Home About Writing Samples Multimedia Samples Resume

Political Reporting Samples

Check out my reporting on elections, local politics and community responses below!

The Center Square •

Democrats want call program for immigrant detainees

(The Center Square) — Immigrants detained in facilities across the U.S. would be able to contact their lawyers and families under legislation filed by a group of congressional Democrats.The Restoring Access to Detainees Act affects immigrants who are placed in Customs and Border Protection or Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.Sponsors of the legislation said it follows months of “credible reporting” that ICE and CBP have prevented detainees from contacting family members or legal re...
The Center Square •

U.S. celebrates 72nd Veterans Day

(The Center Square) - Memorials and celebrations across the country will take place Tuesday in honor of the 72nd annual Veterans Day.Veterans Day was established in 1954 by President Dwight Eisenhower. The date was previously known as Armistice Day, in recognition of the end of fighting in World War I.“Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage and our freedom, and let us reconsecrate ours...
The Center Square •

DHS proposes billion dollar expanded DNA testing for immigrants

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a multibillion dollar proposal on Monday to increase biometric scanning during the immigration process. The proposal would expand the agency's authority to take fingerprints, DNA, facial and iris scans. The proposal is estimated to cost $288.7 million annually and $2.5 billion over the course of 10 years. The department estimated it will increase biometric scanning to more than 3 million people.The biometric scans will specifi...
The Center Square •

Key races across U.S., redistricting at stake as voters head to polls Tuesday

(The Center Square) – Governor’s races, city mayoral campaigns and redistricting initiatives will bring voters to the polls on Tuesday for a consequential off-year Election Day.Elections in California, New Jersey, New York City and Virginia have captured national attention for their close poll numbers and potential to gauge the country’s political divide one year after the 2024 presidential election.CaliforniaIn California, voters will decide whether the state should set aside existing electoral...
The Center Square •

Trump administration finds SNAP fraud

(The Center Square) – Amid the ongoing government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking to root out fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps.Steven Vaden, the deputy secretary of the USDA, spoke on Thursday about his reform attempts throughout the agriculture agency during a panel at the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Conference.Vaden recognized the SNAP program helps people throughout the country with food assistance but also sai...
The Center Square •

Trump revives longer citizenship test

(The Center Square) - The Trump administration brought back a longer version of the U.S. citizenship test that was first administered in 2020.The new test, which went into effect for applicants after Oct. 20, reinstates the 2020 naturalization civics test put in place during President Donald Trump’s first administration.“American citizenship is the most sacred citizenship in the world and should only be reserved for aliens who will fully embrace our values and principles as a nation,” said Matth...
The Center Square •

Trump begins accepting $100k visa payments

(The Center Square) - The Trump administration officially started accepting $100,000 payments for H-1B visas.On Sept. 19, President Trump issued a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on future H-1B visa holders. The H-1B visa is typically used by the technology industry to hire high-skilled foreign workers in the United States.In an update on Monday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided guidance for H-1B employers to file new petitions in line with the president’s order. Any new H...
The Center Square •

Poll: Voters trust local governments more than feds to address crime, other issues

(The Center Square) – A majority of Americans say the federal government should not decide policing and crime policy in their communities, according to a new poll.The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, surveyed 2,565 registered voters between Oct. 2-6 through opt-in online panels and text-to-web cell phone messages.About 22% of voters said the federal government should decide policing and crime policy, but about 70% of registered voters think either state o...
The Center Square •

Bipartisan lawmakers urge Trump to end $100k visa fee

(The Center Square) - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to end his $100,000 fee for H-1B visa holders.On Sept. 19, Trump issued a proclamation imposing the one-time fee on new H-1B visa petitions. Employers seeking high-skilled foreign workers applications after Sept. 21 must pay the $100,000 fee. In a letter addressed to Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the Congressional members warned that businesses will struggle with the new fee and it will weaken A...
The Center Square •

Poll: Americans divided on Trump's deportation, immigration policies

(The Center Square) - Americans are divided on President Donald Trump’s deportation and immigration policies, according to a new poll.The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll found that 46% of registered voters think Trump’s immigration and deportation policies are "too harsh" compared to 39% who said it is “about right.” About 9% of registered voters said the administration’s policies are "too soft" and 7% of voters were unsure.Combined, the 39% who say they're "about right" and the 9% who say they...
The Center Square •

Texas lawmaker introduces agricultural visa reform

(The Center Square) – A Texas lawmaker introduced legislation to reform the H-2A visa program for agricultural workers.U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, introduced the Bracero Program 2.0 Act, a bill to make wage reforms and technical upgrades to the H-2a temporary agricultural visa program.The H-2A visa program is a federally administered work visa system that allows agricultural employers to hire immigrant workers for temporary or seasonal jobs when there are not enough U.S. workers availa...
The Center Square •

Unions sue Trump over immigrant drivers license crackdown

(The Center Square) – Two national public employee unions sued the Trump administration over its restrictions preventing illegal immigrants from obtaining commercial drivers licenses. The American Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed a petition for review against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.The employee unions challenged a rule implemented by Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy restricting foreign indi...
The Center Square •

Government shutdown halts visa, permanent resident approvals

(The Center Square) – As the federal government shutdown continues with no clear end in sight, federal agencies that process legal immigrant petition documents have been completely halted, leaving immigrant workers in limbo.U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is a fee funded agency that allows it to accept foreign worker visa applications during federal funding lapses. However, the U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for certifying necessary documents that immigrants or employers use t...
The Center Square •

Poll: Majority of Americans do not support National Guard to deter crime

(The Center Square) – As President Donald Trump continues to deploy troops into American cities in an effort to reduce crime, more than half of Americans said they do not think it is appropriate to do so, a new poll finds, though half of voters say they would support deploying the National Guard to their city or state.The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, surveyed 2,565 registered voters between Oct. 2-6. The poll found that 60% of voters do not think it's...
The Center Square •

Trump addresses Georgia's years-long migrant farm worker concerns

(The Center Square) - The Trump administration implemented a new rule on Oct. 2 that would revise wage standards for immigrant farm workers across the country.Under this new rule, the Department of Labor would use state-level Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data to establish rates for H-2A visa workers, instead of relying on the Adverse Effect Wage Rate.The department said the new rule will stabilize wage rates in the industry whereas the previous system's rates would dramatically shift from yea...
The Center Square •

Supreme Court rejects bid to overturn H-1B visa rule

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a case challenging a rule that allows spouses of H-1B workers to work in the United States. In the case, Save Jobs USA challenged a 2015 rule allowing spouses of H-1B workers to get H-4 visas. The rule was put in place by the Obama administration. "Its definition contains no indication of work authorization, and for forty-five years the executive interpreted it as not permitting work," a petition to the court reads. The H-1...
The Center Square •

Massachusetts university visa program under threat of H-1B fee

(The Center Square) – Certain H-1B visa programs across the country could be under threat as the Trump administration cracks down on the program with a new $100,000 fee.On Sept. 19, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a one-time, $100,000 fee against employers filing for new H-1B applications. H-1B visas are reserved for high-skilled immigrant workers with a bachelor’s degree at a minimum.Some of the top employers for H-1B petitions in 2025 include Amazon, Apple and Meta, accor...
The Center Square •

Major tech company to cut H-1B visas amid Trump pressure, fee

(The Center Square) – Tata Consultancy Services, a large employer of H-1B visa holders in the United States, will stop using the program due to new fees from the Trump administration.Last month, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a one-time $100,000 fee for foreign workers coming to the country on H-1B visas. He cited wage suppression and a lack of jobs for American workers in his proclamation.H-1B visas are typically issued for high-skilled foreign workers in science, technol...
The Center Square •

Govt shutdown raises concerns over national security

(The Center Square) - As partisan divides appear to deepen and prolong the partial government shutdown, bipartisan lawmakers said they are concerned about national security effects of the funding lapse.U.S. Reps. Jason Crow, D-Co., and Don Bacon, R-Neb., spoke on Friday at an event hosted by the news organization NOTUS where they highlighted their concerns that a government shutdown will have negative national security implications in the near future.Federal employees, including members of the m...
The Center Square •

Nvidia will pay 100k visa fees, others unsure

(The Center Square) - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said his company would pay $100,000 fees for H-1B visas imposed by the Trump administration.On Sept. 19, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a one-time $100,000 fee for new foreign worker H-1B visa applications. He cited wage suppression and a lack of jobs for American workers in his proclamation.Trump’s announcement appeared to be designed to discourage future H-1B employment sponsorships.H-1B visas are typically issued for high-sk...
The Center Square •

Colorado visa proposals highlight exploitation, wage theft

(The Center Square) - Over the years, states across the country have sought to address worker shortages by utilizing nonimmigrant visas to recruit foreign workers. State proposals have raised questions over how to address worker rights violations in its programs.In June 2008, the Colorado General Assembly passed a bill seeking to establish the Nonimmigrant Agricultural Seasonal Worker Pilot Program that would expedite applications for H-2A visa certifications.The H-2A visa program is a federally...
The Center Square •

U.S. Supreme Court appears split over mail-in ballot challenge

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Supreme Court appeared split during oral arguments on Wednesday about a challenge over mail-in ballot laws in Illinois. The challenge centers around Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., who sued the Illinois Board of Elections over a law allowing the state to count mail-in ballots marked on Election Day as much as 14 days after an election. Bost filed the lawsuit in 2022, arguing Congress sets the time for federal elections and the state's mail-in ballot counting procedures go...
The Center Square •

Unions sue Trump over 100k H-1B visa fee

(The Center Square) - A coalition of employment unions filed a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from implementing efforts to charge a $100,000 fee for new H-1B worker petitions in the United States.On Sept. 19, President Trump signed a proclamation imposing a one-time $100,000 fee for foreign workers coming to the country on H-1B visas. He cited wage suppression and a lack of jobs for American workers in his proclamation.H-1B visas are typically issued for high-skilled foreign workers...
The Center Square •

Supreme Court appears skeptical of Colorado conversion therapy ban

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court appeared ready to rule against a Colorado ban on conversion therapy during oral arguments on Tuesday.The challenge in Chiles v. Salazar, the case heard by the high court, is over a 2019 Colorado law that censors certain conversations between counselors and minor clients who express unwanted same-sex attractions or gender dysphoria. The law prohibits counselors or physicians from attempting to "change behaviors or romantic attraction or feelings toward...
Load More