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Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StComm’18) and Jessi Sachs

Months before Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were going through Minnesota neighborhoods, Jessi Sachs was going through Reddit threads searching for a niche angle to investigate immigration under Donald Trump.��

That was when she first learned about medical deportations.

Sometimes called medical repatriation, medical deportation is when hospitals and medical transport companies attempt to—or successfully—return an uninsured, noncitizen patient to their country of origin.

“I found the post and thought how crazy it was,” Sachs, a senior majoring in journalism, said. “I didn't even know that people could be deported out of the hospital without the involvement of ICE in any way.”

Last year, Sachs and Ann Marie Vanderveen (Jour’25) participated in the prestigious Carnegie-Knight News21 Fellowship hosted by Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Their story about medical deportations was picked up by multiple outlets, including The Associated Press.

“It felt really impactful that it was picked up by so many media organizations once it went out on the AP wire,” Sachs said. “I wanted to write about something people weren’t super knowledgeable about and bring awareness to a unique facet of the immigration conversation.”

First launched in 2005, News21 is a two-semester intensive experience where student journalists investigate a topic such as hate groups, juvenile justice, gun rights and, last year, immigration under the Trump administration. In the spring, students attend weekly workshops and classes to develop knowledge around the theme before embarking on a 10-week reporting fellowship based in Phoenix that culminates in a published story.

Jessi Sachs, left, and Ann Marie Vanderveen, right. Photo taken by Kimberly Coffin and provided by Ann Marie.

Vanderveen wanted to be a journalist since she dressed up as a reporter for an elementary school career day, and she quickly found her people by joining the CU Independent in her first year, which is where she met Sachs.

The News21 piece wasn’t the first time the reporting duo worked together—at the CUI, they collaborated with another writer on a story about a sexual assault investigation involving a Ralphie handler. But covering medical deportations was definitely the most challenging piece either had written while still in college.��

“It took a long time to find people to talk to us,” Vanderveen said, as they looked for sources on social media and GoFundMe. “Our breakthrough came when we found an activist coalition in Philadelphia, but it took time to build trust with them. Eventually, they connected us with other people.”

Legally, only the federal government can remove an individual from the United States, and Medicare-participating hospitals are required to treat people—including uninsured noncitizens—with emergency conditions. But federal cuts mean there’s less money to reimburse hospitals for costs associated with those treatments—and through their reporting, the pair learned some hospitals have been attempting to repatriate patients without searching for other pathways for medical coverage.

Vanderveen and Sachs spent one week in Philadelphia, eventually building their story around Junior Clase and his wife, who was being threatened with medical deportation. While in the field, they also spoke with attorneys and activists. By the time they returned to Phoenix they had copious notes and interviews, but between the training from News21 mentors and their own experiences reporting in Boulder, they felt prepared to take on such a delicate story.

“To be able to tell someone's story who doesn't normally get to speak in the media is exactly what I want to do with my life,” Vanderveen said.

Within two weeks of publication by News21, it was picked up by The Philadelphia Inquirer, AP and others.

“When we saw our names published in the AP, Jessi and I dropped everything and went to get Champagne, because we were so overjoyed,” Vanderveen said. “It was definitely the hardest summer of my life, but it was also the best. Not only did we tell a story that was really impactful for Junior, but we spoke truth to power in the niche intersection of healthcare and immigration. It also gave me a lot of confidence for the future.”

Jessi Sachs in the field. Photo provided by Sachs.

Professor Patrick Ferrucci, chair of the journalism department, said he was impressed when he read the piece.

“Our students in News21 always do really good work, but this particular year—with the timeliness of the story and the story itself—they did an amazing job,” he said. “When you have students like Jessi and Ann Marie who are super involved in student media—really caring about journalism beyond what they're doing in a classroom—it sets a culture for the department.”

Vanderveen, now a reporter for The Journal, in Cortez, said News21 developed her technical skills, but her experiences with the CUI and networking opportunities with CMDI deepened her love for the craft.

Sachs, who will graduate in May, agreed.

“I felt very prepared going into News21 because of my classes, and especially the CUI,” Sachs said. “I walked away from the experience not only with an impactful story I was proud of, but also as a more mature writer."

“Wherever I end up, I have what it takes to find sources, be creative and get the story done.”

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Hannah Stewart graduated from CMDI in 2019 with a degree in communication. She covers student news for the college.

Photographer Kimberly Coffin graduated from CMDI in 2018 with degrees in media production and strategic communication.

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