Editor’s Note: This report is part of “Seeds of Distrust,” an ongoing investigative collaboration between Lighthouse Reports, the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, the Texas Observer, palabra, and Puente News Collaborative.
Arvin West is the iconic borderland sheriff in far West Texas’ deeply rural Hudspeth County. His distinctive drawl and no-nonsense policing have made him a darling of conservative politicians and fellow sheriffs nationwide, who are convinced that migrants pose a threat to the upcoming presidential election and democracy itself.
