COLORLINES - Seth Freed Wessler

Seth Freed Wessler

Investigative Reporter
New York, NY

Seth Freed Wessler is a reporter in New York who currently writes for Colorlines.com. Seth has reported from across the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean on immigration, the safety net, criminal justice, national security and the human fallout of the financial collapse. Seth led a groundbreaking investigation that revealed the thousands of U.S. citizen children stuck in foster care whose parents have been detained or deported by federal immigration authorities. The investigation, for which Seth won a Hillman Prize and other honors, Along with Seth's series of follow-up stories, led to a direct response from the federal government, as well as the passage of state-level legislation. Seth worked until 2012 as a researcher for the Applied Research Center, where he authored research reports on racial inequality and the financial collapse, segregation in the restaurant industry and the corrosive effects of immigration policies on child welfare systems. Seth often discusses his reporting in national broadcast, and his stories and investigations for Colorlines have been cited by outlets including the Associated Press, the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and NPR. He has produced stories for GOOD Magazine, the Texas Observer, NPR’s LatinoUSA, The Huffington Post, The Root and other outlets. In addition to the Hillman Prize, Seth was a finalist for a Casey Medal and has won several Ippies Awards. He was the recipient of a reporting fellowship from USC Annenberg's Institute for Justice and Journalism. Check out Seth's media appearances here.

Seth tweets at @sethfw.

House GOP Finds Everything Wrong With Immigration Law And Tries to Make It Worse

by Seth Freed Wessler on June 17 2013, 2:45PM

The House Judiciary Committee gets started on immigration this week with a deportation bill that could pull reform dramatically right.

Topics: Immigration, /NOW

Los Otros DREAMers: A Book Of Young People’s Deportation and Return To Mexico

by Seth Freed Wessler on June 12 2013, 4:42PM

A new book project tells the stories of Los Otros Dreamers, young people who were deported or returned from the US to Mexico and are trying to rebuild their lives. The authors have launched a kickstarter campaign to finish the project.

Topics: Immigration Reform, /NOW

Feds Reveal Widespread Housing Bias But Refuse to Stop It

by Seth Freed Wessler on June 12 2013, 12:30PM

A new HUD study reveals widespread practices of racial discrimination in housing markets, but as ProPublica reports, the agency has no plans to go after offenders uncovered in the vast data on discrimination.

Topics: /NOW

Immigration Debate Begins While Advocates Demand Obama Halt Deportations

by Seth Freed Wessler on June 11 2013, 12:40PM

As the Senate prepares to take up the immigration reform bill, immigration advocates are renewing calls on the administration to halt deportations. Meanwhile, Republicans, with some support from Democrats, are pushing the immigration bill to the right.

Topics: Immigration Reform, /NOW

Report: Immigration Enforcement Takes Heavy Toll On Kids’ Physical And Mental Health

by Seth Freed Wessler on June 6 2013, 11:20AM

A new report reveals that immigration reform could save hundreds of thousands of children from suffering physical and mental health strains.

Topics: Immigration Reform, /NOW

Report: Feds Lock Children in Adult Immigration Detention

by Seth Freed Wessler on June 4 2013, 12:11PM

ICE has locked up more than 1,300 children in adult immigration detention centers in the last four years. Two were under 10-years-old. Hundreds were locked up for more than a month.

Topics: Immigration, /NOW

Connecticut Limits Cooperation With Secure Communities

by Seth Freed Wessler on June 3 2013, 11:54AM

Connecticut’s legislature unanimously agreed to limit the state’s compliance with the federal Secure Communities deportation program.

Topics: Immigration, /NOW

Fast Food Workers Strike In Seattle As National Trend Begins To Show Results

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 31 2013, 4:25PM

Fast food workers went on strike in a sixth city yesterday as other low-wage service sector workers are claiming union victories.

Topics: /NOW

Study: Immigrants Put Billions More Into Medicare Than They Use

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 30 2013, 11:30AM

New research finds that immigrant communities keep federal health care programs afloat. The data strikes a heavy blow to conservatives who say the U.S. can’t afford immigration reform.

Topics: Immigration Reform, /NOW

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Will Appeal Racial Profiling Decision

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 29 2013, 2:32PM

Sheriff Joe Arpaio vowed to appeal a federal judge’s ruling that he and his deputies engage in illegal racial profiling.

Topics: Criminal Justice, /NOW

Federal Judge Rules Sheriff Arpaio Guilty of Racial Profiling

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 28 2013, 9:45AM

A federal court ruled on Friday that Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies violated the civil and constitutional rights of Phoenix Latinos.

Topics: Criminal Justice, Immigration, /NOW

Deported Parents Who Return Found Dead In Desert or Locked Up In Prison

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 22 2013, 11:00AM

As Congress considers immigration reform, hundreds of thousands of deportees are waiting to see if the bill will allow them to return. In the meantime, thousands of returning deportees are dying in the desert or ending up in federal prison.

Topics: Immigration, Immigration Reform, /NOW

Immigration Bill Leaps Forward, Heads to Full Senate

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 22 2013, 7:15AM

The Judiciary Committee passed the bill without rights for LGBT couples, and with new visa provisions tech companies had demanded over labor’s opposition.

Topics: Immigration, Immigration Reform, /NOW

New Revelations About NYPD’s Muslim Spying Program

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 21 2013, 10:35AM

An NYPD informant who was part of the city’s Muslim spying program says the police told him to use a tactic called “create and capture” to start and record conversations about terrorism.

Topics: National Security, /NOW

Senators Add Protection for Detainees to Immigration Bill

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 21 2013, 8:40AM

The Judiciary Committee started a long week of immigration reform markup with a series of amendments to protect the rights of detained and deported immigrants.

Topics: Immigration Reform, /NOW

Homeowners to Eric Holder: Hold Banks Accountable

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 20 2013, 3:46PM

Protests outside the Justice Department are demanding prosecutions of banks responsible for the foreclosure crisis.

Topics: Economy, /NOW

Harvard Students Demand Investigation Into Heritage Researcher’s Immigrant IQ Dissertation

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 20 2013, 10:35AM

Jason Richwine’s dissertation claiming that immigrants of color have low IQs discredited his Heritage Foundation research on immigration reform. Now, Harvard students are asking why the thesis was ever approved.

Topics: Immigration Reform, /NOW

New York Attorney General Investigates Fast Food Wage Theft

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 16 2013, 4:42PM

New York State’s attorney general is investigating claims of widespread wage violations by NYC’s fast food restaurants.

Topics: Economy, /NOW

Milwaukee Becomes Fifth City Where Fast Food Workers Strike

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 15 2013, 11:30AM

Hundreds fast food and retail workers are on strike in Milwaukee. The city was once a hub for black manufacturing jobs and now faces staggering racial disparities in employment.

Topics: Economy, /NOW

Senate Amendment Limits Dangerous Deportation Practice

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 15 2013, 9:50AM

The Senate Juditiary Committee agreed to amend the immigration reform bill to limit practices that send deportees to dangerous spots on the border and separate family members who migrate together.

Topics: Immigration Reform, /NOW

Seth Freed Wessler

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