
Melissa Sanchez
I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.
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What I Cover
I write about immigrants and low-wage work in the Midwest. In this second Trump administration, I plan to pay attention to deportations, including deportations of people in the criminal justice system. I am based in Chicago.
My Background
After joining ProPublica in 2017, I led a project that examined Chicago’s punitive ticketing and debt collection system; that reporting helped prompt major reforms, including the cancellation of 55,000 driver’s license suspensions and millions of dollars in debt forgiveness. In 2018, I was part of a team of reporters who examined conditions at shelters for unaccompanied immigrant children; some of that reporting was included in a ProPublica series on the impact of President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance policy that was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.
I was among the first reporters to document the growing number of Central American teenagers who work in factories. Most recently, I worked with my colleague Maryam Jameel to examine conditions for immigrant workers on Wisconsin dairy farms; that reporting prompted a federal civil rights investigation and led to the creation of an $8 million fund to build housing for farmworkers. The series was a finalist for an Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics, among other recognitions.
I previously worked for The Chicago Reporter, Catalyst Chicago, El Nuevo Herald in Miami and the Yakima Herald-Republic in Washington. I am the daughter of immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador and speak Spanish fluently.
Death on a Dairy Farm
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.
by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel,
“A Failure on All Our Parts.” Thousands of Immigrant Children Wait in Government Shelters.
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.
by Melissa Sanchez,
In Debate Over Chicago’s Speed Cameras, Concerns Over Safety, Racial Disparities Collide
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.
by Melissa Sanchez and Emily Hopkins,
The Compounding Trauma of Afghan Children in U.S. Shelters
Nearly 200 Afghan children brought here without family by the U.S. government during the haphazard military pullout are languishing in federal custody.
by Melissa Sanchez and Anna Clark,
What ProPublica Is Doing About Diversity in 2022
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.
by Caroline Chen, Vianna Davila, Melissa Sanchez and Liz Sharp, graphics by Haru Coryne,
Chicago’s “Race-Neutral” Traffic Cameras Ticket Black and Latino Drivers the Most
A ProPublica analysis found that traffic cameras in Chicago disproportionately ticket Black and Latino motorists. But city officials plan to stick with them — and other cities may adopt them too.
by Emily Hopkins and Melissa Sanchez,
Lawmakers Call for Immediate Action at Chicago Shelter Housing Afghan Children
After ProPublica’s report that Afghan children at a Chicago shelter were hurting themselves, Sen. Dick Durbin asked federal officials to investigate. In the meantime, Heartland Alliance, the facility’s operator, now has interpreters in its shelters.
by Melissa Sanchez,
Dozens of Traumatized Afghan Kids Struggle Inside a Shelter That’s Ill-Equipped to Care for Them
Some Afghan children at a Chicago shelter have hurt themselves or others, leaving workers overwhelmed. Employees say the shelter has never experienced this level of chaos and isn’t equipped to provide kids with services they need.
by Melissa Sanchez,
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Proposes Further Traffic Ticket Reforms to Help Low-Income Motorists
In 2018, ProPublica reported on how vehicle tickets in Chicago disproportionately harm low-income, Black residents. This latest set of reforms proposes lowering ticket costs and providing debt relief for low-income residents.
by Melissa Sanchez,
La agencia de bienestar infantil de Illinois les sigue fallando a las familias hispanohablantes
Dos años después de una investigación de ProPublica, el Departamento de Servicios para Niños y Familias de Illinois todavía no está cumpliendo con una orden de una corte federal para mejorar el servicio a las familias hispanohablantes.
por Melissa Sanchez y Duaa Eldeib,