Perla Trevizo
I’m a reporter with the ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative unit and focus on border and immigration issues.
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Contact me, by email or securely on Signal, with tips about the role Texas is currently playing in immigration enforcement and the impact of policies on both sides of the border.
What I Cover
I’m currently covering how policy changes in Washington play out on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, particularly as they relate to Texas.
My Background
I’ve covered the border and immigration for more than 15 years from nearly a dozen countries and across the United States, including in Tennessee and Arizona.
Since I joined ProPublica in 2020, my colleagues and I have investigated Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature multibillion-dollar border operation. Our reporting showed that many of the arrests had no connection to the border. I’ve also reported on how U.S. policies led to one of the deadliest incidents in a Mexican immigration detention center, and on how a private wall built in South Texas by a company backed by the Trump administration was at risk of falling down if not fixed. President Donald Trump tried to distance himself from the project after our reporting.
Following a deadly winter storm in Texas, I partnered with NBC News to expose how failures at every level of government had contributed to the “biggest epidemic of CO poisoning in recent history.” Our reporting led to a push by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for new mandatory safety rules to crack down on carbon monoxide poisonings and sparked an investigation by the Houston Fire Department into a delayed response to a 911 call from a house where two people died.
I was part of the team that was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for coverage of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Recognitions for my work also include Texas’ top award for investigative reporting two years in a row and an Edward R. Murrow award. I was also a finalist for a Livingston Award for Young Journalists.
He Built a Privately Funded Border Wall. It’s Already at Risk of Falling Down if Not Fixed.
Trump supporters funded a private border wall on the banks of the Rio Grande, helping the builder secure $1.7 billion in federal contracts. Now the “Lamborghini” of border walls is in danger of falling into the river if nothing is done, experts say.
Small Businesses Failed by Federal Bailout Program Turn to Cash-Strapped Local Governments for Help
Thousands of small businesses, especially those owned by people of color, have been left behind by the stipulations of the Paycheck Protection Program. In Texas, local governments are lending millions of dollars and it’s not enough.
COVID-19 Cases at One Texas Immigration Detention Center Soared in a Matter of Days. Now, Town Leaders Want Answers.
Coronavirus infections continue to rise at migrant detention facilities in towns with limited resources. Some local governments want details on what’s being done to safeguard the public.
Officials Knew Coronavirus Could Spread at the Houston Rodeo and Proceeded With the Event Anyway
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the city’s largest event, attracting 2.5 million people and generating nearly $400 million. But officials pushed forward with the 20-day event until there was a positive COVID-19 case from community spread.
Meet the Pastors Holding In-Person Services During Coronavirus
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide stay-at-home order, though he declined to refer to it as such, that also designated religious services as essential. Some religious groups in Texas — it’s unclear just how many — are still welcoming parishioners.
As Coronavirus Infections Spread, So Have Clashes Between ICE Detainees and Guards
At ICE detention camps across the country, unrest is growing as detainees warn that dirty conditions and a disturbing lack of soap and other supplies could allow coronavirus to run rampant.