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May 2023 NewsBeat 21 verify raw data before releasing that information via free inter- active tools and written reports. Detailed information on federal civil and criminal court activities is available for a fee, though public reports are often comprehensive enough for journalists to offer context and perspective. Brief es- says on the histories of the agen- cies that TRAC's focus on offer useful background for journalists covering those topics. TRAC: Where to start There are many ways to explore TRAC data, but the sheer amount of information may be daunting for first-time users. Start with TRAC Immigration Tools for quick facts on immigration detention and immigration courts, as well as current and historical data on border patrol arrests, immigrant detention facilities, asylum filings and backlogs, and U.S. code relevant to immigration. Among other data, users can orga- nize immigration court proceedings going back to the 1990s by charge type, immigrant nationality and the percent of immigrants allowed to stay in the U.S. by court location. Coun- ty-level maps of pending immigration court cases illustrate the distribution of immigration proceedings around the country. All data are aggregate and individual immigrants are not identifi- able. TRAC also offers a primer on how to use its immigration data tools, as well as comprehensive detail on the agen- cies involved in immigration processes, their roles, responsibilities and interac- tions. Kocher has also posted on Twit- ter an overview of immigration-related data available for free through TRAC. Due to time constraints, the TRAC team can't offer one-on-one introduc- tory walkthroughs of how to access its data. But Kocher says he can give quick help to journalists pursuing specific stories, pointing them toward data that can provide context for audiences or other avenues of investigation. And, he says, he is willing to provide more detailed responses once a relationship with a journalist is established. "I've learned the hard way that the academic timeline is months, if not years, to publication and for journal- ists it's 24 hours," Kocher says. "I have gotten over the hump and I now say, 'If we have a working relationship, I will respond immediately to you.'" Deeper analyses that require a day or more of work are usually limited to paying subscribers. But there are trends in the free immigration data that can spur story ideas. Story ideas As an example of a story waiting to be told, Kocher points to recent in- creases in asylum seekers in the U.S. from Nepal. The numbers of Nepalese asylum seekers remain small com- pared with the number of migrants arriving at the southern border, but there may be stories to explore given the recent uptick. Another story idea: TRAC data include the primary language that asylum seekers use. Spanish sign language is among them. What unique challenges are faced by asy- lum seekers who use Spanish sign language? From a 2021 TRAC report: "Contrary to popular misconcep- tions, 'sign language' is not a uni- versal language. Similar to spoken languages, sign languages in use among Deaf and Hard of Hear- ing communities have their own linguistic histories and regional variations that may not map onto the spoken language of the region. What the courts list as Spanish Sign Language, therefore, may not nec- essarily represent one single lan- guage community, but many language communities." Design improvements across the site that will make the data easier to explore are slated to roll out over the coming year, Kocher says. And in late February, keep an eye out for TRAC reports on new data that will reveal what is happening with enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border and outcomes of Biden administration immigration policies. Clark Merrefield joined The Journal- ist's Resource in 2019 after working as a reporter for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, as a researcher and editor on three books related to the Great Reces- sion, and as a federal government com- munications strategist. This article was originally published on the Journalist's Resource website.

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