Eli Hager
I’m a ProPublica reporter who writes about issues affecting poor and working-class people across the country.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I’m interested in hearing from current and former insiders at federal agencies that administer anti-poverty programs, as well as working-class people of all stripes about how their lives are changing.
What I Cover
I’m reporting on threats to federal social safety net programs, including Social Security, SNAP and Medicaid. I also write about systems that lower-income families interact with at the state and local levels, including child welfare, child support and the juvenile justice and education systems, as well as private companies that profit off of the poor.
My Background
Over the past decade, I’ve reported on how public policy affects some of the most vulnerable people in this country, whether in cities or rural areas, schools or jails.
I was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2022 for my investigation of foster care agencies in Alaska and elsewhere that pocket the Social Security benefits of orphaned and disabled children; my story led to the practice being banned in more than a dozen states and major cities. I’m also a three-time finalist for the Education Writers Association’s national award.
I previously worked for seven years at The Marshall Project, a news organization that covers the U.S. criminal justice system. My 2017 investigation of deaths, crashes, escapes and abuse on vans operated by for-profit prisoner transport companies prompted a major Justice Department investigation. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, on “This American Life” and “NBC Nightly News,” and elsewhere.
A Mother Needed Welfare. Instead, the State Used Welfare Funds to Take Her Son.
Arizona spends a majority of its welfare budget on the Department of Child Safety. The agency then investigates many poor parents, sometimes removing their children for reasons stemming from their poverty.
In a State With School Vouchers for All, Low-Income Families Aren’t Choosing to Use Them
Working-class parents often express interest in vouchers. But in Arizona, the nation’s school choice capital, these families aren’t using them due to the inaccessibility of private schools and the costs of transportation, meals and uniforms.
The U.S. Business Community Used to Be a Force for Immigration Reform. What Happened?
For decades, the business lobby fundamentally moderated the nation’s immigration debate. But in the age of Trump, fearful of advocating publicly on this issue, they’ve largely prioritized other things like corporate tax cuts and deregulation.
When Foster Parents Don’t Want to Give Back the Baby
In many states, adoption lawyers are pushing a new legal strategy that forces biological parents to compete for custody of their children.
Arizona Regulators Closed a Failing Charter School. It Reopened as a Private Religious School Funded by Taxpayers.
Arizona’s acclaimed voucher program provides zero transparency into private schools’ history, academic performance or financial sustainability to help parents make informed school choices.
Despite Trump’s Win, School Vouchers Were Again Rejected by Majorities of Voters
In several Republican-led states, popular sentiment on the voucher issue has been overridden by the efforts of special interest groups and powerful governors who have enacted sweeping voucher programs that often benefit affluent families.
Trump Says He’ll Fight for Working-Class Americans. His First Presidency Suggests He Won’t.
From cutting children's disability benefits to allowing employers to pocket workers' tips, Trump tried to slash protections for the working poor in ways that have been forgotten by many.
In an Unprecedented Move, Ohio Is Funding the Construction of Private Religious Schools
The state is giving millions in taxpayer dollars directly to private schools to help them renovate and expand their campuses. It may be the next frontier in the push to increase the use of school vouchers, proponents say.
School Vouchers Were Supposed to Save Taxpayer Money. Instead They Blew a Massive Hole in Arizona’s Budget.
Arizona, the model for voucher programs across the country, has spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it’s now facing hundreds of millions in budget cuts to critical state programs and projects.
More States Are Allowing Child Support Payments to Reach Children
Since a ProPublica investigation found that states were seizing child support headed to families as reimbursement for the mother having received welfare, at least six states have changed their policies. Others are debating doing the same.
An Expert Who Has Testified in Foster Care Cases Across Colorado Admits Her Evaluations Are Unscientific
Diane Baird labeled her method for assessing families the “Kempe Protocol” after the renowned University of Colorado institute where she worked for decades. The school has yet to publicly disavow it.
Help ProPublica Report on Education
ProPublica is building a network of educators, students, parents and other experts to help guide our reporting about education. Take a few minutes to join our source network and share what you know.
Biden Administration to Overhaul Welfare Following ProPublica Reporting
The Administration for Children and Families has quietly proposed closing loopholes in the nation's cash assistance program for the poor that a 2021 ProPublica investigation found states had exploited for years.
Child Welfare Officials Have Searched Her Home and Her Son Dozens of Times. She’s Suing Them to Stop.
Despite no evidence a mother mistreated her child, New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services continues to enter her home without a warrant. She has filed a lawsuit, citing ProPublica’s reporting, arguing her rights are being violated.