From the U.S.-Mexico border to Oklahoma’s backroads: Why deep reporting matters

Oklahoma isn’t a border state, but cracking down on illegal immigration is a huge priority for our top elected officials. 

That’s why I signed up to attend an on-the-ground workshop in El Paso, Texas, with the Poynter Institute earlier this year. At the workshop, I gained a deeper understanding of immigration issues and got to see the U.S.-Mexico border firsthand.

It was meaningful to visit this region of the country that gets so much attention, and see how a border town had been affected by immigration surveillance. 

Since then, I’ve worked on several immigration-related stories, including one uncovering questionable safety standards at a poultry plant in southeast Oklahoma where an immigrant from Mexico died after falling into an auger. I also visited Watonga in the northwest part of the state, where workers are preparing a long-shuttered private prison to house immigrants awaiting deportation proceedings. 

I’ve worked on other stories related to race and equity, too. I was able to report on federal programs to help Black farmers in Oklahoma that were in jeopardy earlier this year under the Trump administration. I also worked on a deep dive about a new group overseeing millions in state money to support abortion alternatives that it wants to send to nonprofits and churches. 

The Frontier is a rare newsroom that allows its reporters months to dig in and truly familiarize ourselves with the topics we’re writing about. And it wouldn’t be possible without financial support from readers like you. 

Now through the end of the year, your donations will be matched up to $1,000 through the collaborative fundraising movement Newsmatch. We can earn up to $12,000 with your help. Please consider donating to support our mission of independent journalism that shines a light on Oklahoma.