John Woodrow Cox

EXCLUSIVE: Trump DOJ’s has repeatedly insisted it will not tell immigration judges how to rule, as required by law. But after a demand from unidentified “higher-ups,” a veteran judge was ordered to reverse four rulings—then yanked from court mid-hearing. wapo.st/4BuABEM

The first school shooting I wrote about happened 10 years and 17 days ago. First-graders on a playground. Shooter was 14. It lasted 12 seconds. One child died. It faded from front pages by week's end. Those kids and teachers, their families, that town. They're not over it. They'll never be over it.

At a time when many Americans have embraced Trump’s crusade to jail his political enemies, legions of online activists insisted that, in a small South Carolina town, one of their political enemies should be jailed, too. And law enforcement listened. wapo.st/3V4lD7B

In February, @washingtonpost.com revealed that DHS had subpoenaed a retiree's Google account after he urged mercy for an asylum seeker. Now, a bipartisan coalition has introduced a bill that would dramatically reform how and why the federal government can issue those subpoenas. wapo.st/4v0vM1E

Kristi Noem is out at DHS. Here's a TV commercial of her on a horse, filmed five months ago at Mount Rushmore, for an ad campaign that cost more than $200 million

My latest, on the secretive legal weapon Homeland Security is using to target Americans. Last fall, Jon, 67, emailed a DHS attorney, urging mercy for an asylum seeker. Hours later, DHS subpoenaed his Google account. Then it sent investigators to his home. wapo.st/4rtfCw8

“USA!” chanted the would-be saboteurs of a 244-year-old democracy. What actually happened five years ago, from the journalists who were there: www.washingtonpost.com/local/trump-...

In this week's #LongreadsTop5 ⬇️ • The American Dream, dashed (@washingtonpost.com) • Remembering D’Angelo (@the-ringer.bsky.social) • DIY DNA (@noemamag.com) • What media bias really looks like (@motherjones.com) • Mummy dearest (Edify) longreads.com/2025/10/17/l...

"At a time when the courts are denying a record number of asylum claims, a judge will soon decide whether he should be deported. If he is returned, he expects the Taliban to be waiting for him." @johnwoodrowcox.bsky.social for @washingtonpost.com: www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

My latest, on a man who supported the war in Afghanistan, came to the U.S. legally, applied for asylum, had two kids, became a bookkeeper, bought an American flag bumper sticker. Then ICE arrested him. If he's deported, he expects the Taliban to kill him. wapo.st/49aGaw2

Unbelievable story of Afghan refugee, a highly vetted fluent English speaker who helped the US against the Taliban and now lives here with his US citizen kids, declared “illegal” and perhaps about to be shipped home by the Trump admin to his likely death

New on the backlash to Jim Acosta's "interview" of a dead Parkland teen's AI avatar, with its clunky phrases ("so much fun to the series") and "ghoulish" display. "Can't possibly represent what that child wants to say in any reasonable way" www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2... @willoremus.com

Last month, we profiled JJ Ficken, a Colorado farmer whose life was upended by Trump's policies. Four days later, the USDA called: The grant money he feared would never come was on its way. Checks for dozens of other desperate farmers should soon follow: wapo.st/3ISIUDu

1. “Abandoned by Trump, a Farmer and a Migrant Search for a Better Future” @johnwoodrowcox.bsky.social, Sarah Blaskey, Matt McClain "To survive the administration’s cuts and cruelty, a Trump voter and an immigrant needed each other." www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

This heartbreaking story by @JohnWoodrowCox.bsky.social is gorgeously, empathetically written. The details could only have come from extraordinary reporting. This piece will be taught in journalism schools. wapo.st/44pck4q

My latest, from Camp Mystic: The story of one teenage counselor's extraordinary courage amid so much loss. Deeply grateful to Ainslie Bashara for sharing. wapo.st/44pck4q

. @johnwoodrowcox.bsky.social consistently writes humanizing narrative, but this article is next-level good. It's about a farmer who was promised a federal grant to hire a Guatemalan worker—only to have the Trump administration freeze the funds as "DEI." With Sarah Blakely; photos by Matt McClain.

On today's front page, the story of a farmer, a migrant and what it means to make a commitment. Part of our examination into how President Trump’s policies are reshaping the lives of Americans, with reporting from Sarah Blaskey and photos from Matt McClain. wapo.st/4liDorF

After threats against schools exploded last year, police arrested hundreds of students. This is the story of what happened in one Florida county where the sheriff perp walked, and publicly shamed, children as young as 11. w/ @hannahnatanson.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...