That’s why the fight to ensure strong protections, in writing, authored in part by journalists actually using AI technologies to do investigative journalism, is so important at places like ProPublica and The Marshall Project.
I’m worried that AI technologies will be deployed to make more work for journalists, not save labor, such as feeding stories into AI systems to generate alternate versions, with the responsibility for checking the accuracy falling on the journalist. www.thewrap.com/media-platfo...
As a data journalist, I’ve spent my career using new technologies to dig deeper into topics that impact people’s freedom, livelihood and dignity. What’s alarming is the way that AI seems to be the latest directionless pivot for an industry where owners and managers are often removed from the stakes.
You can read a letter that the News Guild sent to ProPublica leadership in support of the organization’s journalists on AI protections in their contract here: www.propublicaguild.org/updates/news....
One of the issues that journalists at ProPublica are fighting for is contractual language that prevents using supposed AI capabilities as a pretense for eliminating journalism jobs, as well as guardrails to ensure responsible use of AI on journalism and transparency about its use to readers.
Pile of compost at the bottom of a black garbage bin.
Real slop not AI slop!
I dropped off my compost while taking a break with my @marshallprojectguild.org co-workers in support of @propublicaguild.org's strike.
"The Illinois Department of Corrections recognizes the mental-health and social benefits of Magic
Gathering [sic] Cards and their positive contribution to a facility environment."
idoc.illinois.gov/content/dam/...
Indeed!
And, while it's important to continue to understand who's in immigration detention, I often worry that continuing to point out the percentages of those with no past or pending convictions galvanizes a conflation of the immigration and criminal legal systems.
Also worth remembering what it means for those who fall into the category of having prior convictions. www.themarshallproject.org/2025/08/15/i...
That dynamic is particularly stark at the Dilley, TX facility, where virtually no one detained there has a criminal record.
bsky.app/profile/shan...
Line chart with three lines, each representing the number of people arrested by ICE in immigration detention by criminal status. All lines rise upward looking from left to right, showing an increase since January 2025, but the "Other Immigration Violator" line, shown in orange, has the largest value at the right of the chart (26,044) and shows the sharpest rise. This is the category ICE assigns to people with no known criminal convictions or pending charges.
"Since the summer, nearly all of the growth in ICE detention has come from people without criminal convictions or charges—an area of tremendous sustained growth that contradicts the Trump administration’s narrative that they are focused on the worst of the worst."
This story hasn't yet been updated with the data that was just released, but I think it's a good way to see how the detention statistics reported from this particular ICE release have changed over time. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
... and those currently detained are facing new risks to their health and safety, like outbreaks of infectious disease. www.cnn.com/2026/01/28/h...
I want to note that it's fraught to report these numbers like sports stats, thinking in terms of some record, but it's also important to note that during the second Trump administration there have been unprecedented numbers of people in detention ...
After a few weeks delay, ICE just released new detention statistics. They show 70,766 people in detention as of 1/26/2026. I believe this is the first time this data source has reported a detained population over 70k.
It's near-white out conditions in Chicago as the snow comes down, and tonight's anti-ICE/CBP rally is wrapping up in front of city hall.
But not before the crowd bounces and chants, "I believe that we will win!"
I went out to the protest site to see if I saw signs of the use of IMSI catchers by using Rayhunter, an open source tool. The software on my device did not catch any catchers. github.com/EFForg/rayhu...
… and federal agents using tactics seen in other cities, like smashing windows … azluminaria.org/2026/01/21/v...
While the scale of federal immigration enforcement has looked different in Tucson than in places like Chicago and Minneapolis, community members have been concerned by immigration arrests near a school … www.calonews.com/arizona/expe...
One example of a local business that closed as part of the nationwide shutdown: a local bike shop who papered their windows with flyers for a ride commemorating Alex Pretti, an avid cyclist who federal agents shot as he filmed them.
There is a visible presence of Tucson Police, but so far it’s been largely hands off - closing off streets - compared with the department’s response to protests responding to specific federal enforcement actions.
While many local businesses have closed today or opened without exchanging money, it was interesting to see how ones that remained open engaged in the march. Healthcare workers at a clinic along the march route stepped out to watch the protest and a restaurant set out water for protesters.
This march is considerably larger than earlier Tucson protests of federal immigration policies and people’s signs and chants show a confluence of social movements that have been vocal over the last few years such as Red for Ed, Pro-Palestine, No Kings, whose protests have been more separate.
In Tucson, many schools closed due to teachers calling off and students planning to participate in protests. azluminaria.org/2026/01/29/t...
The march is part of a nationwide day of action with workers taking to the streets instead of work and businesses closing for the day.
A massive, blocks-long march protesting immigration enforcement and broader anti-immigrant policies heads away from its start at the Federal Building in Tucson, Arizona.
The Minnesota Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, the Minnesota Reformer, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Sahan Journal, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement: “We strongly condemn the arrest of journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon, as well as any attempt to intimidate members of the press. The First Amendment recognizes the press as holding a distinct and protected role in our democracy. In America, we do not arrest journalists for doing their jobs. The Minnesota journalism community stands united in defense of press freedom and the essential role reporting plays in holding power to account.”
The Minnesota Star Tribune, @mprnews.org @minnesotareformer.com , @spokesmanrecorder.bsky.social, @sahanjournal.bsky.social, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement:
