(The White House, January 2022)

(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

Read and watch my work from Washington and Colombia below.

Hi, I’m Austin.

I’m an independent video & digital journalist and ghostwriter. I most recently spend two years based in Medellín, Colombia as an independent correspondent covering migration and the Andes region, where I reported for BBC News, The Guardian, Voice of America, Al Jazeera, Rest of World and other outlets.

I relocated to Colombia after closely covering the United States' evolving immigration policy for the last several years in Washington, D.C., most recently as the first-ever White House reporter for Spectrum News, where I founded the company’s assignments to the press pool and briefing room. I spent five years in D.C. covering national politics, first as a live television producer/field producer then as a multimedia reporter. I’m a skilled video producer, editor and broadcast writer.

I speak Spanish, and the common thread of my work is the revelation of the human impact of politics and policy.

Jericó, Colombia, 2024 (Photo: Jorge Calle)

Recent work from Colombia

  • Voice of America: Colombia’s Caribbean islands on front line of fight against climate change

    Watch

  • Voice of America: Migrant Children Brave Darien Gap on Way to US Border

    Watch

  • The Guardian: Can Colombia’s ‘crazy’ cattle ranchers make beef an eco-friendly choice?

    Read

  • BBC: 'Drugged, robbed, killed': The city catching US tourists in dating trap

    Read

  • Al Jazeera: Seeking medical care, one family races anticipated US border restrictions

    Read

  • Voice of America: Violence, economic stagnation push more Ecuadorians toward US border

    Watch

  • BBC News contribution: 'Your son will die': How blessing scammers prowl streets

    Read/Listen

  • Al Jazeera: ‘I have to leave’: Migrants flock to US ‘mobility’ centres in Latin America

    Read

  • The Guardian: Over 3,000 stranded as boat captain arrests halt Darién Gap migration

    Read

  • Mongabay: In a village divided, farmers stall copper mine in Colombia's fertile Andes

    Read

  • Al Jazeera: In a historic move, Colombia bypasses patent to access HIV drug

    Read

  • Rest of World: After dating app murders spike in Colombia, Match Group offers to help the police

    Read

On-Camera Reel

One translator worked for the U.S. for nine years. The Taliban threatened to kill him for it. But it took him three years to get a U.S. visa through the bogged-down program designed to bring he and other allies to safety.

Video

The same inflationary pressures pinching consumers nationwide are also echoing throughout the building industry – and are cutting into the value of federal infrastructure dollars.

Airlifted during U.S. evacuation, thousands of Afghans wait in limbo in UAE: 'We can't give them a clear answer' I was the first American reporter to reveal that thousands of Afghans evacuated by the U.S. in the chaotic Kabul exit were still wa

Airlifted during U.S. evacuation, thousands of Afghans wait in limbo in UAE: 'We can't give them a clear answer'

I was the first American reporter to reveal that thousands of Afghans evacuated by the U.S. in the chaotic Kabul exit were still waiting in limbo in a camp in the United Arab Emirates, with no path to leave or get to the U.S. Many described their lodging as a “prison,” with almost no time outdoors. As of late 2022, thousands of Afghans remained there.

'They want to be safe': One year into Ukraine war, early U.S. arrivals face expiring status For many of the approximately 20,000 Ukrainians who crossed over the U.S.-Mexico border in the early days of the conflict with Russia, their one-year le

'They want to be safe': One year into Ukraine war, early U.S. arrivals face expiring status

For many of the approximately 20,000 Ukrainians who crossed over the U.S.-Mexico border in the early days of the conflict with Russia, their one-year legal status was on the cusp of expiring in weeks. Iryna and her family could not return home to Mariupol, Ukraine -- one of the cities most devastated by Russian attacks.

As thousands of Afghan evacuees wait in legal limbo, new bill designed to help faces uphill battle Tahira Askari's temporary parole status in the U.S. will expire in one year, like 77,000 other Afghans who also escaped Kabul last August. Curren

As thousands of Afghan evacuees wait in legal limbo, new bill designed to help faces uphill battle

Tahira Askari's temporary parole status in the U.S. will expire in one year, like 77,000 other Afghans who also escaped Kabul last August. Currently, her only option to stay is to apply for asylum, a program backlogged by about 400,000 applications and that typically takes years to complete.

Interpreters risked their lives to serve the U.S. military. But the U.S. hasn't fulfilled its promise to bring them to safety.

A $1.75 billion investment tucked away in the bipartisan infrastructure law aims to bridge the accessibility gap through a new grant program for the more than 920 stations around the country — or 20% of all stations— that don’t meet ADA standards, according to the Department of Transportation.

A U.S. promise out of reach: A year since Kabul's fall, thousands of Afghan allies wait in hiding

A U.S. promise out of reach: A year since Kabul's fall, thousands of Afghan allies wait in hiding

Despite Biden officials' message, Trump's vaccine plan was underway

Despite Biden officials' message, Trump's vaccine plan was underway

State to state, inflation takes a bite out of $1.2T infrastructure law's value

State to state, inflation takes a bite out of $1.2T infrastructure law's value

First lady has parallel mission on pivotal overseas trip for Biden

First lady has parallel mission on pivotal overseas trip for Biden

WH coordinator for Afghan refugees connects key players for the work ahead

WH coordinator for Afghan refugees connects key players for the work ahead

In Orlando, VP Harris calls out Florida leaders for 15-week abortion ban

In Orlando, VP Harris calls out Florida leaders for 15-week abortion ban

“He certainly has a PhD in the process,” said Jeffrey Peck, who served as general counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee under Biden’s leadership from 1987 to 1992.

As President Biden prepares to nominate his first Supreme Court justice, Spectrum News spoke to former advisers who say they expect him to approach the process of replacing Justice Stephen Breyer the way he did back then: by thoroughly reading material and in coordination with senators from both parties, bringing with him both tough lessons and core advisers from his days as chairman.

A Washington tradition resumed this year when former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama return to the White House for the unveiling of their official portraits.

The decades-old custom — hosted by the current president to recognize his predecessor — was delayed for the Obamas, after former president Donald Trump neglected to invite them back to reveal their portraits.

Current Location

Medellín, Colombia