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Immigration

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.

Impact of Our Reporting
Caret

Trapped In Gangland

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.

by Hannah Dreier,

15 stories published since 2018

ProPublica and Partners Win Pulitzer Prize for MS-13 Coverage

by ProPublica,

Former MS-13 Member Who Secretly Helped Police Is Deported

by Hannah Dreier,

Long Island Schools Move to Curb Police Role in Detaining Immigrant Students

by Hannah Dreier,

The Hunted

by Kavitha Surana and Hannah Dreier,

He Drew His School Mascot — and ICE Labeled Him a Gang Member

by Hannah Dreier,

Los Desaparecidos

por Hannah Dreier,

The Disappeared

by Hannah Dreier,

Video: The Truth About MS-13

by Ranjani Chakraborty,

I’ve Been Reporting on MS-13 for a Year. Here Are the 5 Things Trump Gets Most Wrong.

by Hannah Dreier,

Were Henry’s Civil Rights Violated?

by Hannah Dreier,

What It Was Like Reporting on a Teenager Marked for Death by the Gang MS-13

by Hannah Dreier,

Teen Who Faced Deportation After He Informed on MS-13 Gets Temporary Reprieve

by Hannah Dreier,

Teenage MS-13 Gang Informant Heads Into Final Asylum Hearing

by Hannah Dreier,

A Betrayal

by Hannah Dreier,

Triste

by Nadia Sussman,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

Photo of Sharon Lerner
Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

Photo of Andy Kroll
Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Photo of Melissa Sanchez
Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Photo of Jesse Coburn
Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.

Most Read

    “The Intern in Charge”: Meet the 22-Year-Old Trump’s Team Picked to Lead Terrorism Prevention

    One year out of college and with no apparent national security expertise, Thomas Fugate is the Department of Homeland Security official tasked with overseeing the government’s main hub for combating violent extremism.

    by Hannah Allam,

    His Kidney Failed. He’ll Never Know if a Transplant Drug From a Banned Factory Was to Blame.

    When Joe DeMayo’s donated kidney started to fail earlier than expected, he didn’t know that the drug he was taking could’ve left him vulnerable — and that one of the most formidable drug regulators in the world may have failed to protect him.

    by Debbie Cenziper and Megan Rose,

    Seven Things to Know About ProPublica’s Investigation of the FDA’s Secret Gamble on Generic Drugs

    ProPublica spent 14 months investigating the FDA’s oversight of foreign drugmakers that send medications to the U.S. These are the key takeaways.

    by Debbie Cenziper, Megan Rose, Brandon Roberts and Irena Hwang,

    The End of Aid

    Death, Sexual Violence and Human Trafficking: Fallout From U.S. Aid Withdrawal Hits the World’s Most Fragile Locations

    Exclusive State Department records show: As the Trump administration abandons its humanitarian commitments, diplomats are reporting that the cuts have led to violence and instability while undermining anti-terrorism initiatives.

    by Brett Murphy and Anna Maria Barry-Jester,

    How Hotels, Once a Last Resort, Became New York’s Default Answer to Homelessness

    Statewide spending on hotels has more than tripled in recent years. The shift away from shelters has prevented families from accessing services like child care and help finding housing.

    by Spencer Norris, New York Focus,

    Local Reporting Network