Elizabeth Hernandez
@lizzy-hernandez.bsky.social
Denver Post reporter. Finding humanity in journalism. I write about marginalized groups, social justice, education, libraries, housing, youth, ghosts and general whimsy. Local news stan.
Pinned
Westernaires reenact history with Native American costumes and whoops. Critics say the depictions have no place in a modern West.
The Westernaires’ internal debate over their characterization of Native culture and history illustrates the complicated and changing relationship Colorado has to its Western traditions.
www.denverpost.com
Got a deep dive for ya.
The Westernaires reenacts history w/ Native American outfits & whoops. For decades, Indigenous ppl have criticized them.
An 11 y/o Native girl wonders what it will take to change the org she loves.
www.denverpost.com/2024/11/17/w... via @denverpost.bsky.social
The Westernaires reenacts history w/ Native American outfits & whoops. For decades, Indigenous ppl have criticized them.
An 11 y/o Native girl wonders what it will take to change the org she loves.
www.denverpost.com/2024/11/17/w... via @denverpost.bsky.social
New: Meet the volunteers “bearing witness” at Denver immigration court.
These are the court watchers. They keep eyes open for ICE. They pass out resources to immigrants.
“It’s the best I’ve felt about being white in my entire life.”
www.denverpost.com/2025/11/23/v... via @denverpost.com
These are the court watchers. They keep eyes open for ICE. They pass out resources to immigrants.
“It’s the best I’ve felt about being white in my entire life.”
www.denverpost.com/2025/11/23/v... via @denverpost.com
‘Grassroots’ movement of local residents keeps a watchful eye at Denver immigration court
Denver-area residents provide support and information to families at federal building.
www.denverpost.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:33 PM
New: Meet the volunteers “bearing witness” at Denver immigration court.
These are the court watchers. They keep eyes open for ICE. They pass out resources to immigrants.
“It’s the best I’ve felt about being white in my entire life.”
www.denverpost.com/2025/11/23/v... via @denverpost.com
These are the court watchers. They keep eyes open for ICE. They pass out resources to immigrants.
“It’s the best I’ve felt about being white in my entire life.”
www.denverpost.com/2025/11/23/v... via @denverpost.com
New: Student journalists say they were banned from CU Boulder campus after covering pro-Palestine protest www.denverpost.com/2025/11/20/c... via @dailycamera.com
Student journalists say they were banned from CU Boulder campus after covering pro-Palestine protest
Sophomore Ašiihkionkonci Parker, one of the student journalists, was banned from campus for two weeks after covering a Students for Justice in Palestine protest against Lockheed Martin at a career …
www.denverpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:33 PM
New: Student journalists say they were banned from CU Boulder campus after covering pro-Palestine protest www.denverpost.com/2025/11/20/c... via @dailycamera.com
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
You probably saw videos of a nighttime raid in Chicago. Agents rappelling from a helicopter, bursting down doors, questioning brown-skinned immigrants.
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
“I Lost Everything”: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime
Authorities said Tren de Aragua “terrorists” had taken over the building. A ProPublica investigation found little evidence to back up the government’s claims. For the first time, the Venezuelans arres...
www.propublica.org
November 13, 2025 at 1:28 PM
You probably saw videos of a nighttime raid in Chicago. Agents rappelling from a helicopter, bursting down doors, questioning brown-skinned immigrants.
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
We investigated -- and found little evidence to support the government’s claims about Tren de Aragua.
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
After the Supreme Court tied on religious charters, Alliance Defending Freedom asked a Colorado school district lawyer to initiate a "parallel case," according to emails obtained by Chalkbeat. A self-described Christian public school opened a few months later. www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Christian law firm sought Colorado test case for religious public schools, emails suggest
Alliance Defending Freedom approached a Colorado lawyer about starting a school in Colorado to spark a legal test of publicly funded religious education, according to an email authored by the lawyer.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:05 PM
After the Supreme Court tied on religious charters, Alliance Defending Freedom asked a Colorado school district lawyer to initiate a "parallel case," according to emails obtained by Chalkbeat. A self-described Christian public school opened a few months later. www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
Jesus Christ: "Ultimately, between the money she made from her interactions with men and in the food services industry she was able to save up enough money to get braces."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...
In Matt Gaetz Scandal, Circumstances Left Teen Vulnerable to Exploitation
www.nytimes.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Jesus Christ: "Ultimately, between the money she made from her interactions with men and in the food services industry she was able to save up enough money to get braces."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
Boebert has also been summoned to the situation room in the White House, NYT reports: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/u...
Trump Ramps Up Pressure on G.O.P. To Thwart Epstein Vote
www.nytimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Boebert has also been summoned to the situation room in the White House, NYT reports: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/u...
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
President Trump called Colorado’s U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert about the congresswoman’s support for releasing the Epstein files, per NYT’s Annie Karni:
November 12, 2025 at 7:12 PM
President Trump called Colorado’s U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert about the congresswoman’s support for releasing the Epstein files, per NYT’s Annie Karni:
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
On a call with reporters just now, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet ducked a question about whether Sen. Schumer should stay on as minority leader: “That’s not where I’m focused today.”
November 11, 2025 at 10:14 PM
On a call with reporters just now, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet ducked a question about whether Sen. Schumer should stay on as minority leader: “That’s not where I’m focused today.”
"In journalism, there’s a code: Don’t make yourself the story. But what happens when the story lives inside you? How the pain of others becomes the lens through which you see the world." www.newsweek.com/crime-report...
November 11, 2025 at 10:12 PM
"In journalism, there’s a code: Don’t make yourself the story. But what happens when the story lives inside you? How the pain of others becomes the lens through which you see the world." www.newsweek.com/crime-report...
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
2/2 Are there any experts out there who can correctly identify the weapons being pointed directly at these two @chicagotribune.com photojournalists?
What type of rifle/long gun is this?
cc: @briancassella.bsky.social
What type of rifle/long gun is this?
cc: @briancassella.bsky.social
November 8, 2025 at 8:59 PM
2/2 Are there any experts out there who can correctly identify the weapons being pointed directly at these two @chicagotribune.com photojournalists?
What type of rifle/long gun is this?
cc: @briancassella.bsky.social
What type of rifle/long gun is this?
cc: @briancassella.bsky.social
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
1/2 Are there any experts out there who can correctly identify the weapons being pointed directly at these two @chicagotribune.com photojournalists?
What type of gun is this?
cc: @mandophotos.bsky.social
What type of gun is this?
cc: @mandophotos.bsky.social
November 8, 2025 at 8:56 PM
1/2 Are there any experts out there who can correctly identify the weapons being pointed directly at these two @chicagotribune.com photojournalists?
What type of gun is this?
cc: @mandophotos.bsky.social
What type of gun is this?
cc: @mandophotos.bsky.social
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
The U.S. Air Force Academy's academic accreditation is under review following a formal complaint that the institution no longer has sufficient Ph.D.-level faculty as the federal government reduces its civilian workforce // Story by @thenoellephillips.bsky.social
Air Force Academy’s accreditation under review after cuts to civilian faculty
Concerned alumni and former faculty told The Denver Post they believe the academy is losing too many civilian Ph.D.-level instructors without the ability to replace them with qualified military mem…
www.denverpost.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:56 PM
The U.S. Air Force Academy's academic accreditation is under review following a formal complaint that the institution no longer has sufficient Ph.D.-level faculty as the federal government reduces its civilian workforce // Story by @thenoellephillips.bsky.social
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
Federal agents pulling a woman out of Rayito Del Sol, a daycare by Lane Tech high school
November 5, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Federal agents pulling a woman out of Rayito Del Sol, a daycare by Lane Tech high school
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral race, NBC News projects. nbcnews.to/4nIzNUC
November 5, 2025 at 2:33 AM
BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral race, NBC News projects. nbcnews.to/4nIzNUC
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
November 3, 2025 at 11:25 PM
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
Breaking News: The Trump administration was ordered to release billions of dollars in backup funds for SNAP, the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, after the administration said the government shutdown meant it couldn’t tap contingency funds.
Judge orders Trump administration to release billions in SNAP contingency funds
The government did rely on contingency funding to keep food aid going when it shut down during President Donald Trump’s first term.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Breaking News: The Trump administration was ordered to release billions of dollars in backup funds for SNAP, the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, after the administration said the government shutdown meant it couldn’t tap contingency funds.
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
ICE agents mistakenly identified a Durango father when they pulled him over this week, a senior enforcement official testified in court today, but still arrested the man and his 2 kids in an incident that quickly sparked protests in the Colorado mountain town // Story by @sethklamann.bsky.social
ICE officers mistook Durango father for someone else, official says, but arrested him and children anyway
“It’s my understanding that the father was mistaken for somebody else when (ICE) encountered him,” testified Gregory Davies, Denver’s third-ranking ICE official, in court Fr…
www.denverpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:31 PM
ICE agents mistakenly identified a Durango father when they pulled him over this week, a senior enforcement official testified in court today, but still arrested the man and his 2 kids in an incident that quickly sparked protests in the Colorado mountain town // Story by @sethklamann.bsky.social
This was one of those stories you weep through writing.
Your local food bank is desperate for donations right now.
I know it feels big and hopeless sometimes, but you can make a difference.
Your local food bank is desperate for donations right now.
I know it feels big and hopeless sometimes, but you can make a difference.
"I know the stigma around SNAP is it’s people who are lazy and don’t work and want to benefit off the government," a single mother of two young kids tells @lizzy-hernandez.bsky.social. "I work. I always work. I work full-time, so without those benefits, we are not in good shape.”
Coloradans scramble for help as SNAP suspension looms and food banks ‘just don’t have enough’
State and local leaders in Colorado, as well as food bank operators, this week scrambled to help meet the already overwhelming demand of people without means to eat.
www.denverpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:54 PM
This was one of those stories you weep through writing.
Your local food bank is desperate for donations right now.
I know it feels big and hopeless sometimes, but you can make a difference.
Your local food bank is desperate for donations right now.
I know it feels big and hopeless sometimes, but you can make a difference.
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
"I know the stigma around SNAP is it’s people who are lazy and don’t work and want to benefit off the government," a single mother of two young kids tells @lizzy-hernandez.bsky.social. "I work. I always work. I work full-time, so without those benefits, we are not in good shape.”
Coloradans scramble for help as SNAP suspension looms and food banks ‘just don’t have enough’
State and local leaders in Colorado, as well as food bank operators, this week scrambled to help meet the already overwhelming demand of people without means to eat.
www.denverpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:27 PM
"I know the stigma around SNAP is it’s people who are lazy and don’t work and want to benefit off the government," a single mother of two young kids tells @lizzy-hernandez.bsky.social. "I work. I always work. I work full-time, so without those benefits, we are not in good shape.”
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
This was just posted by a CBS News producer on their Instagram stories.
October 29, 2025 at 9:44 PM
This was just posted by a CBS News producer on their Instagram stories.
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
Windows smashed at multiple Denver LGBTQ+ businesses last weekend trib.al/tt18KD3
Windows smashed at multiple Denver LGBTQ+ businesses last weekend
“These attacks do not resemble random vandalism. They are intimidation designed to push LGBTQIA+ people, families, and especially youth-serving organizations back into fear and isolation.”
trib.al
October 29, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Windows smashed at multiple Denver LGBTQ+ businesses last weekend trib.al/tt18KD3
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
Two children and their father on their way to school were detained by ICE in southwestern Colorado on Monday, sparking protests from demonstrators who tried to prevent the family from being separated and moved to different facilities // Story by @katielang.bsky.social and @sethklamann.bsky.social
ICE’s arrest of father, two children in Durango spark local protests
Two children and their father were detained by federal immigration agents on their way to school in southwestern Colorado on Monday, sparking protests from demonstrators who tried to prevent the fa…
www.denverpost.com
October 28, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Two children and their father on their way to school were detained by ICE in southwestern Colorado on Monday, sparking protests from demonstrators who tried to prevent the family from being separated and moved to different facilities // Story by @katielang.bsky.social and @sethklamann.bsky.social
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
Per Fox News’ Bill Melugin, the head of Denver’s ICE field office has been removed and will likely be replaced with a Border Patrol official, as part of broader DHS reshuffle intended to further escalate arrests:
October 28, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Per Fox News’ Bill Melugin, the head of Denver’s ICE field office has been removed and will likely be replaced with a Border Patrol official, as part of broader DHS reshuffle intended to further escalate arrests:
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
Surveillance in action:
"You know we have cameras in that jurisdiction and you can’t get a breath of fresh air, in or out of that place, without us knowing, correct?”
denverite.com/2025/10/27/b...
"You know we have cameras in that jurisdiction and you can’t get a breath of fresh air, in or out of that place, without us knowing, correct?”
denverite.com/2025/10/27/b...
Police used Flock cameras to accuse a Denver woman of package theft. She had her own evidence
"Like I said, nothing gets in or out of the town without us knowing."
denverite.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:02 AM
Surveillance in action:
"You know we have cameras in that jurisdiction and you can’t get a breath of fresh air, in or out of that place, without us knowing, correct?”
denverite.com/2025/10/27/b...
"You know we have cameras in that jurisdiction and you can’t get a breath of fresh air, in or out of that place, without us knowing, correct?”
denverite.com/2025/10/27/b...
Reposted by Elizabeth Hernandez
ICE detained a Colorado teacher and her family during a routine check-in at a field office last week despite the educator having legal authorization to live and work in the United States, according to school officials // Story by @sethklamann.bsky.social
Douglas County teacher arrested by ICE had legal authorization to work, school says
“We are currently working closely with our legal team and outside immigration attorneys to understand if and how we might be able to help facilitate their return,” Principal Stacy Bush …
www.denverpost.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:06 PM
ICE detained a Colorado teacher and her family during a routine check-in at a field office last week despite the educator having legal authorization to live and work in the United States, according to school officials // Story by @sethklamann.bsky.social