Texas has arrested thousands on trespassing charges at the border. Illegal crossings are still high

Before settling in New York City like thousands of other migrants this year, Abdoul, a 32-year-old from West Africa, took an unexpected detour: Weeks in a remote Texas jail on local trespassing charges after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. “I spent a lot of hours without sleeping, sitting on the floor,” said Abdoul, a political activist who fled Mauritania, fearing persecution. Starting in March, Texas will allow police to arrest migrants who enter the state illegally and give local judges the