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.
Infographic
Interactive
Photo
Video
Calif. Gov Protects Some Immigrant Families, Leaves Others Out in the Cold
by Seth Freed Wessler on October 1 2012, 10:26AM
The bills, inspired in part by Colorlines.com’s Shattered Families investigation, take steps to stop U.S. citizen children from getting stuck in foster care if their parents are detained and deported.
Topics: Immigration, /NOW Blog, Felipe Montes
Decision on Deported Dad’s Parental Rights Will Have to Wait
by Seth Freed Wessler on September 26 2012, 9:38AM
The protracted case over Felipe Montes’s parental rights will continue another day.
Topics: Immigration, Felipe Montes
What Kind of House Does an Imprisoned Man Dream About?
by Seth Freed Wessler on September 20 2012, 9:30AM
Herman Wallace is a 70-year-old man who’s spent every day of his life in prison since he was convicted of bank robbery in 1967. Here’s his uncanny path to freedom.
Topics: Criminal Justice
by Seth Freed Wessler on September 14 2012, 9:55AM
The government’s best new not-so-secret weapon is on display in the nation’s Capitol.
Topics: /NOW Blog, Technology
Advocates Want Halt to Expansion Of Private Prisons For Non-Citizens
by Seth Freed Wessler on September 14 2012, 9:25AM
The government has a plan to expand private prisons for immigrants, despite those facilities’ deadly track record.
Topics: Immigration
Private Prison Company’s New Profit Source: Mental Health
by Seth Freed Wessler on September 6 2012, 10:00AM
The State of Texas is poised to outsource management of a public psychiatric hospital to a company that’s made its billions in the business of private criminal and civil immigration lockup.
Topics: Health
The Real Reason Big Brother’s Still Spying on New York City’s Muslims
by Seth Freed Wessler on August 29 2012, 9:34AM
A program that was meant to make New York City “safer” from would-be terrorists has proven to be an abysmal failure. But city officials aren’t budging.
Topics: Criminal Justice, NYPD Spying, National Security
Federal Departments Will Research Children and Immigration Enforcement
by Seth Freed Wessler on August 24 2012, 2:56PM
Seth Freed Wessler reports.
Topics: /NOW Blog, Felipe Montes
Deported Dad’s Parental Rights Hearing is Postponed
by Seth Freed Wessler on August 10 2012, 1:56PM
Felipe Montes has been fighting for 21 months to regain custody of his three children.
Topics: /NOW Blog, Felipe Montes
Romney Enlists Gingrich on Welfare-Bashing Kick
by Seth Freed Wessler on August 8 2012, 5:25PM
Romney has positioned welfare as his newest line of attack, bringing his former primary rival on to serve as head assault dog.
How the ‘Best Interest’ Bias of Family Court Threatens Immigrant Parents
by Seth Freed Wessler on August 8 2012, 9:27AM
As recent news shows, determining what’s in a kid’s best interest is far from an objective standard. It’s easily swayed by biases about poor people, about undocumented people, about people of color.
Topics: Immigration, Felipe Montes
Deported Father Returns to Fight For His Children in Exceptional Case
by Seth Freed Wessler on August 3 2012, 9:57AM
Felipe Montes is one of thousands of deported or detained parents fighting to keep custody of their U.S. citizen children. He has won a rare chance at the due process child courts grant everyone else.
Topics: Immigration, Felipe Montes
Deported Dad Wins Rare ‘Parole’ to Re-Enter Country for Custody Hearing
by Seth Freed Wessler on August 2 2012, 2:22PM
The highly unusual reprieve from ICE follows intense public scrutiny of Felipe Montes’ case since Colorlines.com broke the story of his family’s separation.
Topics: Immigration, /NOW Blog, Felipe Montes
Georgia’s Political Cudgel Against the Poor: Drug Testing
by Seth Freed Wessler on July 10 2012, 9:49AM
Georgia followed Florida’s example in forcing safety-net recipients to get drug tests, despite the fact that neither law is likely to stand up in court. Why? Because actual policymaking was never the point.
Topics: Drug Tests, Economy, Politics
Feds Reveal Their Janus Face on Arizona’s Racial Profiling
by Seth Freed Wessler on June 28 2012, 9:24AM
Despite the Obama administration’s protest of Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, federal immigration officials are poised to continue detaining people rounded up through the state’s “show me your papers” law.
Topics: Arizona's SB 1070, Immigration
What’s Next for Arizona and ‘Show Me Your Papers’ Laws?
by Seth Freed Wessler on June 26 2012, 10:16AM
The legal wrangling is not nearly done. The Supreme Court let the law stand based on the administration’s colorblind challenge, but justices invited a future debate over racial profiling.
Topics: Arizona's SB 1070, Immigration
Feds End Enforcement Program in Arizona Following Supreme Court Ruling
by Seth Freed Wessler on June 25 2012, 4:42PM
Administration officials say the program will be lifted in any state that implements a law similar to Arizona’s SB 1070.
Topics: Immigration, /NOW Blog
Supreme Court Upholds ‘Show Me Your Papers’ in Arizona’s SB 1070
by Seth Freed Wessler on June 25 2012, 11:15AM
In a long awaited decision, the Supreme Court today upheld the most controversial part of Arizona’s controversial immigration law, but blocked other provisions.
Topics: Arizona's SB 1070, Immigration, /NOW Blog
Supreme Court Rules No Mandatory Life Without Parole for Juveniles
by Seth Freed Wessler on June 25 2012, 10:25AM
In a 5 to 4 decision, the Supreme Court today ruled that juvenile cannot be handed mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole.
Topics: Criminal Justice, /NOW Blog
NYT Report: 300,000 U.S. Citizen Children Follow Parents to Mexico
by Seth Freed Wessler on June 19 2012, 9:46AM
The mass deportation of parents means that many families are left with no choice but to relocate children from their homes in U.S.
Topics: Immigration, /NOW Blog
Popular Threads
Recent Comments