Kaitlin Bell - Kaitlin Bell

Could DC statehood expand female representation in Congress?

Kaitlin Bell May 1, 2021 0 Comments

WASHINGTON — In 1971, Anne Anderson moved back to D.C. after living in the suburbs for a few years. One part of the moving process was registering to vote. As she looked at the party affiliations, one party caught her attention — the D.C. Statehood Party. A party now known as the Statehood Green Party. She registered for the party because she was for statehood and the full rights it...

WMATA says ridership is a main factor in which stations could close next year—turns out it’s more complicated than that

Kaitlin Bell March 6, 2021 0 Comments

BY KAITLIN BELL, CAROLINA ORDEIX, MEGAN QUINN, AISHINA SHAFFER Kate Crotty doesn’t have a car. That wasn’t always a problem. Crotty, who lives in Crystal City, used to take Metro to the grocery store to save a few dollars. But when WMATA began closing stations in March 2020, her shopping habits had to switch from what was affordable to what was walkable in her neighborhood....

Parents and non-traditional teachers: Two peas in a pod

Kaitlin Bell December 15, 2020 0 Comments

Not every family has the financial means to form a learning pod — a small, in-person class run by a hired teacher. Instead, many parents are supplementing their children’s remote education themselves. Trying to be creative, while also being safe, parents and pod teachers are fulfilling similar roles. In Washington D.C., Julianne and Ryan Reilly’s biggest struggle during the pandemic has...

Election Day 2020

Kaitlin Bell November 30, 2020 0 Comments

One in 10 eligible voters for the 2020 Election was a naturalized U.S. citizen, according to the Pew Research Center. The record number of immigrant voters and the experience of first-time voters became a focal point for stories on state and federal elections around the country. Almost two-thirds of eligible Asian American voters are immigrants. Hear from 12 Asian American voters in Pennsylvania....

Why can’t people social distance from coffee shops?

Kaitlin Bell November 24, 2020 0 Comments

As infections of COVID-19 continue to increase nationwide, lockdowns and restrictions loom over the fate of small businesses. Coffee shops and cafes — already beginning to deal with dropping temperatures — are preparing to deal with these restrictions. Yet, community support and consistent desires for coffee that isn’t brewed at home may prove to be these shops’ saving grace.

Strength in numbers: Kentucky teachers during election season

Kaitlin Bell November 13, 2020 0 Comments

In Kentucky, teacher’s unions not only battle for their own workplace protections, they also organize to elect officials that will uphold their values. Their strength is in their numbers. Emilie Mckiernan Blanton is a member of two Kentucky teacher’s unions. The first is the state-wide Kentucky Educators Association and the second is Jefferson County Teachers Association, which serves the...

Long-term BIA Pro Bono Project case ends with a victory

Kaitlin Bell August 23, 2020 0 Comments

This piece was originally published on July 24, 2020, for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. CLINIC’s BIA Pro Bono Appeals Project launched in 2001. In its 19+ years of operation, the Project has reviewed more than 7,200 cases, pairing attorneys and law school clinics with vulnerable asylum seekers and long-time lawful permanent residents. The Project accepted Jose Tineo’s case and...

Practicing self-care with DVP

Kaitlin Bell August 23, 2020 0 Comments

This piece was originally published on June 26, 2020, for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. Across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic’s reach can be felt in so many ways. The way we live and work has been transformed as many do their part to protect one another from the spread of the virus. CLINIC’s Defending Vulnerable Populations, or DVP, Program found a way to bridge the social...

Immigrant participation in the 2020 Census

Kaitlin Bell August 20, 2020 0 Comments

For the 2020 Census, CLINIC partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to raise awareness about the need for and safety of immigrant participation in the census. As a trusted source in the immigration space, CLINIC was a natural fit for this role. Social media was utilized as an outreach tool to address misinformation surrounding the census and promote participation, particularly by immigrants. The...

USCIS’ Self-Imposed Financial Crisis

Kaitlin Bell June 30, 2020 0 Comments

This campaign began as a way to ensure that journalists and immigration advocates were informed about the root causes for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services' financial crisis. This is an ongoing campaign to hold the government agency accountable and to keep the public informed as the situation develops. One of the posts in this campaign was added to a BuzzFeed News Twitter Moment....