Erica Hellerstein
@ehellerstein.bsky.social
Global human rights journalist | IWMF Ukraine fellow | Senior immigration & labor reporter @eltimpano.bsky.social | Tech, labor, memory, migration | Oakland based
Prev @codastory.bsky.social & many more past lives. www.ericahellerstein.com
Prev @codastory.bsky.social & many more past lives. www.ericahellerstein.com
Pinned
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’ | KQED
The Ukraine-Russia war has been called the most technologically advanced war in history. Ukrainian citizens receive notifications about incoming missile and drone attacks through apps on their phones;...
www.kqed.org
In June, I went to Ukraine to work on a project abt my family's roots. But somewhere along the way, I fell into a rabbit hole about something else: The army of engineers, hackers & meme warriors fueling Ukraine's resistance against Russia. So I made a podcast about it:
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
The cool thing about supporting small, local nonprofit newsrooms is that you can help us consistently scoop the larger national pubs that publish the same stories we do 8 months later!
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
As safe spaces shrink, immigrant youth find solace in “the beautiful game”
Amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, soccer provides a refuge for young newcomers.
www.eltimpano.org
January 2, 2026 at 6:54 PM
The cool thing about supporting small, local nonprofit newsrooms is that you can help us consistently scoop the larger national pubs that publish the same stories we do 8 months later!
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Our latest investigation, months in the making & reported from Oakland to Guatemala.
In Feb, Fabiana A. and her family were deported from Oakland to their hometown in rural Guatemala, where they are now struggling to rebuild. Their story, as told to @ehellerstein.bsky.social, reveals the erasure Indigenous immigrants face in the U.S. and back home.
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
Invisible in the data: A Maya family struggles to rebuild in Guatemala after being deported
A Maya Mam family’s deportation reveals the erasure Indigenous immigrants face in the U.S. and back home.
www.eltimpano.org
December 24, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Our latest investigation, months in the making & reported from Oakland to Guatemala.
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
The full spiked 60 Minutes CECOT package, clean & subtitled. 2/5
December 23, 2025 at 1:28 AM
The full spiked 60 Minutes CECOT package, clean & subtitled. 2/5
If you are looking for a weekend read, I'd love to share my #longread for @eltimpano.bsky.social on the complex realities facing Indigenous Mayan immigrants affected by the administration's immigration crackdown, and the erasure they confront in the US and abroad.
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
Invisible in the data: A Maya family struggles to rebuild in Guatemala after being deported
A Maya Mam family’s deportation reveals the erasure Indigenous immigrants face in the U.S. and back home.
www.eltimpano.org
December 21, 2025 at 9:13 PM
If you are looking for a weekend read, I'd love to share my #longread for @eltimpano.bsky.social on the complex realities facing Indigenous Mayan immigrants affected by the administration's immigration crackdown, and the erasure they confront in the US and abroad.
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
🧵1/ A few months ago, I began speaking with Fabiana, a Maya Mam woman who, along with her husband and daughter, was deported from Oakland to Guatemala in February 2025 while their attorneys were preparing to file a U-Visa case.
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
Invisible in the data: A Maya family struggles to rebuild in Guatemala after being deported
A Maya Mam family’s deportation reveals the erasure Indigenous immigrants face in the U.S. and back home.
www.eltimpano.org
December 20, 2025 at 6:53 PM
🧵1/ A few months ago, I began speaking with Fabiana, a Maya Mam woman who, along with her husband and daughter, was deported from Oakland to Guatemala in February 2025 while their attorneys were preparing to file a U-Visa case.
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
I'm really happy to share a piece I've been working on @eltimpano.bsky.social that has been many months in the making. It's about the multifaceted challenges facing Indigenous Mayan immigrants swept up in the second Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
Invisible in the data: A Maya family struggles to rebuild in Guatemala after being deported
A Maya Mam family’s deportation reveals the erasure Indigenous immigrants face in the U.S. and back home.
www.eltimpano.org
December 19, 2025 at 7:40 PM
I'm really happy to share a piece I've been working on @eltimpano.bsky.social that has been many months in the making. It's about the multifaceted challenges facing Indigenous Mayan immigrants swept up in the second Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
For the past few months, I've been talking to an Indigenous Maya woman who was recently deported to Guatemala from Oakland with her family. The story is as much about the present as it is about the past. My deep dive:
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
Invisible in the data: A Maya family struggles to rebuild in Guatemala after being deported
A Maya Mam family’s deportation reveals the erasure Indigenous immigrants face in the U.S. and back home.
www.eltimpano.org
December 19, 2025 at 7:18 PM
For the past few months, I've been talking to an Indigenous Maya woman who was recently deported to Guatemala from Oakland with her family. The story is as much about the present as it is about the past. My deep dive:
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
Investigative reporter @ehellerstein.bsky.social looks at how Ukraine’s culture of tech innovation — and its surprising ties to Silicon Valley — are fueling the country’s resistance through an army of engineers, coders, hackers, and tinkerers. www.kqed.org/news/1206467... via @kqednews.kqed.org
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’ | KQED
The Ukraine-Russia war has been called the most technologically advanced war in history. Ukrainian citizens receive notifications about incoming missile and drone attacks through apps on their phones;...
www.kqed.org
December 12, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Investigative reporter @ehellerstein.bsky.social looks at how Ukraine’s culture of tech innovation — and its surprising ties to Silicon Valley — are fueling the country’s resistance through an army of engineers, coders, hackers, and tinkerers. www.kqed.org/news/1206467... via @kqednews.kqed.org
I used to teach a volunteer journalism class at Branham in San Jose, so this is extra A) disgusting and B) mind-boggling to me. Genuinely took my breath away. I also wonder how these young boys have been influenced by folks like Nick Fuentes etc
www.mercurynews.com/2025/12/09/s...
www.mercurynews.com/2025/12/09/s...
San Jose high school investigating ‘human swastika’ formed by students in photo on campus
In response, the school is working to implement educational approaches to teaching about the Holocaust and antisemitism.
www.mercurynews.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:30 PM
I used to teach a volunteer journalism class at Branham in San Jose, so this is extra A) disgusting and B) mind-boggling to me. Genuinely took my breath away. I also wonder how these young boys have been influenced by folks like Nick Fuentes etc
www.mercurynews.com/2025/12/09/s...
www.mercurynews.com/2025/12/09/s...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
For ProPublica filmmaker Mauricio Rodríguez Pons, Yineska and her family represent the many Venezuelans who’ve come to the U.S. seeking safety and opportunity — and, in many ways, his own immigration story.
Watch “Status: Venezuelan,” out now.
Watch “Status: Venezuelan,” out now.
They Came to the U.S. Legally. Then Trump Stripped Their Status Away.
Yineska and her family are trapped between a homeland in ruin and Trump’s mass deportation campaign. “Status: Venezuelan” is a story of them trying to stay together — and stay in the U.S. legally.
www.propublica.org
December 11, 2025 at 4:12 PM
For ProPublica filmmaker Mauricio Rodríguez Pons, Yineska and her family represent the many Venezuelans who’ve come to the U.S. seeking safety and opportunity — and, in many ways, his own immigration story.
Watch “Status: Venezuelan,” out now.
Watch “Status: Venezuelan,” out now.
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
A 6-year-old boy is missing after ICE arrested him and his dad in NYC last week and shipped them off to separate facilities. www.thecity.nyc/2025/12/02/i... @thecity.nyc @gwynnefitz.bsky.social
ICE Arrested and Separated Chinese Father From 6-Year-Old Son, Advocates Say
The father and son were detained at an ICE check-in on Nov. 26, advocates say. The son’s location is currently unknown, while the father is being held at an upstate ICE facility.
www.thecity.nyc
December 2, 2025 at 5:42 PM
A 6-year-old boy is missing after ICE arrested him and his dad in NYC last week and shipped them off to separate facilities. www.thecity.nyc/2025/12/02/i... @thecity.nyc @gwynnefitz.bsky.social
Did you know that drones are responsible for ~70% of all deaths in the war in Ukraine? Or that the first computer in continental Europe was made in a bombed out building in Kyiv in 1951? Learn this + more in my pod on the tech nerds transforming the future of conflict
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’ | KQED
The Ukraine-Russia war has been called the most technologically advanced war in history. Ukrainian citizens receive notifications about incoming missile and drone attacks through apps on their phones;...
www.kqed.org
November 30, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Did you know that drones are responsible for ~70% of all deaths in the war in Ukraine? Or that the first computer in continental Europe was made in a bombed out building in Kyiv in 1951? Learn this + more in my pod on the tech nerds transforming the future of conflict
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
After one of the worst acts of racial terror in our history, *we erased it.*
We didn't teach it.
We didn't take anyone to trial.
Police records disappeared.
So did newspaper archives.
The silence continued until 2020, when people, you could say, woke up.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/u...
We didn't teach it.
We didn't take anyone to trial.
Police records disappeared.
So did newspaper archives.
The silence continued until 2020, when people, you could say, woke up.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/u...
November 25, 2025 at 3:21 AM
After one of the worst acts of racial terror in our history, *we erased it.*
We didn't teach it.
We didn't take anyone to trial.
Police records disappeared.
So did newspaper archives.
The silence continued until 2020, when people, you could say, woke up.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/u...
We didn't teach it.
We didn't take anyone to trial.
Police records disappeared.
So did newspaper archives.
The silence continued until 2020, when people, you could say, woke up.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/u...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
Players are roleplaying in Fortnite to teach each other their rights when encountering ICE officials
“I would slip [the warrant] under the door, but there’s no space under the door,” the agent says.
The civilian pauses. “Well. Sounds like a personal problem.”
www.404media.co/ice-defense-...
“I would slip [the warrant] under the door, but there’s no space under the door,” the agent says.
The civilian pauses. “Well. Sounds like a personal problem.”
www.404media.co/ice-defense-...
Inside an ICE Defense Training on Fortnite
A group of immigrant rights organizers are helping people use Fortnite to practice what to do if they encounter ICE agents in the wild.
www.404media.co
November 24, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Players are roleplaying in Fortnite to teach each other their rights when encountering ICE officials
“I would slip [the warrant] under the door, but there’s no space under the door,” the agent says.
The civilian pauses. “Well. Sounds like a personal problem.”
www.404media.co/ice-defense-...
“I would slip [the warrant] under the door, but there’s no space under the door,” the agent says.
The civilian pauses. “Well. Sounds like a personal problem.”
www.404media.co/ice-defense-...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
If DIY tech becomes standard in conflicts, future wars may shift from traditional armies to tech-savvy civilians, altering global security dynamics. #futurism
Looking for a weekend listen? Don't miss my report from Ukraine about the DIY tech nerds on the frontlines of the battlefield. They're transforming this war, and maybe even the future of conflict -- with major implications for the rest of the world.
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’ | KQED
The Ukraine-Russia war has been called the most technologically advanced war in history. Ukrainian citizens receive notifications about incoming missile and drone attacks through apps on their phones;...
www.kqed.org
November 23, 2025 at 4:55 AM
If DIY tech becomes standard in conflicts, future wars may shift from traditional armies to tech-savvy civilians, altering global security dynamics. #futurism
Looking for a weekend listen? Don't miss my report from Ukraine about the DIY tech nerds on the frontlines of the battlefield. They're transforming this war, and maybe even the future of conflict -- with major implications for the rest of the world.
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’ | KQED
The Ukraine-Russia war has been called the most technologically advanced war in history. Ukrainian citizens receive notifications about incoming missile and drone attacks through apps on their phones;...
www.kqed.org
November 22, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Looking for a weekend listen? Don't miss my report from Ukraine about the DIY tech nerds on the frontlines of the battlefield. They're transforming this war, and maybe even the future of conflict -- with major implications for the rest of the world.
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
My brilliant former colleague doing brilliant things ✨
In June, I went to Ukraine to work on a project abt my family's roots. But somewhere along the way, I fell into a rabbit hole about something else: The army of engineers, hackers & meme warriors fueling Ukraine's resistance against Russia. So I made a podcast about it:
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’ | KQED
The Ukraine-Russia war has been called the most technologically advanced war in history. Ukrainian citizens receive notifications about incoming missile and drone attacks through apps on their phones;...
www.kqed.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:42 PM
My brilliant former colleague doing brilliant things ✨
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
Super proud of my friend @ehellerstein.bsky.social for writing/producing her first podcast episode and causally hitting out of the park.
Listen for a story of Ukraine's DIY tech nerds on the front lines of the Ukrainian-Russian war:
Listen for a story of Ukraine's DIY tech nerds on the front lines of the Ukrainian-Russian war:
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’ | KQED
The Ukraine-Russia war has been called the most technologically advanced war in history. Ukrainian citizens receive notifications about incoming missile and drone attacks through apps on their phones;...
www.kqed.org
November 21, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Super proud of my friend @ehellerstein.bsky.social for writing/producing her first podcast episode and causally hitting out of the park.
Listen for a story of Ukraine's DIY tech nerds on the front lines of the Ukrainian-Russian war:
Listen for a story of Ukraine's DIY tech nerds on the front lines of the Ukrainian-Russian war:
In June, I went to Ukraine to work on a project abt my family's roots. But somewhere along the way, I fell into a rabbit hole about something else: The army of engineers, hackers & meme warriors fueling Ukraine's resistance against Russia. So I made a podcast about it:
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’ | KQED
The Ukraine-Russia war has been called the most technologically advanced war in history. Ukrainian citizens receive notifications about incoming missile and drone attacks through apps on their phones;...
www.kqed.org
November 20, 2025 at 11:40 PM
In June, I went to Ukraine to work on a project abt my family's roots. But somewhere along the way, I fell into a rabbit hole about something else: The army of engineers, hackers & meme warriors fueling Ukraine's resistance against Russia. So I made a podcast about it:
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
www.kqed.org/news/1206467...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
This is the first time there has been an effort to publish a dictionary of the Mississippi Choctaw language and dialect.
The only dictionaries available in the past have been Oklahoma Choctaw.
And the Trump administration terminated the grant.
www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-...
The only dictionaries available in the past have been Oklahoma Choctaw.
And the Trump administration terminated the grant.
www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-...
Mississippi Choctaw Dictionary Project Helps Preserve Language
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ Choctaw Dictionary Project is designed to help teach the language and encourage more daily use.
www.mississippifreepress.org
November 17, 2025 at 7:05 PM
This is the first time there has been an effort to publish a dictionary of the Mississippi Choctaw language and dialect.
The only dictionaries available in the past have been Oklahoma Choctaw.
And the Trump administration terminated the grant.
www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-...
The only dictionaries available in the past have been Oklahoma Choctaw.
And the Trump administration terminated the grant.
www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
As I sometimes like to mention, s the only reason you know who Jeffrey Epstein is (that is, if you weren't one of his friends/clients/beneficiaries) is because Ms Brown, below, broke the story of his sweetheart deal to get out of the 2008 trafficking charges.
BREAKING: (Gift) New Epstein emails reveal that Epstein claimed he had kompromat on President Trump. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
New Epstein emails claim Trump ‘spent hours’ with victim
Democrats on the House Oversight say the emails provide evidence of a cover-up by the White House
www.miamiherald.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:35 PM
As I sometimes like to mention, s the only reason you know who Jeffrey Epstein is (that is, if you weren't one of his friends/clients/beneficiaries) is because Ms Brown, below, broke the story of his sweetheart deal to get out of the 2008 trafficking charges.
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
The most horrifying AI slop of ICE raids you can possibly imagine is wildly viral on Facebook, collectively totaling tens of millions of views from a single account. First spotted by @chadloder.bsky.social
www.404media.co/ai-generated...
www.404media.co/ai-generated...
AI-Generated Videos of ICE Raids Are Wildly Viral on Facebook
An account is spamming horrific, dehumanizing videos of immigration enforcement because the Facebook algorithm is rewarding them for it.
www.404media.co
November 12, 2025 at 5:51 PM
The most horrifying AI slop of ICE raids you can possibly imagine is wildly viral on Facebook, collectively totaling tens of millions of views from a single account. First spotted by @chadloder.bsky.social
www.404media.co/ai-generated...
www.404media.co/ai-generated...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
From @vanessalop.bsky.social: He worked hard to give me a home. ICE took his: How I lost my father to deportation
chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2...
chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2...
He worked hard to give me a home. ICE took his: How I lost my father to deportation
Deportation has taken away the father I once knew and given me back a person I no longer recognize.
chicago.suntimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:53 PM
From @vanessalop.bsky.social: He worked hard to give me a home. ICE took his: How I lost my father to deportation
chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2...
chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
In today's Weekly Dispatch, @ehellerstein.bsky.social reflects on how the Fruitvale Día de los Muertos festival brought together thousands to honor their loved ones and celebrate heritage and culture—even amid fears of immigration enforcement.
www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/w...
www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/w...
What Oakland’s Día de los Muertos taught us this year
Local journalism needs your support This week kicks off our end-of-year fund drive and we need YOU to help us start strong. Join our community of donors to power the journalism you and thousands of Ba...
www.eltimpano.org
November 8, 2025 at 12:51 AM
In today's Weekly Dispatch, @ehellerstein.bsky.social reflects on how the Fruitvale Día de los Muertos festival brought together thousands to honor their loved ones and celebrate heritage and culture—even amid fears of immigration enforcement.
www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/w...
www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/w...
Reposted by Erica Hellerstein
New: The FBI is quietly urging ICE agents to properly ID themselves in the field.
In a bulletin to law enforcement last month, it warned of criminals posing as ICE to rob, rape, kidnap—a problem it says now demands national coordination to confront.
By me & @carolinehaskins.bsky.social:
In a bulletin to law enforcement last month, it warned of criminals posing as ICE to rob, rape, kidnap—a problem it says now demands national coordination to confront.
By me & @carolinehaskins.bsky.social:
FBI Warns of Criminals Posing as ICE, Urges Agents to ID Themselves
In a bulletin to law enforcement agencies, the FBI said criminal impersonators are exploiting ICE’s image and urged nationwide coordination to distinguish real operations from fakes.
www.wired.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:34 PM
New: The FBI is quietly urging ICE agents to properly ID themselves in the field.
In a bulletin to law enforcement last month, it warned of criminals posing as ICE to rob, rape, kidnap—a problem it says now demands national coordination to confront.
By me & @carolinehaskins.bsky.social:
In a bulletin to law enforcement last month, it warned of criminals posing as ICE to rob, rape, kidnap—a problem it says now demands national coordination to confront.
By me & @carolinehaskins.bsky.social: