Children & Families Reporter

Anna Oakes

Anna Oakes covers children and families for The Current. Before joining The Current, she was a freelance journalist and podcast producer covering immigration, housing, protests and free speech, and, occasionally, rat infestations around New York City. Anna has written for outlets including The Guardian, El Pais, Documented, The City Reporter, and Hell Gate. As a 2025 Reporting Fellow at the Pulitzer Center, she reported on the impacts of US immigration policy across Mexico’s northern and southern borders, including US veterans deported to Tijuana and Haitian asylum seekers stranded in Chiapas. Anna has produced and co-hosted podcasts for LWC Studios, Heritage Radio Network, and Radiotopia Presents, including the podcast “Bot Love,” listed as one of The Atlantic’s best podcasts of 2023. Anna is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia Journalism School.

The Current

The Current is a nonprofit news organization serving Lafayette and South Louisiana. We are part of the Deep South Today network of newsrooms. Founded in 2018 by local journalists, The Current‘s in-depth reporting connects Lafayette to stories that matter and helps readers understand how our community works — and how we can make it better.