Ximena
@Ximena_Bustillo
Duality of Idahoan & Capitol Fox victim 🦊 DHS/Immigration reporter @NPR | Always writing rural y ag | Signal @ximenabustillo.77 | CoFounder @vocesinternship
✨PERSONAL NEWS: Excited to pivot back to policy as NPR’s Homeland Security & Immigration policy reporter! Find me w/ my talented colleagues on a Hill, WH or agency hallway near you! Should we talk? Are you a current/former DHS employee? Do you write these bills? Let’s chat👋
A key part of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration agenda is to deport immigrants without legal status more quickly. But there's a massive backlog in immigration courts, and the Justice Department has fired or not renewed the contracts of dozens of judges. PBS News…
Today, we’re publishing a first-of-its-kind interactive database with profiles of 238 of the Venezuelan deportees. These are their stories. 2/ projects.propublica.org/venezuelan-imm…
You may have seen reports about the release of Venezuelans the Trump administration sent to a Salvadoran prison and called "the worst of the worst." But when we set out to learn more about them, that's not what we found. 🧵
Spotted on the Hill: Border czar Tom Homan, walking to House offices
Earlier this month USDA told its employees there would be added scrutiny to research + writing done with “foreign nationals” and added scrutiny depending on the country they’re from. But the directive sent scientists at universities scrambling. My latest: npr.org/2025/07/23/g-s…
In studio debute to discuss my reporting on immigration judges and the use of the military in immigration enforcement ⬇️⬇️
A key part of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration agenda is to deport immigrants without legal status more quickly. But there's a massive backlog in immigration courts and the Justice Department has fired or not renewed the contracts of dozens of judges.…
A federal appeals court is allowing Temporary Protected Status for nearly 12,000 Afghans to expire one week after granting them a temporary reprieve from losing the deportation relief news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-re…
Local stations — from New York City to Indigenous communities — will be the most impacted by the rescission and will likely have to lay off staff, reduce programming, and more if they don't find ways to replace government funds. niemanlab.org/2025/07/public…
Latest from me and @TBowmanNPR : The Trump administration asked for two more bases, and to double bed space at Guantanamo, and they got it. The latest comes as they are looking to increase immigration detention space where possible. npr.org/2025/07/21/nx-…
Latest from me and @TBowmanNPR : The Trump administration asked for two more bases, and to double bed space at Guantanamo, and they got it. The latest comes as they are looking to increase immigration detention space where possible. npr.org/2025/07/21/nx-…
NEW: Chinese foreign national researchers with green cards will be reinstated into their former positions at USDA after 70 contracted research positions were let go. USDA has said that any research where a "foreign national" is involved now needs to get additional vetting.
Today we published our 2nd story investigating the backgrounds of 230+ Venezuelan men Trump deported to Salvadoran. We did a first ever case-by-case analysis and found half were in the middle of their immigration cases, including dozens seeking asylum propublica.org/article/venezu…
Confirming -- AP reporting that ICE has reached an agreement with HHS to receive the personal information of Medicaid recipients that includes addresses and ethnicities.
Goodbye to my desk buddy 😭 Asma is one of the journalists you want to sit next to while you’re both doing interviews, twiddling reporting string or need to borrow headphones. So exited to see what you help grow! 💝
Some personal news — I’m leaving NPR next month (More on that in a moment). I walked into NPR as an intern in the fall of 2007. And fell in love with the power of audio. Thank you to all the reporters/editors/producers over the years — opportunities beyond my wildest dreams.
As for what’s next — I’m joining the BBC to launch a new daily news podcast! It’s a show I deeply believe ought to exist in our world in this time — news + narrative + global issues. variety.com/2025/digital/n… We launch September 3 - Tune in!
Today: Five deportees were sent to Eswatini where they are currently housed in our Correctional facilities in isolated units. In a statement, the Eswatini gov says they + US will collaborate w/ the International Organization for Migration to take them to their countries of origin
UPDATE: Since this story ran, two more judges (one in Texas and one in Illinois) received the notice that they are fired. That brings this week's count to 17. npr.org/2025/07/14/nx-…
Another SCOOP from @mariasacchetti @CarolLeonnig ICE declares millions of undocumented immigrants ineligible for bond hearings wapo.st/40e4rfK