Sarah Weiser

1 day ago | retroreport.org | Anne Checler |Scott Michels |Sarah Weiser |Meral Agish

Today’s debates over sanctuary cities have roots in the 1980s, when churches defied the law to shelter refugees fleeing civil wars in Guatemala and El Salvador. When the government refused to grant asylum to those escaping the violence, church leaders took matters into their own hands, smuggling families across the border, hiding them in churches and helping them resettle. Federal prosecutors launched undercover investigations, ultimately convicting eight sanctuary activists.

Jan 13, 2025 | thecity.nyc | Sarah Weiser |Heru Muharrar

A series of recent violent attacks in the New York City subways have refocused attention on the question of if — and when — involuntary removal and hospitalization should be used to address what city officials have called a crisis of homelessness and untreated mental illness. New York City has pushed these measures as a key part of the solution to the problem, and Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced plans to propose a change to state law that would make it easier to forcibly hospitalize someone.

Jan 10, 2025 | retroreport.org | Sarah Weiser |Heru Muharrar |Scott Michels

New York City’s renewed efforts to tackle homelessness and untreated mental illness is raising complex questions about civil liberties, public safety and effective care. When Mayor Eric Adams announced a similar plan in 2022, critics like Sam Tsemberis, the founder of the Pathways Housing First Initiative, argued that the approach missed the bigger picture.“This is just a smokescreen,” he said, emphasizing the need for systemic solutions.

Jul 2, 2023 | retroreport.org | Anne Checler |Sarah Weiser

For decades, Native children were forcibly separated from their families – today, communities are working to overcome generations of trauma. Last week’s Supreme Court ruling upheld the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, which enacted legal protections for Native families and affirmed the authority of tribal governments over their children. Why was ICWA necessary in the first place? We explore the history of Indigenous child removal and forced adoptions in Generations Stolen.

May 11, 2023 | retroreport.org | Anne Checler |Sarah Weiser

Native Americans demand accountability for a federal policy that aimed to erase Indigenous culture. Dennis Decoteau, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, was 11 when the Bureau of Indian Affairs removed him from his home and took him to the Wahpeton Indian Boarding School. “I wrote down a couple of words when tried to describe my experience there,” he told Retro Report. “Abuse. Neglect. Bullying.