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J. David McSwane

@davidmcswane

Reporter @propublica.org Author, β€œPandemic, Inc.” Colorado boy. 🐏 david.mcswane@propublica.org. Signal: 202-556-3836

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03.12.2024
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Latest posts by J. David McSwane @davidmcswane

Preview
Videos shows run-up to immigration officer’s fatal shooting of Texas man The clips, from multiple angles, don’t include everything, including key audio. But lawyers for the man’s family argue they refute the Trump administration's explanation that his killing was self-defe...

NEW: RenΓ©e Good. Alex Pretti. Before: Ruben Martinez. Friday
TX DPS released body cam + docs for the 23yo who DHS
agents killed while on vacation in South Padre. Videos shows him driving while brake lights on, before gunshots.

w/ @aydenrunnels.bsky.social

www.texastribune.org/2026/03/06/s...

07.03.2026 04:18 πŸ‘ 74 πŸ” 33 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Exclusive: US investigation points to likely US responsibility in Iran school strike, sources say Military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed scores of children on Saturday, two U.S. officials told Reu...

Reuters Exclusive

"U.S. military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls' school."

"The strike would rank among the worst cases of civilian casualties in decades of U.S. conflicts in the ​Middle East."

06.03.2026 02:50 πŸ‘ 9908 πŸ” 5223 πŸ’¬ 620 πŸ“Œ 626

What's angered Trump re Noem? Her testimony about a $200 million self-promotional ad campaign at DHS β€” about which @propublica.org broke the critical details last year:

www.propublica.org/article/kris...

05.03.2026 14:46 πŸ‘ 461 πŸ” 127 πŸ’¬ 31 πŸ“Œ 8
Post image

Thank you @politico.com for a very nice nod to our investigation of Trump officials and their linkages to the industry they oversee. S/O to the brilliant Al Shaw and @bxroberts.org

05.03.2026 20:26 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Explore Financial Disclosures From President Trump and 1,500 of His Appointees - ProPublica Use this database to explore potential conflicts of interest for President Donald Trump and his team. The documents disclose positions officials have held outside government, their assets and their de...

Awesome database published by my @propublica.org colleagues where you can look up financial disclosures of over 1,500 of Trump's appointees. #NICAR26 data nerds will appreciate this one! projects.propublica.org/trump-team-f...

05.03.2026 16:45 πŸ‘ 255 πŸ” 114 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 6

You’re a shoe-in.

04.03.2026 18:11 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

But your job

04.03.2026 16:39 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Rep. Jamie Raskin referenced our investigation during the House Judiciary Committee's questioning of Sec. Kristi Noem today. Link to this story: propub.li/3PgciXd πŸ‘‡

04.03.2026 16:31 πŸ‘ 640 πŸ” 174 πŸ’¬ 20 πŸ“Œ 4
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End Child Detention Letter with signatures Feb 26 2026

Citing reporting by @propublica.org and others, nearly 4,000 doctors, nurses and health professionals sent a letter to DHS Sec Kristi Noem calling for the immediate release of all children currently in immigration detention. Full letter: tinyurl.com/yz2amueb 1/

02.03.2026 20:10 πŸ‘ 567 πŸ” 237 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 13
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Live Updates: Israel Says It has Launched an Attack on Iran

Live Updates: U.S. and Israel Conduct Strikes on Iran www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02...

28.02.2026 06:56 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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911 calls capture kids burning with fever, struggling to breathe at ICE detention center EMS crews were called to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas at least 11 times since September for children in medical distress, records show.

NEW: We obtained 911 audio from the Texas detention center housing hundreds of immigrant kids and their parents.

Since mid-September, EMS crews have been dispatched to Dilley at least 11 times to treat children in medical distress.

Burning fevers. Low oxygen. Seizures. A broken leg.

My report:

27.02.2026 13:01 πŸ‘ 2127 πŸ” 1270 πŸ’¬ 53 πŸ“Œ 106
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Blind refugee abandoned by Border Patrol dies in Buffalo. A nearly blind refugee abandoned by Border Patrol miles from his home dies in Buffalo after having been missing for nearly a week.

β€œNurul Amin Shah Alam, a Rohingya refugee from Burma, was nearly blind and spoke no English. He was dropped off by agents in Buffalo on the other side of town from his home.”

25.02.2026 22:01 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 17 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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ICE Agents Keep Accidentally Shooting Themselves

Three ICE agents accidentally shot themselves in the leg during routine training exercises within two days last year.

18.02.2026 13:55 πŸ‘ 670 πŸ” 217 πŸ’¬ 95 πŸ“Œ 224
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Tony Gonzales had affair with aide who set herself on fire, ex-staffer says Months before her death, Regina Santos-Aviles texted a fellow Gonzales staffer saying she had an affair with the congressman. He has ducked questions about it.

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales had affair with aide who set herself on fire, ex-staffer says www.expressnews.com/news/article...

18.02.2026 16:04 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2

This year, for Lent, I'm giving up.

18.02.2026 00:30 πŸ‘ 103 πŸ” 15 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2

Kyle Cheney is really doing the work out here.

14.02.2026 01:56 πŸ‘ 73 πŸ” 15 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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How a Planned Disney World Vacation Turned Into Four Months in Immigration Detention A 9-year-old shares her story of being held at the nation’s only operating detention center for immigrant families in Dilley, Texas.

NEW: How a Planned Disney World Vacation Turned Into Four Months in Immigration Detention

9-year-old Maria Antonia begged her mom to take her to the park’s annual Halloween celebration. But as soon as she arrived at Miami International Airport, everything started going wrong.

14.02.2026 14:30 πŸ‘ 458 πŸ” 214 πŸ’¬ 18 πŸ“Œ 18
A line chart going from Jan 2009 to Jan 2026 showing very few cases until Trump’s second term, where the line takes off nearly vertically, showing more than 6,600 cases in Jan 2026 alone.

A line chart going from Jan 2009 to Jan 2026 showing very few cases until Trump’s second term, where the line takes off nearly vertically, showing more than 6,600 cases in Jan 2026 alone.

Habeas cases filed by immigrants claiming their detention is illegal have taken off to levels we have never seen before. Just look at that chart.

www.propublica.org/article/habe...

10.02.2026 12:15 πŸ‘ 2245 πŸ” 872 πŸ’¬ 26 πŸ“Œ 46
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ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next ICE plans to lease offices throughout the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign. WIRED is publishing dozens of these locations.

NEW: ICE has a plan to lease offices across the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign.

Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.

Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.

10.02.2026 16:13 πŸ‘ 2350 πŸ” 1519 πŸ’¬ 73 πŸ“Œ 143

That was an artful middle finger.

09.02.2026 01:38 πŸ‘ 26 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Will Lewis steps down as Washington Post publisher and CEO after job cuts British journalist’s tenure was controversial after being appointed by Jeff Bezos to turn around the newspaper

In my 30 years in journalism, I don't believe I've seen anyone beclown himself as thoroughly and as profoundly as Will Lewis has. Good riddance.

www.ft.com/content/5fa6...

07.02.2026 23:24 πŸ‘ 164 πŸ” 41 πŸ’¬ 11 πŸ“Œ 3

Halibut that? πŸ₯

08.02.2026 02:43 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Two tuberculosis cases detected at Camp East Montana ICE facility Eighteen cases of COVID-19 were also identified. U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar on Friday visited the 5,000-bed tent facility on the Fort Bliss Army base and said she saw many "chronic issues."

TB and Covid active in a troubled El Paso immigrant tent camp where 3 people have died over a 6 week period ( including one ruled a homicide) & following a measles outbreak at the Dilley family detention center. Reach out if you have info on Dilley/ East Montana

www.texastribune.org/2026/02/07/i...

07.02.2026 18:03 πŸ‘ 77 πŸ” 70 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 5
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Prosecutors Began Investigating Renee Good’s Killing. Washington Told Them to Stop.

Federal prosecutors had a warrant to collect evidence from Renee Good’s vehicle after an immigration agent fatally shot her, but Trump administration officials ordered them to stop investigating. About a dozen prosecutors have since resigned, leaving the Minnesota U.S. attorney’s office in turmoil.

07.02.2026 17:09 πŸ‘ 1121 πŸ” 517 πŸ’¬ 60 πŸ“Œ 35
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Children trapped in Texas immigration facility recount nightmares, inedible food, no school A photo of Liam Conejo Ramos, a scared 5-year-old, drew attention to a detention center in Dilley, Texas. Advocates say his experience reflects what hundreds of children have endured out of public vie...

Maria is one of hundreds of children, who β€” like Liam Ramos β€” have been held at a Texas detention facility where parents say children languish as they’re served contaminated food, receive little education and struggle to obtain basic medical care.

Here's our attempt at telling their stories. 2/

06.02.2026 18:25 πŸ‘ 2471 πŸ” 1236 πŸ’¬ 38 πŸ“Œ 73

β€˜One officer told me that I "had no chance of returning to Minnesota" and that "the best thing for (me] is self-deportation." …
She offered me $2600 to self-deport.
I refused.
I wanted to talk to my attorney.
They didn't tell me the judge had already ordered my release and return to Minnesota.’

05.02.2026 06:04 πŸ‘ 6860 πŸ” 3676 πŸ’¬ 69 πŸ“Œ 176
Hand-made signs with cut-out letters. One says "We [heart] Post Reporters". The other uses the print newspaper section heds to write: "METRO,  SPORTS, STYLE, THE WORLD PROTECT THE WASHINGTON POST"

Hand-made signs with cut-out letters. One says "We [heart] Post Reporters". The other uses the print newspaper section heds to write: "METRO, SPORTS, STYLE, THE WORLD PROTECT THE WASHINGTON POST"

A large crowd rallies in front of a building. A sign reads "Democracy cries in darkness".

A large crowd rallies in front of a building. A sign reads "Democracy cries in darkness".

Our members joined the #SaveThePost rally in D.C. today to protest the mass layoffs at the Washington Post. We stand in solidarity with @postguild.bsky.social. Support laid off workers: www.gofundme.com/f/standing-t... + www.gofundme.com/f/support-fo... ✊

05.02.2026 20:40 πŸ‘ 50 πŸ” 18 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2
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β€œYou’re Not Going to Investigate a Federal Officer” It doesn’t happen often, but local law enforcement can arrest and charge federal agents. Legal experts say there’s a moral obligation to at least try to hold federal immigration officers accountable w...

In almost every instance, President Donald Trump’s administration blamed the injured and dead for the shooting within hours of the incident, raising questions about whether federal officials can fairly and objectively investigate their own.

05.02.2026 16:22 πŸ‘ 392 πŸ” 103 πŸ’¬ 13 πŸ“Œ 10

I expected the cuts would be bad but I'm honestly stunned and sickened seeing how many great journalists the Washington Post just lost. People who nailed huge investigations, documented war zones, exposed horrific crimes, dropped all at once for failures they did not cause.

04.02.2026 16:29 πŸ‘ 5501 πŸ” 1207 πŸ’¬ 174 πŸ“Œ 68

I'm not sure what to make of it, but every Somali I represent in immigration court currently (8 of them) have today had their hearings cancelled and their judges reassigned. They're now all assigned to a video judge from Louisiana and scheduled for court hearing in one month. 🧡

04.02.2026 20:09 πŸ‘ 1536 πŸ” 684 πŸ’¬ 29 πŸ“Œ 67