Sign in

Ted Hesson

@tedhesson.bsky.social
1.5K followers 165 following 258 posts

Immigration Reporter Washington, DC linkedin.com/in/ted-hesson/

PostsRepliesMedia
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
An affidavit unsealed Tuesday said that the ICE officer who shot Venezuelan delivery driver Wilber Garcés Pérez in Austin was not wearing a body camera and that another officer turned his camera off www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
Immigrant shot by ICE in Austin is charged with assault
An affidavit unsealed on Tuesday said the officer who shot Wilber Garcés Pérez was not wearing a body camera and that another officer turned his camera off.
26123
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Inside Trump’s asylum crackdown: our analysis of immigration court records shows immigration judges have ordered more than 440,000 asylum seekers removed during Trump’s first 19 months back in office — more than during the previous eight years combined www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
Asylum seekers thought they had a haven in the U.S. Then Trump returned.
More than 440,000 people have been ordered removed since the president returned to office — more than during the previous eight years combined.
041
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
A detailed examination of the Trump admin’s “Office of Remigration” and its sweeping third-country deportation effort by @davidnakamura.bsky.social @mradamtaylor.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
washingtonpost.com
How Trump turned a refugee bureau into a $410 million deportation operation
Inside the secret deals powering the president’s push to deport migrants to countries not their own.
0126
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The Trump admin policy on deporting immigrants to third countries is unlawful, a federal appeals court ruled Friday, a decision that could halt a program that has already sent thousands of people to countries that are not their own @davidnakamura.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
Appeals court says Trump administration’s third-country deportation policy is unlawful
The decision marks a major setback for the administration, which has removed tens of thousands of unauthorized immigrants to countries where they are not citizens.
083
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
ICE is quietly firing new hires. For one recruit, it was devastating @alexhorton.bsky.social @joyceshlee.bsky.social @mariasacchetti.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
ICE is quietly firing new hires. For one recruit, it was devastating.
Joseph Moore killed himself after learning ICE was going to fire him. Investigators had identified issues in his past that ex-officials say should have blocked his hiring.
13288
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Scores of immigrants from El Salvador who have been shielded from deportation for decades because of ongoing violence and natural disasters in their homeland could now face removal after their benefits expire www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
032
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
DOJ has taken few visible steps to investigate the dozens of documented shootings involving DHS personnel participating in Trump's immigration crackdown www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202... @jeremyrroebuck.bsky.social @silviafosterfrau.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
Rare charges against ICE agent highlight DOJ’s broader retreat from shooting probes
The case against Christian Castro is unprecedented in President Donald Trump’s second term, as ICE agents face little fallout from shootings of protesters and others.
032
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
"“He felt like he was treated like an animal:" a Haitian immigrant who had grown distraught after losing his deportation protection and being outfitted with an ankle monitor died in what his family believes was a suicide www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/... @arelisrhdz.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
College student steps into traffic, is killed after losing immigration status
Pierre Damas Bel’s family said he took his own life on a busy highway after the Trump administration canceled protections for thousands of Haitian immigrants and ICE officers placed him in an ankle mo...
065
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
White South Africans who come to the United States as refugees could get up to $4,500 per person in initial federal support beginning Oct. 1, nearly double the current amount, four people familiar with the change in policy said www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
White South Africans could get $4,500 in aid if they come to U.S. as refugees
The assistance, which helps pay for basic needs such as housing and food, would nearly double under a new policy.
48222160
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
ICE is detaining more immigrants who do not have a criminal record than at any other point since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, according to newly released government data www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/... @davidnakamura.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
ICE is arresting soaring numbers of immigrants with no criminal record
Federal immigration officers are shifting their targets and tactics to increase arrests. More than half of those detained last month did not have a criminal record.
021
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Trump administration’s pay cuts for migrant farmworkers ruled illegal www.washingtonpost.com/business/202... @laurenkaorigurley.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
Trump administration’s pay cuts for migrant farmworkers ruled illegal
A federal judge in California ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration illegally lowered the wages of migrant farmworkers, in a move the government said was intended to offset the effects of its ...
011
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Hundreds of federal immigration officers responsible for vetting the applications of people seeking a legal status in the United States are being reassigned to search for potential voter fraud, the latest step in Trump's voter fraud push www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
Immigration officers are being diverted to Trump’s voter-fraud effort
The reassignment is the latest step to marshal the federal government behind Trump’s unsupported claim that noncitizens vote enough to change U.S. elections.
012
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Trump administration proposes $103,000 fee for H-1B visas after legal setback www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
Trump administration proposes $103,000 fee for H-1B visas after legal setback
The president contends the program to hire skilled foreign workers has been used to take jobs away from Americans. A judge struck down a previous attempt to implement a similar fee.
000
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Trump’s ICE nominee helped lead one of the harshest immigration crackdowns in U.S. @silviafosterfrau.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
Trump’s ICE nominee helped lead one of the harshest immigration crackdowns in U.S.
Lance Schroyer’s work to deputize Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers as immigration agents offers a glimpse of what he might do if confirmed as the next ICE director.
000
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Bulldozing begins at Big Bend National Park for border construction www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
washingtonpost.com
Bulldozing begins at Big Bend National Park for border construction
Environmentalists say the planned patrol roads, vehicle barriers and cameras will irreversibly reshape the renowned park in Texas.
020
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Ex-ICE agent’s group awarded $158 million to represent migrant children: The Trump administration gave the contract to Our Rescue, which former agent Tim Ballard left in 2023 before being accused of sex trafficking www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
Ex-ICE agent’s group awarded $158 million to represent migrant children
The Trump administration gave the contract to Our Rescue, which former agent Tim Ballard left in 2023 before being accused of sex trafficking.
000
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
ICE is beginning to outfit Haitian immigrants with ankle monitors after the Trump admin ended their deportation protections www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
ICE begins outfitting Haitian immigrants with ankle monitors, attorneys say
Haitian immigrants in Ohio with temporary protected status are being called to ICE offices for check-ins after federal officials said their protections had ended.
41259154
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Federal agency seeks to interview Afghan immigrants, alarming refugee groups www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
Federal agency seeks to interview Afghan immigrants, alarming refugee groups
A federal refugee resettlement office is quietly launching an effort to interview hundreds of Afghan migrants living in the U.S., raising alarms among refugee groups who worry the information they col...
052
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
ICE officer linked to Maine shooting was deemed not credible in court last year. @mariasacchetti.bsky.social and @silviafosterfrau.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
ICE officer linked to Maine shooting was deemed not credible in court last year
State and local officials are rebutting David Brouillette’s claims in court about losing his driver’s license and being employed as a local officer.
01810
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
For weeks, U.S. immigration officials alerted their colleagues about dangerous overcrowding at 26 Federal Plaza, where detainees were held in small rooms with no beds, showers or full-time medical staff. See what it looked like inside: www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
ICE officials warned of dangerous crowding. See how they kept packing people in.
Dozens were held for days in small rooms last year with no beds, showers or full-time medical staff, records analyzed by The Post show.
175
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
ICE officer’s troubled past renews questions about vetting w/ @silviafosterfrau.bsky.social @mariasacchetti.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
ICE officer’s troubled past renews questions about vetting
Ashley Brouillette said her former spouse, David Brouillette, told her he is the ICE officer who shot and killed an immigrant in Maine. She and others said Brouillette has a volatile history.
043
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
DHS chief faces crisis moment amid mounting arrests, fatal shootings www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
DHS chief faces crisis moment amid mounting arrests, fatal shootings
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s attempt to quell an uproar over two fatal shootings by ICE has angered the president and his hard-line base.
021
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
ICE halts most traffic-stop arrests in wake of fatal shootings www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
ICE halts most traffic-stop arrests in wake of fatal shootings
The pause comes as the Trump administration scrambles to respond to incidents in Houston and Biddeford, Maine, in which officers shot and killed immigrants.
010
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
ICE officer shoots and kills man in Maine, prompting state investigation www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
ICE officer shoots and kills man in Maine, prompting state investigation
Authorities did not identify the man who was killed, but an advocacy group said he was a 26-year-old Colombian national.
022
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Migrants who saw man killed by ICE in Houston say he did not ram officers @arelisrhdz.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
Migrants who saw man killed by ICE in Houston say he did not ram officers
Three men who were in the vehicle alongside Lorenzo Salgado Araujo are contesting the Department of Homeland Security’s account of the fatal shooting.
020
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
He saw a video of a Mexican man shot by ICE. It was his father. @arelisrhdz.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
He saw a video of a Mexican man shot by ICE. It was his father.
The eldest child of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo said his father was “a family man” who was likely frightened by the unmarked vehicles following him.
051
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
An ICE officer fatally shot a Mexican man in Houston on Tuesday during an attempted traffic stop, federal authorities said, what appeared to be the first deadly ICE shooting since Minneapolis in January. W/ @davidnakamura.bsky.social @arelisrhdz.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
washingtonpost.com
ICE officer fatally shoots Mexican man in Houston during traffic stop
The incident appears to mark the first deadly shooting by federal immigration officers since Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed in Minneapolis in January.
35539
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I'm excited and humbled to share that I'll be joining The Washington Post in early July as an immigration reporter. If we've previously been in touch, I hope we can continue that. If you would like to connect or share tips, I'm on Signal at tedhesson.23. cc: @washingtonpost.com
171
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Death rate in ICE immigrant detention centers more than doubles under Trump, w/ @kristinacooke.bsky.social @mashatsvetkova.bsky.social www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
reuters.com
Death rate in ICE immigrant detention centers more than doubles under Trump, Reuters analysis finds
Some 50 people have died in U.S. immigration detention since President Donald Trump launched his mass deportation campaign in January 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement records show.
01412
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Trump raises refugee ceiling by 10,000 to bring in more white South Africans, White House document says www.reuters.com/world/africa...
reuters.com
Trump raises refugee ceiling by 10,000 to bring in more white South Africans, White House document says
U.S. President Donald Trump ​increased the refugee admissions ceiling by ‌10,000 for this year to allow more white South Africans to come into the country, a signed presidential ​determination reviewe...
010
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Trump officials tried to ban half of U.S. voting machines, citing conspiracy theories - www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
reuters.com
Exclusive: Trump officials tried to ban half of U.S. voting machines, citing conspiracy theories
President Donald Trump’s election-security czar last year sought to ban voting machines used in more than half of U.S. states by asking whether the Commerce Department could declare their components n...
010
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Exclusive: Iran conflict may have motivated Trump dinner shooting suspect, US intelligence report finds - www.reuters.com/world/us/ira...
reuters.com
Exclusive: Iran conflict may have motivated Trump dinner shooting suspect, US intelligence report finds
The Department of Homeland Security identified the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran as a potential motive for the man accused of attempting ​to assassinate President Donald Trump and senior members of his a...
111
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Cuban immigrant died in ICE custody in suspected suicide www.reuters.com/world/us/cub...
reuters.com
Cuban immigrant died in ICE custody in suspected suicide, notice to US lawmakers says
A Cuban immigrant died ‌in U.S. immigration custody in Georgia in what authorities suspect was a suicide, U.S. officials said in a notice to lawmakers sent on Friday and reviewed by Reuters.
0108
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Exclusive: Trump poised to expand refugee program for white South Africans - www.reuters.com/world/africa...
reuters.com
Exclusive: Trump poised to expand refugee program for white South Africans
Trump's administration is considering more than doubling an annual refugee limit to bring more white South Africans into the U.S.
112
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Trump's deportation push could cost Republicans in midterm elections, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds - www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
reuters.com
Trump's deportation push could cost Republicans in midterm elections, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
President Donald Trump's aggressive campaign to deport immigrants could weigh on ​his Republican Party in November's midterm congressional elections, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
14311
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Exclusive: ICE launches new effort to uncover US ‘birth tourism schemes’, w/ @kristinacooke.bsky.social www.reuters.com/world/ice-la...
reuters.com
000
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Exclusive: The FBI warned US state and ​local law enforcement of an elevated threat posed by Iran's government last month even as ‌the White House sought to downplay the likelihood of an attack, w/ @kristinacooke.bsky.social www.reuters.com/world/us/int...
reuters.com
Exclusive: Intelligence report warned of Iran's 'persistent threat' to US as White House downplayed the risk
The FBI warned U.S. state and ​local law enforcement of an elevated threat posed by Iran's government to targets in the United States last month even as ‌the White House sought to downplay the likelih...
043
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Exclusive: ICE arrested more than 800 people after tips from US airport security agency, w/ @kristinacooke.bsky.social www.reuters.com/world/ice-ar...
reuters.com
Exclusive: ICE arrested more than 800 people after tips from US airport security agency
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 800 people following tips ​shared by federal airport security officials from the start of Donald Trump's presidency through February 2026, i...
69542
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
A Mexican immigrant died in U.S. immigration custody in Los Angeles on March 25, U.S. ​Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on Monday, marking at least 14 ‌deaths in ICE custody in 2026 www.reuters.com/world/mexica...
reuters.com
Mexican immigrant died in US immigration custody, ICE says, marking 14 deaths in 2026
A Mexican immigrant died in U.S. immigration custody in Los Angeles on March 25, U.S. ​Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on Monday, marking at least 14 ‌deaths in ICE custody in 2026.
001
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
From @latimes.com: "A lead attorney for the Department of Homeland Security suggested that federal agents should have 'just started hitting the rioters and arresting everyone that couldn’t get away' during an anti-ICE protest in Los Angeles last June" www.latimes.com/politics/sto...
latimes.com
DHS attorney said agents in Los Angeles should have 'started hitting' protesters, emails show
Internal emails obtained by a government watchdog group reveal that a top Homeland Security attorney suggested agents should have "just started hitting" protesters during anti-ICE demonstrations in L...
111
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took a multi-country trip to Latin America this week with aide Corey Lewandowski on a DHS jet as she kicks off her new "Shield of the Americas" role www.reuters.com/world/americ...
reuters.com
Ousted Homeland Security chief Noem begins new envoy role with tour
Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary ​Kristi Noem will wrap up a tour of Western Hemisphere nations in her new job as the U.S. ‌envoy to a coalition against drug cartels on Wednesday, mark...
010
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
U.S. Senator Rand Paul, the Republican chairman of a Senate panel weighing the nomination of President Donald Trump's pick for homeland security, said on Wednesday he would oppose Trump's nominee over "anger issues" and inflammatory remarks www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
reuters.com
Top Republican opposes Trump's Homeland nominee over inflammatory rhetoric
U.S. Senator Rand Paul, the Republican chairman of a Senate panel weighing the nomination of President Donald Trump's pick for homeland security, said on Wednesday he would oppose Trump's nominee over...
000
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Trump says white South Africans are persecuted; some are returning to a better life - www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
reuters.com
Trump says white South Africans are persecuted; some are returning to a better life
Andrew Veitch left South Africa after being held up at gunpoint in his car. But now he feels there are greater threats in the United States, ​he said, citing mass shootings in public places as well as...
010
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
President Trump is expected to forge ahead with his aggressive immigration crackdown driven by top aide Stephen Miller and a new homeland secretary nominee who shares Trump's ​hardline view, current and former US officials and lawmakers said www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
reuters.com
Trump to forge ahead with immigration crackdown driven by top aide Stephen Miller
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to forge ahead with his aggressive immigration crackdown driven by top aide Stephen Miller and a new homeland secretary nominee who shares Trump's ​hardline vie...
010
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Trump fires Kristi Noem as homeland secretary after storm over shootings, spending - www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
reuters.com
Trump fires Kristi Noem as homeland secretary after storm over shootings, spending
U.S. President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday after months of controversy, including the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers in Minneapolis...
010
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during congressional testimony on Tuesday stood ​by her remarks calling two U.S. citizens shot dead by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis domestic terrorists www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
reuters.com
US homeland chief Noem stands by remarks calling slain US citizens terrorists
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during congressional testimony on Tuesday stood ​by her remarks calling two U.S. citizens shot dead by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis domestic...
021
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is expected to face tough questions ​over Trump's immigration crackdown during a Senate hearing today, with funding for her department still stalled ‌due to Democratic objections to its aggressive tactics www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
reuters.com
US homeland chief Noem to face scrutiny on immigration crackdown at Senate hearing
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is expected to face tough questions ​over President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, with funding for...
134
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
The US aims to process 4,500 refugee applications from white South Africans per month, far above President Trump's stated refugee program cap, and is installing trailers on embassy property in Pretoria to support the effort www.reuters.com/world/us-aim...
reuters.com
Exclusive: US aims to bring in 4,500 white South Africans per month as refugees, document says
The new target, contained in a previously unreported document from the State Department dated January 27, signals a push to ramp up admissions from South Africa, while refugee applications from other ...
106360204
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
ICE is struggling to keep pace with vetting new hires during its historic recruitment push and is laying out a process to deal with allegations of past misconduct among recruits, the agency said in an internal email on Monday. W/ @kristinacooke.bsky.social www.reuters.com/world/ice-st...
reuters.com
Exclusive: ICE struggles to vet recruits amid US immigration enforcement push, internal email shows
An internal email seen by Reuters underscores concerns about ICE’s rapid expansion.
030
Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Top U.S. homeland security aide Corey Lewandowski entered the cockpit of a government jet uninvited during a flight last year in which he fired a pilot over a misplaced blanket, suggesting he may have violated aviation safety rules www.reuters.com/world/us/top...
reuters.com
Top Noem aide entered cockpit before firing pilot over missing blanket, sources say
Top U.S. homeland security aide Corey Lewandowski entered the cockpit of a government jet uninvited during a flight last year, after which he fired a pilot over a misplaced blanket, two people familia...
02411