El Paso firefighters union and city officials are far apart in contract proposals with the union’s costing about $66M to the city’s $38M counter-proposal. The gap highlights upcoming debates over pay, staffing and budget priorities. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/21/e...

Fact check: Do U.S. soldiers need clearance to visit Ciudad Juárez? Here’s our latest Fact Brief, which we produce in partnership with Gigafact to correct misinformation and amplify factual information. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/21/g...

Water crises in Corpus Christi and Pflugerville didn’t happen overnight — and neither did El Paso’s resilience. Decades of planning, governance and innovation set the city apart, Anna Gitter writes. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/21/o...

New Horizons Home School Academy, a hybrid private school that touts its artificial intelligence lessons, is seeking accreditation in hopes of qualifying for state vouchers. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/21/e...

Opinion: As data centers expand, here’s what communities should require in return As AI data centers rapidly expand across Texas, communities must negotiate stronger terms to ensure real economic and environmental benefits.

Data centers are coming to Texas no matter what. The real question is what communities should demand in return, Andy Vargas-Hernandez writes. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/20/o...

A 23-year-old asylum seeker from Minnesota with a large ovarian cyst remains in ICE custody in El Paso, as her attorney alleges inadequate medical care and supporters call for her release. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/20/e...

EPISD may finally release more than $400,000 owed to subcontractors on the Don Haskins school project, four years after construction ended and after prolonged delays over a roof warranty.
elpasomatters.org/2026/04/20/s...

An Iranian in ICE detention for 10 months – including in El Paso – was released Friday after a federal judge ruled the prolonged detention violated his constitutional rights. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/19/i...

El Paso’s city government has to commit $6 million by October to keep a proposed downtown I-10 deck plaza on track. But the city manager said the city has no cost estimate yet. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/17/e...

El Paso Matters 2026 Reader Survey Take a few minutes to share your feedback.

We’re wrapping up our reader survey today. If you have a few minutes, we’d still value your feedback. It helps us understand what’s working and what we can improve. 👉 www.surveymonkey.com/r/EPM2026soc...

This week in El Paso:
• GOP congressional candidates file no campaign reports
• SISD oversight nears end
• Solar grants open for nonprofits
• Climate bond projects advance
• Olivia Troye launches bid

Read more in our weekly news roundup. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/17/e...

Venezuelan family who entered country legally leaves U.S. after detention Like thousands of other migrants, the family entered under the Biden administration’s rules in 2024. With Trump in office, they were locked up in Texas before deciding to abandon asylum.

They entered the U.S. legally under federal rules. After being arrested at an El Paso courthouse and detained for a month, a Venezuelan family chose to abandon asylum and return home. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/16/e...

El Paso County Commissioners will hold a special meeting Thursday to review Sheriff Oscar Ugarte’s overtime spending and budget concerns as costs continue to rise. More details to come @elpasomatters elpasomatters.org/2026/04/15/e...

Opinion: Public education in Texas needs stronger funding and community advocacy now Drawing on her experience in El Paso, Rosie Perez calls for grassroots advocacy and legislative action to strengthen public education statewide.

Texas public schools shape futures, but they need stronger funding and smarter policies to keep up. Rosie Perez of El Paso explains why advocacy matters now. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/15/o...

Catch this week’s top events across El Paso.

🔬 El Paso Science Festival
🎨 Third Thursdays Downtown Arts District
🎉 Bhutanese Festival at UTEP
🦇 Bat Walk at Franklin Mountains State Park
🏃 Kickin’ Asphalt 5K and Fun Run

Plan your week with our events roundup. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/15/e...

El Paso Matters 2026 Reader Survey Take a few minutes to share your feedback.

We’re wrapping up our reader survey this week.
If you haven’t taken it yet, we’d appreciate your feedback:
👉 www.surveymonkey.com/r/EPM2026soc...

El Paso leaders want to limit ICE detention centers. Here are 6 things to know Despite formal opposition from local El Paso governments, officials are finding few regulatory tools to block the planned mega detention center or future ones from operating here. Here’s the…

El Paso local governments have adopted resolutions formally opposing the planned mega detention center – but have had little success finding legal and regulatory ways to block it or future facilities. Here’s why: elpasomatters.org/2026/04/14/e...

Opinion: FDA delays on rare disease drugs put my son and other children with rare diseases at risk An El Paso mother of a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy says FDA delays have cost critical time for children with rare diseases.

An El Paso mother caring for her son with Duchenne muscular dystrophy says FDA delays on rare disease treatments are costing children precious time — and their lives. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/14/o...

After losing most of his teeth during cancer treatment, El Paso musician Russ Kalman is smiling again thanks to community support and ongoing care. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/14/e...

El Paso GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales says he will retire after admitting to affair with staffer House Republican leaders had already called on the three-term Gonzales to not seek reelection, and the House Ethics Committee had initiated an investigation.

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales said Monday he will retire from Congress amid bipartisan calls to expel him. Gonzales had already said he would not seek reelection after admitting to an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/13/r...

1980s El Paso rock band Q.I.D. lands song in new Apple TV show Decades after their local success, Q.I.D.’s remastered track “Crazy Nights” has been selected for a scene in an Apple TV dramedy premiering April 15.

An El Paso band from the 1980s is getting new life on Apple TV. Q.I.D.’s “Crazy Nights” will be featured in the second episode of “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” starring Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer. The show debuts April 15. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/13/e...

As AI becomes part of everyday life, schools across El Paso are starting to teach students about it, set policies and use AI-powered tools. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/13/a...

El Paso Electric customers will see bills increase about $13 per month starting in May. Here’s what other changes Texas regulators approved for the utility and its customers. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/12/e...

Mesilla revisits Billy the Kid trial 145 years later Mesilla marks 145 years since Billy the Kid’s trial with new research, a frontier fair and renewed efforts to separate legend from documented history.

Mesilla marks 145 years since Billy the Kid’s 1881 trial, with new research, a Frontier Fair and renewed efforts to separate myth from history. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/10/e...

This week in El Paso:
• Law firm donates $5M to proposed law school
• El Paso County sues ICE over records
• How many El Paso students applied for vouchers
• Help serve homeless at Rescue Mission
• Free infant vaccines

Read more in our weekly news roundup. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/10/e...

Podcast: A beaver in El Paso? How one beaver has spent years building dams at a wetland park in El Paso, reshaping the landscape and offering a rare glimpse of the wild Rio Grande’s natural past. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/09/e...

Niece of El Paso serial killer shares story in new memoirNiece of the ‘Night Stalker’ breaks decades of silence - El Paso Matters Rosie Juárez, niece of Night Stalker Richard Ramirez, details alleged abuse and healing in memoir “His Niece,” with El Paso bookstore events for Independent Bookstore Day.Rosie Juárez, niece of El…

Rosie Juárez, niece of serial killer Richard Ramirez, breaks decades of silence in a new memoir detailing abuse, survival and healing. El Paso events are planned this month.
elpasomatters.org/2026/04/09/e...

Over the years, readers told us they wanted more ways to engage with our journalism — from culture coverage to podcasts and video.

We’ve expanded that work and continued in-depth reporting on issues like data centers.

👉 We’re listening again: www.surveymonkey.com/r/EPM2026soc...

Serious crimes reported to the El Paso police and sheriff’s departments declined in 2025, continuing a national trend, though police data still shows an overall increase since 2021. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/08/e...

Catch this week’s top events across El Paso.

🎻 Cellobration with Zuill Bailey
🌎 Lower Valley Earth Day event
🍺 Borderland BeerFest
🥾 Peak Challenge hike
🏜️ Mesilla Frontier Fair

Plan your week with our events roundup. elpasomatters.org/2026/04/08/e...