Thread by @propublica

1/ Today The #Pulitzer Prize Board announced that three of @hannahdreier’s articles from her series on MS-13 have won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.

Here’s a look at the stories that are being honored and how they came to be:

2/ After Trump seized on MS-13’s violence to promote tougher immigration policies, @hannahdreier realized that anti-immigrant rhetoric and police bias were undermining efforts to combat a brutal gang that preyed on Latino teenagers.
propub.li/2UET4O4

3/Her first piece (published w/ @NYMag) told the story of Henry, a high school #MS13 member who worked with law enforcement for about a year thinking they’d help him escape and start a new life.

Instead, they turned him over to immigration authorities.

propub.li/2UB2Roh

4/
In the end, “A Betrayal” didn’t stop Henry’s deportation, but readers responded w/ donations that allowed him to ultimately go into hiding in a third country.

https://twitter.com/propublica/status/981178287367049216

5/ A second piece (published w/ @Newsday + @ThisAmerLife), followed a mother, brushed off by police, searching for her missing son in woods called the MS-13 “killing fields.” propub.li/2Gh4r4D

6/ The story exposed the indifference of the Suffolk County Police Department when confronted with nearly a dozen Latino teens who went missing in 2016 and 2017. Even though parents begged police to investigate, the department ignored families’ concerns

7/ Within a week of publication, the dept. announced that it would investigate the mishandling of the MS-13 murders, and both detectives in our investigation faced internal review. The PD declined to comment, and detectives did not respond to messages.

8/ The final story (published w/ @NYTMag) told the story of Alex, a high schooler accused of gang membership his school mascot that also happened to be an MS-13 symbol.

He was deported in an ICE roundup of suspected gang members w/ no criminal histories propub.li/2Zdje9h

9/ It was a school-based police officer who reported Alex. In response to the story, his school district removed police from school buildings, and, along with other districts, sought a formal agreement with the police limiting officers’ roles in schools.

10/ ProPublica senior editors @DanLGolden and @AlexandraZayas, along with video journalist @nadiasussman, contributed to the series.

@otraletra @lhwaldron @terryparrisjr and @annavignet contributed to engagement + social storytelling

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go.propublica.org/bigstory-social