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Jessica Lussenhop

I cover criminal justice, housing and the child welfare system in Minnesota and the Midwest.

Need to Get in Touch?

I focus on issues affecting Minnesota and the greater Midwest, but am always interested in tips about abuse of power from anywhere. I welcome tips about the inner workings of the child protection system, health care and large corporations.

What I Cover

I am a reporter for ProPublica’s Midwest team covering Minnesota, my home state. I write about issues affecting vulnerable populations with a special interest in child welfare, criminal justice and housing. My reporting has changed state housing laws and touched off enforcement actions by the Minnesota attorney general. I am based in Minneapolis.

My Background

Before coming to ProPublica, I was a senior staff writer for BBC North America and a fellow at the radio program “This American Life.” I hosted a BBC podcast called “Bad Cops,” based on my reporting about a rogue plainclothes police unit in Baltimore. My early career took place at a string of alternative newsweeklies, including City Pages in Minneapolis and the Riverfront Times in St. Louis. One of my proudest accomplishments from this time was a story that ultimately freed a Missouri man from prison. Other previous work won an Asian American Journalists Association Excellence Award and a National Native Media Award.

Train Country

“Do Your Job.” How the Railroad Industry Intimidates Employees Into Putting Speed Before Safety

Railroad companies have penalized workers for taking the time to make needed repairs and created a culture in which supervisors threaten and fire the very people hired to keep trains running safely. Regulators say they can’t stop this intimidation.

by Topher Sanders, Jessica Lussenhop, Dan Schwartz, Danelle Morton and Gabriel Sandoval,

Minnesota Attorney General Opens Investigation Into Controversial Contract-for-Deed Real Estate Practices

Following a ProPublica and Sahan Journal report, authorities are examining fast-tracked real estate deals for possible civil charges.

by Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica, and Joey Peters, Sahan Journal,

Senators Call for Further Oversight, Consumer Protections in Contract-for-Deed Real Estate Transactions

Following a ProPublica-Sahan Journal report on fast-tracked home financing deals that left Somali families in Minnesota financially devastated, federal lawmakers met to discuss what could be done to shield buyers.

by Jessica Lussenhop,

SCOTUS Upheld ICWA But Questions Remain for Native American Families

A recent ProPublica investigation showed how ICWA was being unevenly applied in some states, breaking up Native American families that should have received additional protections under the law. There’s still room for improvement, advocates say.

by Jessica Lussenhop,

Post-Roe America

Minnesota May Chart Its Own Path Dealing With Anti-Abortion Counseling Centers

While other states move to defund “crisis pregnancy centers,” Minnesota may offer to renew their state grants — but with conditions.

by Jessica Lussenhop,

Post-Roe America

Minnesota Set to Become “Abortion Access Island” in the Midwest, but for Whom?

Out-of-staters have long traveled to Minnesota for abortions, but as neighboring states restrict access to the procedure, data suggests patients of color may not make the trip.

by Jessica Lussenhop,