Jessica Lussenhop
I cover criminal justice, housing and the child welfare system in Minnesota and the Midwest.
Need to Get in Touch?
I focus on issues affecting Minnesota and the greater Midwest, but am always interested in tips about abuse of power from anywhere. I welcome tips about the inner workings of the child protection system, health care and large corporations.
What I Cover
I am a reporter for ProPublica’s Midwest team covering Minnesota, my home state. I write about issues affecting vulnerable populations with a special interest in child welfare, criminal justice and housing. My reporting has changed state housing laws and touched off enforcement actions by the Minnesota attorney general. I am based in Minneapolis.
My Background
Before coming to ProPublica, I was a senior staff writer for BBC North America and a fellow at the radio program “This American Life.” I hosted a BBC podcast called “Bad Cops,” based on my reporting about a rogue plainclothes police unit in Baltimore. My early career took place at a string of alternative newsweeklies, including City Pages in Minneapolis and the Riverfront Times in St. Louis. One of my proudest accomplishments from this time was a story that ultimately freed a Missouri man from prison. Other previous work won an Asian American Journalists Association Excellence Award and a National Native Media Award.
Investors Sold Somali Families on a Fast Track to Homeownership. The Buyers Risk Losing Everything.
For Somali Muslim families in Minnesota, a contract for deed seems like an easier path to homeownership. But predatory practices and poor regulation can make it a financial trap rather than a good deal.
by Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica, and Joey Peters, Sahan Journal, with data analysis by Haru Coryne, ProPublica,
Native American Families Are Being Broken Up in Spite of a Law Meant to Keep Children With Their Parents
After fighting to win back her parental rights, a young Native American mother prevailed. Then the state came for her second child.
by Jessica Lussenhop and Agnel Philip, photography by Jaida Grey Eagle for ProPublica,
“It Looks Like the Railroad Is Asking for You to Say Thank You”
After brakeman Chris Cole lost both his legs on the job, railroad officials removed evidence before state regulators could see it, omitted key facts in reports and suspended him from a job he could never return to.
by Jessica Lussenhop and Topher Sanders,
“Do Your Job.” How the Railroad Industry Intimidates Employees Into Putting Speed Before Safety
Railroad companies have penalized workers for taking the time to make needed repairs and created a culture in which supervisors threaten and fire the very people hired to keep trains running safely. Regulators say they can’t stop this intimidation.
by Topher Sanders, Jessica Lussenhop, Dan Schwartz, Danelle Morton and Gabriel Sandoval,
In Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic Sometimes Called the Shots With Gov. Tim Walz
The governor’s ties to the Mayo Clinic raise questions about the world-renowned hospital’s potential influence on federal health care reform.
by Max Nesterak, Minnesota Reformer, and Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica,
Emails Reveal How Walz Struggled to Deal With Unrest, Reach Consensus With Critics After Police Killings
Spring 2021 saw escalating tensions in Minnesota: Police had killed Daunte Wright less than a year after George Floyd. Caught between the demands of Black organizers and Republican lawmakers, Tim Walz struggled to chart a course for police reform.
by Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica, and Michelle Griffith, Madison McVan and Deena Winter, Minnesota Reformer,
Trump Assassination Attempt Laid Bare Long-standing Vulnerabilities in the Secret Service
A Spotlight PA, ProPublica and Butler Eagle investigation found the process for securing campaign events was susceptible to attack for years.
by Danielle Ohl, Spotlight PA; and Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica; and Irina Bucur, Tracy Leturgey and Eddie Trizzino, Butler Eagle,
Kristi Noem Said She Is Proud to “Support Babies, Moms, and Families.” Her Record Shows Otherwise, Critics Say.
As South Dakota governor, Noem has rejected programs and millions of dollars in federal funds that would have benefited parents and children and provided care during pregnancy. Critics say her rhetoric is “all hat and no cattle.”
Minnesota AG Sues Contract-for-Deed Seller Who Allegedly Targeted Muslim Community
The complaint, which alleges violations of lending law and religious discrimination, follows a ProPublica and Sahan Journal investigation.
After Seeing Controversial Contract-for-Deed Home Sales Affect Constituents, Minnesota Lawmakers Propose Reforms
The state legislators said the home deals had harmed members of the Somali community in and around the Twin Cities. Some buyers have lost their homes.
by Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica, and Joey Peters, Sahan Journal,
Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Reform Controversial Contract-for-Deed Home Sales
Proposed legislation follows a ProPublica and Sahan Journal report that revealed questionable real estate transactions that left members of Minnesota’s Somali and Hispanic immigrant communities at risk of losing their homes.
When Railroad Workers Get Hurt on the Job, Some Supervisors Go to Extremes to Keep It Quiet
Railroad officials have lied, spied and bribed to keep workers’ injuries off the books. “Don’t put your job on the line for another employee.”
by Topher Sanders, Dan Schwartz, Danelle Morton, Gabriel Sandoval and Jessica Lussenhop,
Union Pacific Fired Him Rather Than Heed His Warnings of Dangerous Rail Conditions
Time and again, Johnny Taylor’s duty to keep the rails safe from disaster conflicted with his employer’s desire to keep its trains running as fast and as frequently as possible, putting his career and family in peril.
by Danelle Morton and Topher Sanders, with additional reporting by Jessica Lussenhop,
Minnesota Attorney General Opens Investigation Into Controversial Contract-for-Deed Real Estate Practices
Following a ProPublica and Sahan Journal report, authorities are examining fast-tracked real estate deals for possible civil charges.
by Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica, and Joey Peters, Sahan Journal,