Melissa Sanchez is a reporter at ProPublica. She joined ProPublica in 2017 and is focused on immigrants and low-wage workers. Her work here examining Chicago’s punitive ticketing and debt collection system helped prompt major reforms, including changes to state law and an end to driver’s license suspensions over ticket debt. She previously worked for The Chicago Reporter, Catalyst Chicago, el Nuevo Herald in Miami and the Yakima (Wash.) Herald-Republic, and has received numerous local and national awards for her reporting. She lives in Chicago with her husband, their two young children and two cats. She is the daughter of immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador, and she speaks Spanish.
Melissa Sanchez es una reportera de ProPublica. Se unió al equipo en 2017 y se enfoca en historias sobre inmigrantes y trabajadores de bajos ingresos. Sus reportajes examinando el sistema de multas de tránsito en Chicago impulsó grandes reformas, incluyendo nuevas leyes estatales que eliminaron la norma que suspendía las licencias de conducir por deudas de tráfico. Previamente Melissa trabajó para The Chicago Reporter, Catalyst Chicago, el Nuevo Herald en Miami y el Yakima Herald-Republic en el estado de Washington. Ha recibido varios premios locales y nacionales por sus reportajes. Vive en Chicago con su esposo, dos hijos pequeños y dos gatas malcriadas. Es hija de inmigrantes de México y de El Salvador y habla español.
A veces la OSHA investiga las muertes en granjas pequeñas si éstas proveen viviendas a los trabajadores inmigrantes. En otras ocasiones, la agencia dice que no puede hacer nada.
“Si de repente echáramos a toda esta gente de aquí, los indocumentados, nuestras granjas lecheras colapsarían”, dijo un legislador. “Tenemos que dar con una solución”.
“If we suddenly kicked out all of the people here, the undocumented, our dairy farms would collapse,” one lawmaker said. “We have to come up with a solution.”
Los inmigrantes indocumentados en el estado pueden registrar sus autos, pero no los pueden manejar—lo cual los pone en riesgo de ser multados o arrestados.
Undocumented immigrants in the state can own and register their vehicles, but they aren’t allowed to drive them, forcing many farm workers to risk fines and arrest. “It’s a Catch-22 for a lot of folks,” advocates say.
Los planes de cambio vienen tras un reportaje de ProPublica que encontró que la policía malinterpretó como murió un niño nicaragüense en una granja lechera. Mientras tanto la familia del niño ha llegado a un acuerdo en una denuncia contra la granja.
After ProPublica found that a police investigation into a child’s death was mishandled due to language barriers, officials hope to improve how police interact with non-English speakers. Meanwhile, the boy’s family has settled a suit against the farm.
Una investigación de ProPublica demuestra cómo las barreras del idioma contribuyeron a que las autoridades culparan erróneamente a un trabajador de una granja lechera por la muerte de su hijo. Los legisladores responden.
Here is our annual report on the breakdown of our staff and how we’re working to create a more diverse news organization and inclusive journalism community.
A ProPublica investigation showed how language barriers contributed to authorities wrongly blaming a dairy farm worker for his son’s death. Lawmakers have responded.
We need your help to understand the challenges facing dairy farm workers. We especially want to hear from farmers, medical professionals, regulators and anyone else with perspective from inside the community.
When an 8-year-old Nicaraguan boy was run over on a Wisconsin dairy farm, authorities blamed his father and closed the case. Meanwhile, the community of immigrant workers knows a completely different story.
A system intended to protect young immigrants while they wait for new homes has instead been overused, experts say, leading to prolonged stays in federal custody.
Cities nationwide look to Chicago as officials wrestle with whether speed cameras have improved traffic safety enough to justify their financial burden on Black and Latino motorists.
Nearly 200 Afghan children brought here without family by the U.S. government during the haphazard military pullout are languishing in federal custody.
Here is our annual report on the breakdown of our staff and how we’re working to create a more diverse news organization and inclusive journalism community.
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