LATEST
Ukraine’s ‘battle-tested’ drones are accelerating militarization along the U.S.-Mexico border
As U.S. law enforcement agencies adopt drone systems “battle-tested” in Ukraine, experts question whether existing safeguards are sufficient to govern increasing levels of surveillance on U.S. soil. The dual-purpose, military-grade technology now getting deployed in domestic border operations comes as the Trump administration devotes tens of billions of dollars to bolster security in response to what it calls an “invasion” of migrants and drug traffickers.
RELATED
VIDEO: From Ukraine’s Battlefield to America’s Borderlands
In Ukraine’s war with Russia, drones have become essential tools for both warfare and border surveillance. Now, those tools and tactics from Ukraine are being deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border. AZCIR traveled to Ukraine to document how “battle-tested” drone innovations are reshaping American border enforcement, and what it means as oversight fails to keep pace.
RECENT
Arizona’s Hualapai Valley now a ‘de facto transfer basin’ for out-of-state investors and corporate farms
Out-of-state investors and industrial-scale agriculture businesses have poured millions into deep wells and water-intensive nut orchards in Arizona’s Mohave County, betting on the state’s unregulated aquifers to keep profits flowing. Now, more than 99% of the cropland in the Hualapai Valley basin is owned or controlled by out-of-state farming operations or investment funds.
Our methods: Arizona’s Hualapai Valley now a ‘de facto transfer basin’ for out-of-state interests
To better understand the scope and scale of foreign ownership, and the role these entities have played in the area’s recent surge of industrial-scale agriculture, AZCIR spent several months analyzing various public records and datasets. Our investigation traced strings of LLCs and private investment firms operating in the northwestern part of the state.
Arizona colleges face ‘devastating impact’ after Trump slashes grant funds to minority-serving institutions
Ten Arizona community colleges and universities enrolling high percentages of minority students had their federal grants cut short by the Trump administration, resulting in millions of dollars in cancelled funds earmarked to support student success.
ENVIRONMENT
Costly maintenance, compliance burden long-term viability of Hopi water treatment system
High levels of naturally occurring arsenic have long plagued the Hopi reservation, forcing families to haul clean water from distant fill stations or buy it in town. The Arsenic Mitigation Project has increased community access to clean water, but the treatment system is difficult to maintain in this remote stretch of high desert.
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Health
Arizona’s community health centers were built on Medicaid. Now they face uncertainty
Arizona’s community health centers, which serve 870,000 patients, are among the most Medicaid-dependent in the nation. Now, a federal law could strip billions of Medicaid dollars from the state in the coming years — a loss that leaders warn could force clinics to cut services or even close.
EDUCATION
Amid student fear and uncertainty, Arizona colleges split on clear policies for ICE on campus
After the Trump administration lifted protections making schools off-limits to immigration enforcement, experts say universities need clear plans for responding to potential on-campus visits from ICE. Arizona’s 20 higher education institutions with the largest in-person enrollments vary on providing such guidance, with ASU and UA lacking explicit policies for what to do if ICE agents…
IN THE SHERIFF WE TRUST
This project, In the Sheriff We Trust, was produced by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, in collaboration with the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. The Howard Center is based at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and is an initiative of the Scripps Howard Fund in honor of the late news industry executive and pioneer Roy W. Howard.
seeds of distrust
Border911: The misinformation network profiting off the false invasion narrative
Border 911: A network of dark money and charity organizations led by former intelligence officers and ex-feds has been spreading propaganda, laying the groundwork for presidential election challenges–and profiting from border disinformation.
A lawman’s change of heart
Iconic Texas Sheriff Arvin West was a leading voice against migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. He pushed strict measures favored by former President Donald Trump. But West says his perspective is aligned with what he sees as the reality of the border, his weariness of divisive politics, and the wishes of neighbors who’ve voted him into office.
The Border Propagandist
Jaeson Jones, a confidante of incoming federal border czar Tom Homan, is helping lay the groundwork for mass deportations and conflict with Mexico.
Law enforcement
Border vigilantes are blurring the lines of law enforcement
All along the border, organized vigilante groups are filming themselves conducting patrols, taking photos of themselves alongside law enforcement, and sharing footage online to solicit donations, promote their work, and recruit new members. They’ve also forged relationships with local and federal law enforcement, particularly in several border counties in Arizona and Texas, raising questions about…
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part i — sovereign citizens
‘Sovereign citizen’ filings flood Pima County, parallel national resurgence of controversial movement
Adherents of the sovereign citizen ideology have garnered a reputation for conflict with government officials and members of the public—conflicts that, in some cases, have turned violent. More commonly, they engage in so-called paper terrorism tactics, threatening and harassing people by inundating them with lawsuits and liens.
