Trapped In Gangland
How the MS-13 Crackdown Shattered Immigrant Lives
President Trump has held out the brutal Central American gang as a national public safety priority and embodiment of the consequences of illegal immigration. What have authorities been doing to fight them?
The three featured stories below were awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.
Featured
He Drew His School Mascot — and ICE Labeled Him a Gang Member
How high schools have embraced the Trump administration’s crackdown on MS-13, and destroyed immigrant students’ American dreams.
The Disappeared
Police on Long Island wrote off missing immigrant teens as runaways. One mother knew better — and searched MS-13’s killing fields for answers.
A Betrayal
The teenager told police all about his gang, MS-13. In return, he was slated for deportation and marked for death.
Other Entries
ProPublica and Partners Win Pulitzer Prize for MS-13 Coverage
Three articles in ProPublica’s “Trapped in Gangland” series on MS-13 by reporter Hannah Dreier won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.
Former MS-13 Member Who Secretly Helped Police Is Deported
An immigration judge said he was “very sympathetic” to the teenager who cooperated with authorities only to be jailed with those he informed on. The judge nonetheless rejected his plea for asylum.
Long Island Schools Move to Curb Police Role in Detaining Immigrant Students
In response to our story about a student who was detained and deported after drawing a doodle of his school mascot, the Huntington district is seeking a countywide agreement to rein in school-based police officers.
The Hunted
What happens when you say no to MS-13.
Challenged by Long Island Lawmakers, Police Will Look Into Treatment of Immigrant Families Who Reported Missing Children
Spurred by reporting from ProPublica, Newsday and This American Life, Suffolk County police will revisit cases in which parents allege misconduct.
Los Desaparecidos
La policía de Long Island dio como fugitivos de sus hogares a adolescentes inmigrantes perdidos. Una de las madres presintió que algo andaba mal y buscó las respuestas en los campos de matanza de la MS-13.
Video: The Truth About MS-13
In our latest Vox + ProPublica collaboration, we separate MS-13 fact from fiction.
I’ve Been Reporting on MS-13 for a Year. Here Are the 5 Things Trump Gets Most Wrong.
The gang is not invading the country. They’re not posing as fake families. They’re not growing. To stop them, the government needs to understand them.
Were Henry’s Civil Rights Violated?
A Department of Homeland Security watchdog is looking into the case of a Long Island high school student who informed on the gang MS-13 and was marked for deportation.
What It Was Like Reporting on a Teenager Marked for Death by the Gang MS-13
Henry, the teenager, gave me more access than any source has ever allowed me. And given his youth and vulnerable position, I often wondered if it was too much. But he wanted his story told.
Teen Who Faced Deportation After He Informed on MS-13 Gets Temporary Reprieve
A judge postponed an asylum decision until May, asking for more evidence of Henry’s cooperation with police and the FBI.
Teenage MS-13 Gang Informant Heads Into Final Asylum Hearing
Among those who will testify on Henry’s behalf: his former principal, an expert witness working for free and his FBI Gang Task Force handler, who had originally refused.
