The Guardian US has won an Emmy award for its coverage of the immigration crisis in Texas. The award – part of the Emmy’s news and documentaries awards – was jointly won with the Texas Observer.
The four-part series, Beyond the Border, looked at how Texas has become the deadliest state in the US for undocumented migrants.
“We are incredibly honoured and proud to win this award for telling the powerful story of lives impacted by the immigration crisis,” said the Guardian US editor, Lee Glendinning, who accepted the award.
“These are the stories of the mothers who have lost their children and migrants struggling for a new life ... and the truth about those who are coping on the sidelines of the overwhelming border crisis,” she said.
In 2012, Texas surpassed Arizona as the country’s most dangerous entry point, with 217 immigrant deaths.
As well as looking at the plight of the immigrants, Beyond the Border also covered the dilemma of Texas landowners on the border, who are caught between protecting their property and saving lives. Many migrants pass through their ranches to avoid police checkpoints. Hundreds die every year, mostly from the heat.
The annual Emmy award was won in the new approaches: current news coverage category.
It is the second time Guardian US has won a news and documentary Emmy. In 2014, its multimedia interactive feature on Edward Snowden’s disclosures about mass surveillance by US intelligence agencies, also won in the new approaches category.