Bethany Blankley reports for The Center Square newswire, a publication of the Franklin News Foundation. She’s gained international recognition for her reporting at the U.S.-Mexico border, for her exclusive coverage of national security threats at the southwest and northern borders. She is a finalist for the Dao Prize for her reporting on the northern border.
During the Biden administration border crisis, Bethany broke multiple exclusive stories, including the record number of gotaways illegally entering the U.S. based on data obtained from Border Patrol agents under a gag order. She was the first to compare illegal border crosser totals to state and country populations. She was also the sole reporter breaking each story over two years as each of what would become 60 Texas counties declared an emergency and 55 declared an invasion citing the border crisis.
She is also the only reporter to exclusively cover multiple Operation Lone Star task force operations working with Texas sheriffs targeting human and drug smugglers and traffickers. She has also consistently reported on the record number of known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) being apprehended by U.S. authorities at the U.S.-Canada border, which accounted for roughly 65% of all KSTs apprehended during the Biden administration nationwide. She also reported on the record number of unaccompanied minors being smuggled into the country, and ongoing crisis related to this as the majority were sent to live with sponsors or in facilities in Texas.
She also covers Trump administration deportation efforts, the Texas legislature, Texas and national energy issues, and some education issues.
She previously wrote opinion commentary about religion and politics that has been published by The Washington Times, Townhall, Religion Today, Christian Headlines, the Christian Post, Patheos, among others. She regularly contributed to local radio broadcasts and was a regular contributor for Fox News Radio affiliates nationwide.
Bethany previously worked in press offices of elected officials in Washington, D.C., and New York City. As a former Capitol Hill staffer, her first job was with former Senate Majority Leader Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kansas. She then went on to work in the press offices of three U.S. Senators and one Congressman on Capitol Hill, a former New York governor and for several nonprofits, filling the roles of speech writer, press secretary and spokesperson.
Bethany earned her MA in Theology from New College at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and her BA in Political Science with honors from the University of Maryland. She is a past fellow of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal and L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland.
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