Isabela Dias is a reporter at Mother Jones. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Slate, the Nation, Pacific Standard, Texas Observer, and elsewhere. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Journalism.

“Designed to Scare People”: Self-deportation notices

Lawyers warn taking the offer on these self-deportation notices could backfire. On April 28, lawyer Paul O’Dwyer opened his email inbox to find some good news. A New York City immigration judge had approved the asylum application for one of his clients. But the immigration court email also contained…