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Best of the Border (2/11-2/16)

The week's top stories from Fronteras Desk.

Veteran Helps Family Of Fallen Iraqi Comrade Get Safely To U.S.

The troops called him Roy. He was a lanky Iraqi teenager who liked hip-hop and looked too young to be working for the U.S. military.

During nine months of firefights, raids on enemy compounds and long nights on watch in Iraq, Roy interpreted the country's language and culture for the platoon led by U.S. Army Captain Blake Hall.

“I still felt very guilty about leaving [Roy] behind. He was the only member of my platoon I didn’t bring back,” Hall said.


Immigration Reform During State Of The Union

President Barack Obama covered a lot of territory in Tuesday's State of the Union, but one topic in the big speech that’s being scrutinized is immigration reform.

“And right now, leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, and faith communities all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform," Obama said.

It was one of the major applause lines of the night -- earning a standing ovation from both sides of the aisle. Yet some Republican lawmakers, like Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas, still held their enthusiasm in check.


Photo by Mónica Ortiz Uribe

Homes like this one will be reserved for student veterans who attend New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.

New Mexico State Offers Family-Style Housing To Student Veterans

The transition into college is hard enough for most students. It's even harder for military veterans whose life experience differs greatly from their peers.

In the last decade about a million soldiers have come home from war, some who end up in the Southwest where colleges are slowly finding ways to better accommodate them. New Mexico State University is starting a new housing model especially for veterans.

"It was kind of a scary experience, you know, going to school with kids half your age," said 46-year-old veteran Tony Cano. "First class I walked in to, I sat down and everybody was just looking at me like, 'What's this old guy doing in class?'"


Joey Palacios/Texas Public Radio

San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller address the media just hours after the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation.

Could The Next Pope Come From Latin America?

As Catholics wonder who will be the next Pope, many are also speculating that he might make history and come from Latin America.

San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, who was appointed by Benedict, says talk of a non-European Pope has been around since the death of Pope John Paul II. And 40 percent of all Catholics live in Latin America.

Tracy Greer was a digital editor and managing editor at KJZZ from 2011 to 2017.