El Paso Matters

09/03/2026

The Flock cameras will remain installed even though El Paso police have stopped using them. Officials said the department could seek another funding source to restart the controversial license plate reader program.

The governor’s office said the halt comes as cases of misuse by law enforcement officers surface.

A Texas Tribune investigation published a day after the order found that a state authority has helped law enforcement agencies expand the use of license-plate cameras – funded by a fee on auto-insurance policies.

El Paso police stopped using state-funded license plate readers, though the cameras will remain installed and officials have not ruled out reviving the program with a different funding source.

09/03/2026

Ysleta High’s football team returns to historic Hutchins Stadium after a $1.8 million field repair project. El Paso Matters assistant editor Pablo Villa joins the podcast to explain how YISD paid for it and to explore the Lower Valley school’s 100-year history.

Amid financial challenges and declining enrollment at El Paso’s public school districts, Ysleta Independent School District managed to direct some funds to repair the field at Hutchins Stadium.

09/03/2026

A federal judge has blocked President Trump's latest attempt to prohibit automatic U.S. citizenship at birth, granting a preliminary injunction stopping the executive order until a class-action lawsuit by immigrant families and advocacy groups is resolved. Birthright citizenship is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868. Trump's order aimed to restrict citizenship for children born to certain foreign nationals.

A federal judge said the U.S. Supreme Court already ruled on the issue in June, finding that children in the class action case are citizens at birth. The judge said Trump's new executive order, issued in August, violated the high court's earlier ruling.

09/03/2026

Labor Day weekend is almost here, and there’s plenty happening across the El Paso area.

From major concerts and baseball to traditional kermeses, festivals and a final chance to enjoy some end-of-summer attractions, the four-day holiday weekend offers plenty of reasons to get out of the house.

We’ve put together a guide to help you make your plans for Labor Day weekend in El Paso and beyond. https://elpasomatters.org/2026/09/03/el-paso-labor-day-weekend-events-chihuahuas-karol-g-godsmack/

09/02/2026

17 DAYS UNTIL THE 9.15K, the countdown is on!

Want to know what’s ahead? Check out the official course map on Strava to preview the route and get familiar with the course before race day.

Save the date:
📅 September 19
📍 Cleveland Square Park

Register today elpasomatters.org 🔗 Tap the link in our bio.

09/02/2026

For nearly a century, generations of Ysleta High School students have learned, competed and built traditions in the heart of El Paso's Lower Valley.

Now the school enters its centennial year with another milestone: a defending district football champion preparing to return to Hutchins Stadium after a $1.8 million turf replacement and remediation project.

The stadium has stood at the center of Ysleta since 1939 — and for alumni, students and families, it remains much more than a football field.

As Ysleta looks back on a century as an accredited four-year high school, its community is also looking toward what comes next. https://elpasomatters.org/2026/09/02/el-paso-ysleta-high-school-football-fields-yisd-hutchins-stadium/

09/02/2026

Catch this week’s top events across El Paso.

🎤 Karol G: Tropicoqueta Tour
🎪 St. Anthony’s Seminary Bazaar
🎬 Movies at the Park: ‘Toy Story 4’
🤠 Let Freedom Sing
🎨 Rubin Center fall exhibitions

Plan your week with our full events roundup. https://elpasomatters.org/2026/09/02/karol-g-st-anthonys-bazaar-fort-bliss-concert-series-bring-labor-day-weekend-fun-to-el-paso/

09/01/2026

Texas lawmakers will consider a new formula that could reshape how public universities are funded. UTEP Provost John Wiebe, who helped develop the proposal, says its focus on students staying in college could be especially important.

Texas lawmakers will consider a new university funding model that could reward student persistence, credentials of value and outcomes while changing how UTEP and other institutions receive state money.

09/01/2026

You know the 915. Now run through its stories. 🏃🏽‍♀️🏃
Every kilometer post along the course has a story of its own from the places that shaped our community to the culture that makes El Paso home.

Swipe through to learn more about the places you’ll pass on the day of the run and the stories behind them. ❤️
Ready to be part of the story? Register for the El Paso Matters 9.15K or along for the Texas Tech Health El Paso 1-Mile Family Fun Walk.
📅 Sept. 19 | 📍 Downtown El Paso
🔗elpasomatter.org/run

09/01/2026

Recent social media posts have raised questions about the more than 1 million registered Texas voters on the “suspense list.” But the list is a routine part of Texas’ voter registration process — and it does not prevent voters from casting a ballot.

Here’s what you need to know about the suspense list, how to check your status, how to update your registration and how the latest numbers compare with previous elections. https://elpasomatters.org/2026/09/01/texas-voter-suspense-list-explained-2026-how-to-check-if-im-registered-el-paso/