Advocates say people who face less legal risk have an important role to play, from documenting raids to advocating for their neighbors.
Law enforcement
Posted inFebruary 2025: Immigrant Stories
Unhoused people pay a disproportionate price for the West’s deadly roads
People experiencing homelessness are more likely to die from transportation-related injuries than the general population.
Posted inArticles
Why did Nevada vote to ban slavery, when California didn’t?
Both states require incarcerated people to work — often for critical and dangerous jobs.
Posted inArticles
In rural Washington, a ‘constitutional sheriff’ and his growing volunteer posse provoke controversy
Where some see a ‘rural neighborhood watch’ that saves money, others worry about liability and ties to extremism.
Posted inSeptember 2024: When Migrants Go Missing
The fatal flaw in the Border Patrol’s rescue program
The Missing Migrant Program is meant to prevent deaths. Instead, it may be causing them.
Posted inSeptember 2024: When Migrants Go Missing
La falla fatal en las operaciones de rescate de la Patrulla Fronteriza
La agencia tiene la tarea de salvar a migrantes en peligro pero puede estar empeorando las cosas.
Posted inArticles
As cities enact camping bans, where will California’s unhoused population go?
The number of people experiencing homelessness vastly exceeds the number of available shelter beds in the state.
Posted inArticles
Supreme Court gives cities and towns power to criminalize homelessness
The Oregon case has been closely watched by Western cities and states.
Posted inJune 2024: The Idea of Wilderness
California’s homelessness and climate crises leave unhoused communities vulnerable to floods
Seeking shelter, people are living in flood control channels and other flood-prone places.
Posted inArticles
Lake Mead’s illegal road network is growing
People have created hundreds of miles of unofficial roads trying to reach the water as levels decline. Federal officials want funds to address the issue.
Posted inArticles
Caminos ilegales alrededor del Lago Mead plantean nuevo peligro para el medio ambiente
La gente ha creado caminos no oficiales para llegar al agua a medida que los niveles disminuyen. Funcionarios quieren fondos para atender el problema.
Posted inMay 2024: A River Returns
How attacks on energy substations play into the hands of extremists
When the West’s electrical grid is targeted, motives tend to matter less than ensuing propaganda.
Posted inArticles
New DNA technique could bring closure for families of missing and murdered Indigenous people
But experts say this risks DNA sovereignty.
Posted inArticles
In Northern California, Asian residents say they are being targeted by traffic stops
The Siskiyou County sheriff’s department has been accused of racial profiling in the past.
Posted inArticles
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Posted inArticles
How grizzly bear poachers are getting away with it
Investigation finds that Department of Justice rarely prosecutes grizzly bear killers under the Endangered Species Act.
Posted inArticles
Does California’s Friendship Park need a taller border wall?
Advocates protest plans for reconstruction of the barrier at the binational meeting point.
Posted inArticles
A year in the Borderlands: The biggest stories from 2022
With a little help from our friends, HCN untangles the complexities of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Posted inArticles
How a volunteer trash pickup club tackles housing and climate justice
LA’s Echo Park Trash Club supports its unhoused neighbors by helping them stay in place.
Posted inArticles
How to prevent a hike from resulting in a heist
A new proposal aims to make trailheads near Seattle safe from car break-ins — but some worry it could compromise their own safety.