: The US is now only giving migrants 12 hours to decide whether they want to contest removal under the wartime authority, Alien Enemies Act, down from 24 hours. The government attempted to seal the document but judge just unsealed it.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño today shared his opposition to bill HB 4660 affecting beach access in Boca Chica beach near Spacex.
Context on bills by KRGV’s Christian von Preysing: krgv.com/videos/new-bil…
Context on bills by KRGV’s Christian von Preysing: krgv.com/videos/new-bil…
April 16, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño today shared his opposition to bill HB 4660 affecting beach access in Boca Chica beach near Spacex.
Context on bills by KRGV’s Christian von Preysing: krgv.com/videos/new-bil…
Context on bills by KRGV’s Christian von Preysing: krgv.com/videos/new-bil…
An important note on the possible future use of the Alien Enemies Act, via @elliotspagat.bsky.social:
April 9, 2025 at 8:02 PM
An important note on the possible future use of the Alien Enemies Act, via @elliotspagat.bsky.social:
Statement here:
April 8, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Statement here:
In Curry States, an Hidalgo County colonia, the water turned into a playground for kids who brought out an inflatable and pulled each other. Meanwhile, a day after the heavy rains, residents like Emma Alaniz waited for the water to recede or someone to help pump it out.
March 28, 2025 at 11:02 PM
In Curry States, an Hidalgo County colonia, the water turned into a playground for kids who brought out an inflatable and pulled each other. Meanwhile, a day after the heavy rains, residents like Emma Alaniz waited for the water to recede or someone to help pump it out.
Today I spoke with a man who had knee-depth water in his rented Palm Valley home. Despite the hardship of losing valuables, him and his wife worried most about their pets, including an Axolotl which needs a precise water temperature.
Story: apnews.com/article/texa...
Story: apnews.com/article/texa...
March 28, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Today I spoke with a man who had knee-depth water in his rented Palm Valley home. Despite the hardship of losing valuables, him and his wife worried most about their pets, including an Axolotl which needs a precise water temperature.
Story: apnews.com/article/texa...
Story: apnews.com/article/texa...
New: Hundreds of migrants have died crossing the border but in a first for the Border Vigil, a nonprofit spanning the US/MX border, a funeral was held Thursday to bring a family closure nearly two years after their son drowned near Eagle Pass, TX.
Story: apnews.com/article/immi...
Story: apnews.com/article/immi...
March 8, 2025 at 6:45 PM
New: Hundreds of migrants have died crossing the border but in a first for the Border Vigil, a nonprofit spanning the US/MX border, a funeral was held Thursday to bring a family closure nearly two years after their son drowned near Eagle Pass, TX.
Story: apnews.com/article/immi...
Story: apnews.com/article/immi...
“Every pair of shoes is someone’s story,” Amerika Garcia-Grewal of the Border Vigil, Frontera Federation said Tuesday morning.
The shoes of migrant women and children were placed in a spiral by the Eagle Pass welcome sign, near the border park that VP JD Vance visited today.
The shoes of migrant women and children were placed in a spiral by the Eagle Pass welcome sign, near the border park that VP JD Vance visited today.
March 5, 2025 at 10:26 PM
“Every pair of shoes is someone’s story,” Amerika Garcia-Grewal of the Border Vigil, Frontera Federation said Tuesday morning.
The shoes of migrant women and children were placed in a spiral by the Eagle Pass welcome sign, near the border park that VP JD Vance visited today.
The shoes of migrant women and children were placed in a spiral by the Eagle Pass welcome sign, near the border park that VP JD Vance visited today.
Key federal agencies refuse to comply with Musk’s latest demand in his cost-cutting crusade.
DHS told its employees today they would respond on their behalf to Musk’s recent demand for a justification of their employment.
Story: apnews.com/article/musk...
DHS told its employees today they would respond on their behalf to Musk’s recent demand for a justification of their employment.
Story: apnews.com/article/musk...
February 24, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Key federal agencies refuse to comply with Musk’s latest demand in his cost-cutting crusade.
DHS told its employees today they would respond on their behalf to Musk’s recent demand for a justification of their employment.
Story: apnews.com/article/musk...
DHS told its employees today they would respond on their behalf to Musk’s recent demand for a justification of their employment.
Story: apnews.com/article/musk...
In the RGV, the busiest part of the border as of December, the number of daily arrests went down, too. BP RGV Chief Gloria I. Chavez said it’s down to about 50 a day, or less.
February 14, 2025 at 11:17 PM
In the RGV, the busiest part of the border as of December, the number of daily arrests went down, too. BP RGV Chief Gloria I. Chavez said it’s down to about 50 a day, or less.
New: BP Chief Michael Banks told us the current daily average is about 350 apprehensions per day along the whole southern border. It was about 500 a day last month.
Numbers have been falling since 2024 with about 1,500 arrests per day in December. Now, we’re in the hundreds.
Numbers have been falling since 2024 with about 1,500 arrests per day in December. Now, we’re in the hundreds.
February 14, 2025 at 11:05 PM
New: BP Chief Michael Banks told us the current daily average is about 350 apprehensions per day along the whole southern border. It was about 500 a day last month.
Numbers have been falling since 2024 with about 1,500 arrests per day in December. Now, we’re in the hundreds.
Numbers have been falling since 2024 with about 1,500 arrests per day in December. Now, we’re in the hundreds.
The privately built border wall in Hidalgo County appeared maintained and patrolled during Thursday’s Border Patrol ride along with the AP.
It had been a few years since I last saw it up close.
It had been a few years since I last saw it up close.
February 14, 2025 at 4:59 PM
The privately built border wall in Hidalgo County appeared maintained and patrolled during Thursday’s Border Patrol ride along with the AP.
It had been a few years since I last saw it up close.
It had been a few years since I last saw it up close.
It almost got me.
A memorial to gas prices of the early 2000s. As seen in Hidalgo, TX.
A memorial to gas prices of the early 2000s. As seen in Hidalgo, TX.
January 22, 2025 at 2:01 AM
It almost got me.
A memorial to gas prices of the early 2000s. As seen in Hidalgo, TX.
A memorial to gas prices of the early 2000s. As seen in Hidalgo, TX.
In Matamoros this afternoon, we saw two groups of CBP One appointees who arrived from the airport to the international bridge and made aware that all appointments would be cancelled.
Some had appointments for that afternoon. Dismayed and frustrated, they wondered where they’d go next.
Some had appointments for that afternoon. Dismayed and frustrated, they wondered where they’d go next.
January 20, 2025 at 9:23 PM
In Matamoros this afternoon, we saw two groups of CBP One appointees who arrived from the airport to the international bridge and made aware that all appointments would be cancelled.
Some had appointments for that afternoon. Dismayed and frustrated, they wondered where they’d go next.
Some had appointments for that afternoon. Dismayed and frustrated, they wondered where they’d go next.
FYI: Questionable account for anyone who follows or is followed by @jonathanrothschild.bsky.social
Pictures from 2017 are being passed off as current and the message sent is circulating from other accounts. 🚩
Pictures from 2017 are being passed off as current and the message sent is circulating from other accounts. 🚩
January 12, 2025 at 6:04 AM
FYI: Questionable account for anyone who follows or is followed by @jonathanrothschild.bsky.social
Pictures from 2017 are being passed off as current and the message sent is circulating from other accounts. 🚩
Pictures from 2017 are being passed off as current and the message sent is circulating from other accounts. 🚩
This horse almost made up for the three hours in queue at the Reynosa international bridge, almost.
January 3, 2025 at 2:38 AM
This horse almost made up for the three hours in queue at the Reynosa international bridge, almost.
Don’t let the Nolana tree see you run a red light. 🎄
December 18, 2024 at 1:47 AM
Don’t let the Nolana tree see you run a red light. 🎄