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Emily Hamer

@emilyhamer.bsky.social
111 followers 72 following 35 posts

Investigative reporter with Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism Team. Former Wisconsin State Journal reporter and Wisconsin Watch reporter. Send tips to emily.hamer@lee.net.

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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
In a groundbreaking investigation by the Arizona Daily Star and Lee Enterprises, @emilybregel.bsky.social and @emilyhamer.bsky.social show how an Arizona detention center is using isolation recklessly, sometimes to coerce immigration detainees into self deportation. tucson.com/news/local/b...
tucson.com
‘They’re torturing me’: ICE uses solitary confinement to scare people into self-deporting
One immigrant was sent to solitary confinement for refusing to self-deport. A teenager lost 20 pounds. One man attempted suicide. Experts say it's unconstitutional.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Emily Bregel @emilybregel.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Thousands of immigrants each year in the U.S. are sent to solitary confinement, a punishment so severe that the United Nations considers a 15-day stint in solitary tantamount to torture. Read the first installment of my and @emilyhamer.bsky.social's 2-day report at @tucson.com: tinyurl.com/526aw89f
tucson.com
‘They’re torturing me’: ICE uses solitary confinement to scare people into self-deporting
One immigrant was sent to solitary confinement for refusing to self-deport. A teenager lost 20 pounds. One man attempted suicide. Experts say it's unconstitutional.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
In 2024, my colleague @emilyhamer.bsky.social and I revealed wrongdoing in a Tucson church. The pastor was charged with two counts of failing to report child sexual abuse. A judge ruled Monday that he is incompetent and must enter a program for restoration to competency. tucson.com/news/local/c...
tucson.com
Tucson pastor ordered restored to competency to face criminal charges
Pastor Isaac Noriega is incompetent to stand trial for failing to report child sexual abuse, a Pima County judge ruled. But he was ordered into a restoration-to-competency program.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
The number of elderly detainees in immigration prisons is booming, colleagues @emilybregel.bsky.social and @emilyhamer.bsky.social reveal. Aw oman from Cuba, detained in Eloy, Arizona, is suffering increasingly severe dementia, and her daughter in Fla. could care for her. tucson.com/news/local/b...
tucson.com
Grandmother languishes 9 months in detention as ICE holds more elderly people; family says dementia worsens in Arizona facility
Family says 79-year-old detainee Julia Benitez’s dementia has worsened during months in Arizona ICE custody, as advocates warn more elderly immigrants are being held without humanitarian release.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Trump’s travel ban keeps Afghan immigrants — even those who risked their lives alongside U.S. troops — separated from their families. They haven’t seen their wives and children in four years. Four years. madison.com/news/local/g...
madison.com
Afghans who risked their lives for U.S. still separated from families after 4 years
Trump’s travel ban prevents most Afghan immigrants from reuniting with their wives and children who have been stuck abroad for four years.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
My Lee Enterprises colleague @emilyhamer.bsky.social and I won the Don Bolles award for investigative reporting. This was for our project, called Twisted Message, on a global religious sect and one of its churches in Tucson. The series led to two indictments this year. tucson.com/news/local/a...
tucson.com
Indictment: Tucson church pastor failed to report child sex-abuse claims
A Star investigation found that Isaac Noriega, pastor of Tucson's Golden Dawn Tabernacle, covered-up alleged child-sex abuse for decades. He now faces criminal charges.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
A new victim from the Golden Dawn Tabernacle came forward today. He said he was sexually abused during hundreds of church services, starting when he was 11 years old. His story: tucson.com/news/local/c...
tucson.com
Tucson ‘cult' church member molested boy hundreds of times in pews, new victim alleges
A boy said he was molested repeatedly in the pews of his Tucson church, the Golden Dawn Tabernacle. The church's "cultish rules" kept him silent — until now.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
The pastor told me in September that I didn’t have a story and that I was trying to get him arrested but “it’s not going to work.” He has now been arrested for failing to report child-sex abuse allegations.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
The first arrest was that of Jose Mora, who admitted to me and @emilyhamer.bsky.social that he had sexually touched a 12-year-old boy. He appeared briefly in court this morning and remains jailed pending trial. tucson.com/news/local/c...
tucson.com
Man charged with child-sex crimes after Star's investigation of Tucson church
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Jose Mora, 57, before he was arrested on suspicion of five counts of child molestation.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
A pastor at a Tucson church has been indicted for failing to report child sexual abuse, following reporting on the church and its sect by @emilyhamer.bsky.social and me. This is the second set of criminal charges following our project, called Twisted Message. tucson.com/news/local/a...
tucson.com
Indictment: Tucson church pastor failed to report child sex-abuse claims
A Star investigation found that Isaac Noriega, pastor of Tucson's Golden Dawn Tabernacle, covered-up alleged child-sex abuse for decades. He now faces criminal charges.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
Trump is gutting SAMHSA, a federal agency that has given more than $300 million to Wisconsin mental health initiatives, including about $35 million to support school mental health. Here’s how SAMHSA funds have helped Wisconsin schools: madison.com/news/local/e...
madison.com
Trump is gutting an agency that gave $300 million to Wisconsin mental health initiatives
The funding brought innovative programs to Wisconsin that gave hundreds of rural students access to mental health care in their school buildings, offered free therapy sessions and found kids who
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
My latest story explores how the state and federal government are gutting school mental health funding as depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation are rising among youth: madison.com/news/local/e...
madison.com
As our kids battle a rise in suicide and self-harm, we’re gutting the funding to fight it
Mental health issues among children are rising, and school officials say it's a crisis. At the same time, millions in federal aid for mental health was cut and state funding
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Religion News @religionnewsblog.com · 03/06/2025
‘Cult’ church member molested small boy while his children napped, new victim says (Golden Dawn Tabernacle, connected to William Branham's The Message movement) tucson.com/news/local/a... (Branham: bit.ly/WilliamBranhamCult) #cults #religion #religionnewsblog #williambranham #themessage
tucson.com
‘Cult’ church member molested small boy while his children napped, new victim says
Jonathan Santos, 23, said a member of his former Tucson church molested him when he was about 8 years old. He's coming forward now to support another victim of the
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
A new victim of the alleged child molester from the Golden Dawn church “cult” has come forward. He is sharing his story of abuse and recovery publicly for the first time. tucson.com/news/local/a...
tucson.com
‘Cult’ church member molested small boy while his children napped, new victim says
Jonathan Santos, 23, said a member of his former Tucson church molested him when he was about 8 years old. He's coming forward now to support another victim of the
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
In November, @emilyhamer.bsky.social and I published a series digging into The Message religious sect. Among all the revelations, nothing was as surprising as the admission by a Tucson church member that he had sexually abused a child. Now he's been arrested. tucson.com/news/local/c...
tucson.com
Man charged with child-sex crimes after Star's investigation of Tucson church
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Jose Mora, 57, before he was arrested on suspicion of five counts of child molestation.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
The latest from my investigation into the cover-up of child sex abuse allegations at a Tucson church. One congregant has been arrested: tucson.com/news/local/c...
tucson.com
Man charged with child-sex crimes after Star's investigation of Tucson church
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Jose Mora, 57, before he was arrested on suspicion of five counts of child molestation.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
One of my favorite holidays!!! Shows my two sides: Pink-princess-strut-pop and bachelor podcast listener. Van-life-indie-rock and daily news consumer.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Eve had sex with the serpent. Race-mixing is "hybreeding" -- "a dangerous and damnable thing." In an online-only coda to our project, Twisted Message, @emilyhamer.bsky.social and I tell of the racial ideologies passed down from a 1960s preacher still being spread today. tucson.com/life-enterta...
tucson.com
Videos show 'Message' pastors preach against interracial marriage across U.S.
One former member of the sect said he felt “inferior” as a Black teenager because of his church’s racist beliefs on mixed race relationships.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Last story in the Twisted Message series posted today. I was shocked to learn that’s it’s pretty normal for Message churches to advise against interracial marriage. tucson.com/life-enterta...
tucson.com
Videos show 'Message' pastors preach against interracial marriage across U.S.
One former member of the sect said he felt “inferior” as a Black teenager because of his church’s racist beliefs on mixed race relationships.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Arizona Daily Star @tucson.com · 03/12/2024
Videos show 'Message' pastors preach against interracial marriage across U.S. @emilyhamer.bsky.social
tucson.com
Videos show 'Message' pastors preach against interracial marriage across U.S.
One former member of the sect said he felt “inferior” as a Black teenager because of his church’s racist beliefs on mixed race relationships.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
Our project on The Message religious sect, and a Tucson church that is part of it, shocked a lot of people. It also overwhelmed some readers. Now you can go back chronologically through Twisted Message, at this landing page, and take your time with the stories. tucson.com/life-enterta...
tucson.com
Twisted Message: A prophet’s unchecked global sect
A religious sect called “The Message” has spread worldwide — and also sprouted destructive “cults.” An investigation exposes the child abuse, misogyny and manipulation in some of the faith’s subgroups...
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
The final chapter of @timsteller.bsky.social and I’s church “cult” series ends on a more hopeful note Congregants who escaped share the joy they felt as they danced, traveled, wore high heels, watched movies and celebrated holidays — activities the church considers sinful tucson.com/news/local/f...
tucson.com
Tucson 'cult' church's former members experience ‘freedom,’ possibilities after escape
Dancing for the first time. Celebrating holidays. Seeing the ocean. For people in one strict Tucson church, leaving has meant freedom to do 'wrong' things that others find normal.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Arizona Daily Star @tucson.com · 26/11/2024
Tucson's Sabino Canyon a pilgrimage site for followers of 'prophet' Branham @timsteller.bsky.social
tucson.com
Tucson's Sabino Canyon a pilgrimage site for followers of 'prophet' Branham
Tucson's Sabino Canyon is a pilgrimage site for followers of preacher William Branham. He said he had mystical experiences there, including a sword materializing in his hand.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
A Tucson church “cult” manipulated members’ lives by controlling their health decisions — even when it resulted in deaths. The COVID death rate at Golden Dawn was 10 times higher than the county, estimates show. But the church stayed open. From @timsteller.bsky.social: tucson.com/news/local/c...
tucson.com
Health officials ignored as pandemic raged through Tucson church
The COVID fatality rate in a Tucson church was 10 times higher than that of Pima County, estimates show. The pastor ignored health officials and continued services as congregants died.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
A staple of my Twitter was photos of me and my cat Maisie. Wanted to keep that going here.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
This is from last week, but I just joined BlueSky a few days ago so haven’t gotten a chance to share on here yet. The story by me and @timsteller.bsky.social is one of the most devastating topics I’ve reported on, but I’m glad these victims finally have a voice. tucson.com/life-enterta...
tucson.com
Arizona trailer park cult that brutalized more than 100 children exposed 60 years later
The 'prophet' who founded a sect called The Message hailed this Arizona trailer park as an ideal community in the 1960s. Survivors say they suffered hellish abuse as children there.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Arizona Daily Star @tucson.com · 22/11/2024
Listen: Alleged child molester from Tucson ‘cult’ church responds to questions. @timsteller.bsky.social @emilyhamer.bsky.social
tucson.com
Listen: Alleged child molester from Tucson ‘cult’ church responds to questions
Listen to the audio recording and read the transcript of an interview with an alleged child molester in Tucson's Golden Dawn church.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
These two stories came out in print today in Tucson, Arizona. It’s some of my most important work: tucson.com/life-enterta...
tucson.com
He admitted to molesting a boy. And his Tucson church protected him for years.
A member of a Tucson church admitted he molested a boy. The pastor said he knew and never went to the police, flouting state laws that mandate reporting of such
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
“I know for a fact young women did not want to be 17, 18 years old and marrying a man in his 50s. They were horrified by that idea,” Naomi Wright said. “But the parents had a different view.” tucson.com/life-enterta...
tucson.com
Her father was a 'Message' pastor — and then he started a polygamous cult
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
More stories about women’s experiences in The Message out online today. Sarah Kiser said that when she went to her assistant pastor for help with her abusive husband, the pastor responded: “That’s a normal man.” tucson.com/life-enterta...
tucson.com
How one Virginia woman persevered through abuse, oppression in Christian 'cult'
Women were told never to cut their hair, one of the many rules controlling them. Women who disobeyed "weren't worth a good, clean bullet," the sect's founder taught.
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Reposted by Emily Hamer
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
The pastor, his children, and church leaders own 7 houses in Tucson's west-side foothills. Average size: 4,159 square feet. Average value: $914,000. Former members accuse the pastor of turning the church into a fine-tuned money-making apparatus that exploits members. tucson.com/news/local/e...
tucson.com
Tucson church manipulates members' finances, acts as 'bank,' critics say
Strict tithing mandates, real estate purchases and mortgage lending marked the financial practices of a Tucson church. "I can't believe I was so stupid," one former member said.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Today’s story in the “Twisted Message” series shares the experiences of women who have been treated like “second-class citizens” in a sect called The Message. One woman said she was scolded for using the words “I think” and “I feel.” Now she and others are speaking out. tucson.com/life-enterta...
tucson.com
Women report widespread misogyny in churches tied to religious group 'The Message'
Men across the country use misogynistic rhetoric from their prophet, the late Rev. William Branham, to justify sexist behavior.
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Emily Hamer @emilyhamer.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Been working on this series about a fringe religious sect for more than a year now. The investigation by me and my colleague @timsteller.bsky.social is the first news-media account of “The Message” and it’s global influence. This story was the first installment: tucson.com/life-enterta...
tucson.com
Mass starvation, a doomsday colony: 'The Message' inspires dangerous ‘cults’ worldwide
Leaders influenced by William Branham have overseen a deadly starvation cult in Kenya in 2023 and a trailer-park commune in Arizona that abused children in the 1960s, among other atrocities.
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