Homeland Security’s ‘welfare’ check on Idaho migrant students raises school privacy questions
In other parts of the country, the welfare checks have resulted in children being taken out of their homes and put back into government custody
InvestigateWest is excited to welcome Thy Vo, a veteran reporter and editor with deep roots in community and accountability journalism, as our new full-time investigative editor.
Thy (pronounced “tee”) Vo brings more than a decade of experience covering courts, politics and local government at newsrooms across the West, including The Colorado Sun, The Mercury News, Voice of OC and, most recently, Law360, where she reported on high-profile litigation.
Throughout her career, Vo has earned a reputation as a thoughtful, detail-oriented journalist with a keen sense for stories that hold power to account. In addition to her reporting, Vo has embraced editing as a way to support and strengthen public-service journalism. As a contract editor for Borderless Magazine in Chicago, she guided investigations and mentored both emerging and experienced reporters — finding joy in helping others develop their voice, navigate roadblocks and grow as storytellers.
In her role at InvestigateWest, Vo will lead a team of reporters committed to exposing injustice.
“Thy knows what it’s like to break big stories — and what reporters need to succeed. Her sharp storytelling instincts will be an incredible asset as we expand our investigative reporting across the Pacific Northwest,” said Jacob Fries, InvestigateWest’s executive director.
Vo started her career at Voice of OC, a nonprofit watchdog newsroom in Orange County, California, where she covered local government, immigrant communities and crunched campaign finance data. She later joined ProPublica’s Electionland project, and has contributed to national and local investigations on environmental racism, mental health care, elections and other topics.
“I’m excited and humbled to join such a talented group of journalists dedicated to exposing injustice and deepening the impact of local news,” Vo said.
InvestigateWest was founded in 2009 by Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporters and editors after the paper stopped publishing. It was part of a pioneering group of news organizations created at that time to preserve public-service journalism through a nonprofit model relying on reader support and donations rather than advertising. Over the years, InvestigateWest’s reporting has prompted reforms and more than a dozen different state laws protecting the environment, workers and foster children.
Learn more about InvestigateWest’s change-making journalism and consider making a donation to the reader-supported nonprofit.
The story you just read is only possible because readers like you support our mission to uncover truths that matter. If you value this reporting, help us continue producing high-impact investigations that drive real-world change. Your donation today ensures we can keep asking tough questions and bringing critical issues to light. Join us — because fearless, independent journalism depends on you!
— Jacob H. Fries, executive director
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