Perla Trevizo

Reporter, ProPublica/Texas Tribune investigative unit

Perla Trevizo is a Mexican-American reporter born in Ciudad Juárez and raised across the border in El Paso, Texas, where she began her journalism career. Trevizo spent more than 10 years covering immigration and border issues in Tennessee and Arizona before joining the Houston Chronicle as an environmental reporter. She has written from nearly a dozen countries, from African refugee camps to remote Guatemalan villages, with the goal of broadening readers’ understanding of the global issues that impact the local communities where she has worked. Her work has earned her national and state awards including the Dori J. Maynard Award for Diversity in Journalism, French-American Foundation Immigration Journalism Award, and a national Edward R. Murrow for a story done in collaboration with Arizona Public Media. She was also honored as the 2019 Arizona Journalist of the Year by the Arizona Newspaper Association. She is based in El Paso.

Latest Contributions

This loan company was founded to help Latino immigrants. It has sued thousands of low-income Latinos during the pandemic.

By Kiah Collier, Ren Larson and Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Aug. 31, 2020

A monthslong investigation revealed that Oportun Inc. routinely uses lawsuits to intimidate a vulnerable population into keeping up with high-interest loan payments — even amid COVID-19. Full Story

Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune
Nonprofit that financed a private border wall is now the focus of a corruption case

By Perla Trevizo, Jeremy Schwartz and Lexi Churchill, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Updated: Aug. 21, 2020

Investigators say fundraisers for nonprofit We Build the Wall, including Steve Bannon and founder Brian Kolfage, lied to donors and pocketed funds. Trump has tried to distance himself from the group but Kolfage has bragged about their ties. Full Story

Credit: Mark Lambie/El Paso Times via REUTERS
“It cost me everything”: Hispanic residents bear brunt of COVID-19 in Texas

By Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News Updated: July 30, 2020

Not only are Hispanic Texans catching the coronavirus at higher rates in the state's largest county, but they also suffer some of the worst outcomes. Full Story

Credit: Brandon Thibodeaux for The Texas Tribune/ProPublica/NBC News
This private border wall was already at risk of falling down if not fixed. A hurricane made things worse.

By Perla Trevizo and Jeremy Schwartz, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica July 29, 2020

Engineering experts said photos of damage from last weekend’s storms reinforce the idea that building and maintaining a border fence so close to the river poses serious challenges. Full Story

Credit: James Hord for The Texas Tribune
Trump says he disagreed with privately funded border wall. The builder got $1.7 billion in wall contracts from his administration.

By Perla Trevizo and Jeremy Schwartz, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica July 12, 2020

President Donald Trump now claims this privately funded border wall in the Rio Grande Valley — touted as the "Lamborghini" of fences — was built to "make me look bad," even though the project's builder and funders are all Trump supporters. Full Story

Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Eroding private border wall to get an engineering inspection just months after completion

By Jeremy Schwartz and Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica July 9, 2020

Months after the "Lamborghini" of border walls was built along the Rio Grande, the builder agreed to an engineering inspection of his controversial structure. Experts say the wall is showing signs of erosion that threatens its stability. Full Story

Credit: Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune/ProPublica
He built a privately funded border wall. It's already at risk of falling down if not fixed.

By Jeremy Schwartz and Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica July 2, 2020

Trump supporters funded a private border wall on the banks of the Rio Grande, helping the builder secure $1.7 billion in federal contracts. Now the "Lamborghini” of border walls is in danger of falling into the river if nothing is done, experts say. Full Story

Credit: Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune/ProPublica
When small businesses can’t access PPP, local governments struggle to close the gap

By Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica June 5, 2020

Thousands of small businesses, especially those owned by people of color, have been left behind by the stipulations of the Paycheck Protection Program. In Texas, local governments are lending millions of dollars, and it’s not enough. Full Story

Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune
COVID-19 cases at a Texas immigration detention center soared. Now, town leaders want answers.

By Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica May 11, 2020

Coronavirus infections continue to rise at migrant detention facilities in towns with limited resources. Some local governments want details on what’s being done to safeguard the public. Full Story

Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune
Officials knew coronavirus could spread at the Houston Rodeo and proceeded with the event anyway

By Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica April 20, 2020

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the city’s largest annual event, attracting 2.5 million people and generating nearly $400 million. But officials pushed forward with this year's 20-day event until there was a positive coronavirus case from community spread. Full Story

Credit: Katie Haugland Bowen/Flickr