Mike Hixenbaugh
@mikehixenbaugh.com
NBC News senior reporter | Author of THEY CAME FOR THE SCHOOLS | Co-creator of SOUTHLAKE & GRAPEVINE podcasts | Retired t-ball coach
www.mikehixenbaugh.com
www.mikehixenbaugh.com
Pinned
Mike Hixenbaugh
@mikehixenbaugh.com
· Oct 30
Last year we got a tip about a children's pastor who'd managed to stay in ministry for decades even as allegations of sex abuse trailed him across four states.
I kept pulling thread and found something far bigger: a 50-year pattern of abuse and cover-up in the largest Pentecostal denomination 🧵 1/
I kept pulling thread and found something far bigger: a 50-year pattern of abuse and cover-up in the largest Pentecostal denomination 🧵 1/
Reposted by Mike Hixenbaugh
NEW: Trump DOJ tries, fails to secure indictment over Democratic lawmakers' social media video on unlawful orders. www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
Trump administration fails to secure indictment in connection with Democrats involved in 'illegal orders' video
President Donald Trump had accused six Democratic lawmakers of "seditious behavior" after they urged members of the military and intelligence communities to refuse unlawful orders.
www.nbcnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:13 AM
NEW: Trump DOJ tries, fails to secure indictment over Democratic lawmakers' social media video on unlawful orders. www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
My 4th grader’s class is doing a “Hall of Heros” wax museum project for Black History Month.
I ask him who he picked; he smiles and points to his Cavs hoodie.
“LeBron?!” I shout.
“No,” he says. “James Harden.”
I ask him who he picked; he smiles and points to his Cavs hoodie.
“LeBron?!” I shout.
“No,” he says. “James Harden.”
February 10, 2026 at 11:14 PM
My 4th grader’s class is doing a “Hall of Heros” wax museum project for Black History Month.
I ask him who he picked; he smiles and points to his Cavs hoodie.
“LeBron?!” I shout.
“No,” he says. “James Harden.”
I ask him who he picked; he smiles and points to his Cavs hoodie.
“LeBron?!” I shout.
“No,” he says. “James Harden.”
Maria is one of hundreds of children, who — like Liam Ramos — have been held at a Texas detention facility where parents say children languish as they’re served contaminated food, receive little education and struggle to obtain basic medical care.
Here's our attempt at telling their stories. 2/
Here's our attempt at telling their stories. 2/
Children trapped in Texas immigration facility recount nightmares, inedible food, no school
A photo of Liam Conejo Ramos, a scared 5-year-old, drew attention to a detention center in Dilley, Texas. Advocates say his experience reflects what hundreds of children have endured out of public vie...
www.nbcnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:28 PM
Love this story share from Bad Bunny backup dancer Pedro Pascal
February 10, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Love this story share from Bad Bunny backup dancer Pedro Pascal
This film is beautifully done. Many familiar faces and voices for folks who’ve followed my work over the years.
I highly recommend.
I highly recommend.
Banned Books and the Librarians Caught in the Political Battle | Full Documentary | Independent Lens
YouTube video by PBS
youtu.be
February 10, 2026 at 2:45 PM
This film is beautifully done. Many familiar faces and voices for folks who’ve followed my work over the years.
I highly recommend.
I highly recommend.
Reposted by Mike Hixenbaugh
The current situation in one graphic.
ProPublica is tracking the volume of habeas petitions by state and court, as they overwhelm legal advocates and government attorneys. projects.propublica.org/habeas-track...
ProPublica is tracking the volume of habeas petitions by state and court, as they overwhelm legal advocates and government attorneys. projects.propublica.org/habeas-track...
February 10, 2026 at 12:09 PM
The current situation in one graphic.
ProPublica is tracking the volume of habeas petitions by state and court, as they overwhelm legal advocates and government attorneys. projects.propublica.org/habeas-track...
ProPublica is tracking the volume of habeas petitions by state and court, as they overwhelm legal advocates and government attorneys. projects.propublica.org/habeas-track...
Reposted by Mike Hixenbaugh
Super Bowl viewers Sunday speculated that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos appeared in the halftime show. In fact, he has been in hiding with his family.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
‘He’s not the same’: Father of Liam Conejo Ramos says 5-year-old continues to suffer
Some people thought they say the 5-year-old during the Super Bowl halftime show. But Liam is still in hiding with his family, after he and his father were detained and then released from a Texas deten...
www.mprnews.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:11 AM
Super Bowl viewers Sunday speculated that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos appeared in the halftime show. In fact, he has been in hiding with his family.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
Update: DHS sent a statement denying that medicine was withheld from Amalia after her return to detention.
But her lawyer says there’s no evidence in Dilley’s records that the girl’s prescription was ever administered, “which is consistent with her parents' accounts.”
But her lawyer says there’s no evidence in Dilley’s records that the girl’s prescription was ever administered, “which is consistent with her parents' accounts.”
NEW: A baby held in immigration detention became so sick, she had to be rushed to a hospital in severe respiratory distress.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
Toddler hospitalized with respiratory failure was returned to ICE detention without prescribed medication, lawsuit says
The 18-month-old was sent back to a South Texas facility after days in intensive care with severe respiratory distress, according to a federal lawsuit.
www.nbcnews.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Update: DHS sent a statement denying that medicine was withheld from Amalia after her return to detention.
But her lawyer says there’s no evidence in Dilley’s records that the girl’s prescription was ever administered, “which is consistent with her parents' accounts.”
But her lawyer says there’s no evidence in Dilley’s records that the girl’s prescription was ever administered, “which is consistent with her parents' accounts.”
The top two stories on Fox News this morning:
Bad Bunny “divides viewers”; Kid Rock “earns praise”
Bad Bunny “divides viewers”; Kid Rock “earns praise”
February 9, 2026 at 1:17 PM
The top two stories on Fox News this morning:
Bad Bunny “divides viewers”; Kid Rock “earns praise”
Bad Bunny “divides viewers”; Kid Rock “earns praise”
NEW: A baby held in immigration detention became so sick, she had to be rushed to a hospital in severe respiratory distress.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
Toddler hospitalized with respiratory failure was returned to ICE detention without prescribed medication, lawsuit says
The 18-month-old was sent back to a South Texas facility after days in intensive care with severe respiratory distress, according to a federal lawsuit.
www.nbcnews.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:04 PM
When you write about a sick baby whose parents entered the country legally
February 9, 2026 at 1:04 PM
When you write about a sick baby whose parents entered the country legally
Reposted by Mike Hixenbaugh
9-year-old Maria Antonia Guerra from Colombia was detained on her way to Disney World. She told me when I met her that what was supposed to be a 10-day dream vacation to the park’s Halloween celebration turned into a 100+ day nightmare at Dilley. 6/
February 9, 2026 at 11:21 AM
9-year-old Maria Antonia Guerra from Colombia was detained on her way to Disney World. She told me when I met her that what was supposed to be a 10-day dream vacation to the park’s Halloween celebration turned into a 100+ day nightmare at Dilley. 6/
Reposted by Mike Hixenbaugh
Please take the time to read what the children detained in Dilley wrote me in their own words: www.propublica.org/article/ice-... 10/
“I Have Been Here Too Long”: Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility
Hundreds of children are currently being held with their parents at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas. In letters and drawings, eight kids convey the pain of feeling trapped with no end...
www.propublica.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:21 AM
Please take the time to read what the children detained in Dilley wrote me in their own words: www.propublica.org/article/ice-... 10/
This is 18-mo-old Amalia waving to me when she was detained.
She was hospitalized with a respiratory infection while at ICE’s Dilley facility for immigrant families.
She’s one of dozens of detainees who I spoke to via video and phone calls, letters and an in-person visit. 🧵1/
She was hospitalized with a respiratory infection while at ICE’s Dilley facility for immigrant families.
She’s one of dozens of detainees who I spoke to via video and phone calls, letters and an in-person visit. 🧵1/
February 9, 2026 at 12:37 PM
This is 18-mo-old Amalia waving to me when she was detained.
She was hospitalized with a respiratory infection while at ICE’s Dilley facility for immigrant families.
She’s one of dozens of detainees who I spoke to via video and phone calls, letters and an in-person visit. 🧵1/
She was hospitalized with a respiratory infection while at ICE’s Dilley facility for immigrant families.
She’s one of dozens of detainees who I spoke to via video and phone calls, letters and an in-person visit. 🧵1/
February 9, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Must read reporting for @propublica.org by @micarosenberg.bsky.social, who spent weeks speaking with parents and children detained at Dilley about conditions there.
This is 18-mo-old Amalia waving to me when she was detained.
She was hospitalized with a respiratory infection while at ICE’s Dilley facility for immigrant families.
She’s one of dozens of detainees who I spoke to via video and phone calls, letters and an in-person visit. 🧵1/
She was hospitalized with a respiratory infection while at ICE’s Dilley facility for immigrant families.
She’s one of dozens of detainees who I spoke to via video and phone calls, letters and an in-person visit. 🧵1/
February 9, 2026 at 12:34 PM
Must read reporting for @propublica.org by @micarosenberg.bsky.social, who spent weeks speaking with parents and children detained at Dilley about conditions there.
From Saturday:
NEW: A baby held in immigration detention became so sick, she had to be rushed to a hospital in severe respiratory distress.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
Toddler hospitalized with respiratory failure was returned to ICE detention without prescribed medication, lawsuit says
The 18-month-old was sent back to a South Texas facility after days in intensive care with severe respiratory distress, according to a federal lawsuit.
www.nbcnews.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:33 PM
From Saturday:
Our report on Dilley this week
Maria is one of hundreds of children, who — like Liam Ramos — have been held at a Texas detention facility where parents say children languish as they’re served contaminated food, receive little education and struggle to obtain basic medical care.
Here's our attempt at telling their stories. 2/
Here's our attempt at telling their stories. 2/
Children trapped in Texas immigration facility recount nightmares, inedible food, no school
A photo of Liam Conejo Ramos, a scared 5-year-old, drew attention to a detention center in Dilley, Texas. Advocates say his experience reflects what hundreds of children have endured out of public vie...
www.nbcnews.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Our report on Dilley this week
Of the Dilley detention center, Gonzales says: “It is a nice facility … nicer than some elementary schools.”
Gonzales on Liam Ramos and his family: "They're not gonna qualify for asylum. So what do you do with all the people that go through the process and do not qualify for asylum? You deport them. I understand that 5-year-old and it breaks my heart. I also think, what about that 5-year-old US citizen?"
February 8, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Of the Dilley detention center, Gonzales says: “It is a nice facility … nicer than some elementary schools.”
Our story from Saturday: www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Toddler hospitalized with respiratory failure was returned to ICE detention and denied prescribed medication, lawsuit says
The 18-month-old was sent back to a South Texas facility after days in intensive care with severe respiratory distress, according to a federal lawsuit.
www.nbcnews.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Our story from Saturday: www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
This is Amalia.
She spiked a fever of 104 in ICE lock up, a lawsuit says. Her oxygen levels dropped to 50%
Officers stood watch during her 10-day emergency hospital stay.
When she was well enough to leave, doctors said Amalia should go home.
Instead, ICE put her and her mom back in detention.
She spiked a fever of 104 in ICE lock up, a lawsuit says. Her oxygen levels dropped to 50%
Officers stood watch during her 10-day emergency hospital stay.
When she was well enough to leave, doctors said Amalia should go home.
Instead, ICE put her and her mom back in detention.
February 8, 2026 at 4:45 PM
This is Amalia.
She spiked a fever of 104 in ICE lock up, a lawsuit says. Her oxygen levels dropped to 50%
Officers stood watch during her 10-day emergency hospital stay.
When she was well enough to leave, doctors said Amalia should go home.
Instead, ICE put her and her mom back in detention.
She spiked a fever of 104 in ICE lock up, a lawsuit says. Her oxygen levels dropped to 50%
Officers stood watch during her 10-day emergency hospital stay.
When she was well enough to leave, doctors said Amalia should go home.
Instead, ICE put her and her mom back in detention.
It’s an important detail. I’ll try to get it added to the story
February 7, 2026 at 10:13 PM
It’s an important detail. I’ll try to get it added to the story
She was born in Mexico during their journey to the U.S.
February 7, 2026 at 10:10 PM
She was born in Mexico during their journey to the U.S.
Reposted by Mike Hixenbaugh
“After baby Amalia had been hospitalized for 10 days, ICE thought this baby should be returned to Dilley, where she was denied access to the medicines that the hospital doctors told her she needed."
NEW: A baby held in immigration detention became so sick, she had to be rushed to a hospital in severe respiratory distress.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
“She was at the brink of dying,” a lawyer told me.
But the girl didn’t go home after her 10-day hospital stay; instead, ICE put her and her mother back in lock up at Dilley.
Toddler hospitalized with respiratory failure was returned to ICE detention without prescribed medication, lawsuit says
The 18-month-old was sent back to a South Texas facility after days in intensive care with severe respiratory distress, according to a federal lawsuit.
www.nbcnews.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:42 PM
“After baby Amalia had been hospitalized for 10 days, ICE thought this baby should be returned to Dilley, where she was denied access to the medicines that the hospital doctors told her she needed."