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Ashley Borja - Data reporter — politics and government
Ashley Borja

Data reporter — politics and government

As a data reporter on the politics team, my goal is to use numbers and graphics to explain what's happening in Florida's political scene. Before coming to the Tampa Bay Times, I earned my master's degree from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and published at several news outlets. As a native New Yorker and reporter, I covered New York's ever-changing political scene — keeping an eye on NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul. When I am not writing code and creating graphics (interesting ones, I hope), you can find me reading books with my cat and watching ghost hunting videos.

  1. Noem visits Tampa airport to give TSA officers $10,000 bonus checks
    • Community News
    Travelers in line wait at the U.S. Transportation Security Administration checkpoint for gates in airside E at Tampa International Airport on Nov. 7. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in Tampa Monday to award $10,000 bonuses to 16 Tampa International Airport security workers for their work during the federal government shutdown.
  2. Tampa police receive $430K for immigration training, enforcement
    • Tampa
    The Tampa Police Department requested state funds to deputize more police officers and cover immigration enforcement overtime.
  3. Florida immigration dashboard offers look at law enforcement arrests, stops
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
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  5. Can you pass the US citizenship test? Try 10 questions
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    A group of new U.S. citizens, at right, observe the Pledge of Allegiance during a naturalization ceremony on June 27, 2025, at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Tampa Field Office.
  6. Tampa Bay sheriffs get more than $1M from state for immigration enforcement
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis, pictured here May 1, and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday approved $14 million in grants to local sheriff's offices and police departments for immigration enforcement efforts.
  7. Immigration enforcement in Florida is complicated. Here’s what you should know.
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis, pictured here on May 1, said at a news conference on immigration enforcement across Florida: 'If you're illegal, we'll hold you accountable.'
  8. Driver in fatal big rig crash had immigration status checked two days later
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Harjinder Singh is escorted onto an airplane by Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and law enforcement last week in Stockton, Calif.
  9. Florida’s immigration enforcement effort adds 800 Fish and Wildlife officers
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    About 800 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers are now credentialed to assist the federal government with immigration enforcement.
  10. Tampa Bay jails see spike in ICE detentions
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    A security guard stands near a group gathered outside the Department of Homeland Security offices in Tampa.
  11. Should Democrats be excited about special elections gains? Nope
    • Elections
    Democrat Josh Weil ran an unsuccessful campaign for a U.S. House seat in a special election earlier this year in Florida but had a stronger run than the previous candidate last November. He's now running for U.S. Senate.
  12. A judge blocked Florida’s immigration law. Police arrested 25 anyway
    • Investigations
    A guard checks the identification of a man outside the U.S. Department of Homeland Security offices in Tampa. Florida lawmakers this year passed an immigration law that gave state officials unprecedented power.
  13. At least 900,000 Floridians have already lost access to fluoride in their water
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Volunteer dentist Dr. Shazia Malik examines the mouth of new patient Roosevelt Jones in 2019 at the Community Dental Clinic in Clearwater.
  14. Tampa Bay’s population is still growing but outpaced by rest of Florida
    • Florida
    Crowds walk along 22nd Street South, browsing vendor booths, during the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in St. Petersburg.
  15. Here’s what my first Tampa Bay fish fry experience was like
    • Food
    Sign outside of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pinellas Park on March 7, 2025.
  16. Citizens Insurance customers in Tampa Bay: your premium is likely going up
    • Real Estate
    A aerial view of the rooftops pictured in Fishhawk Ranch, on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 in Lithia. Homeowners in the Tampa Bay area with Citizens Insurance will see an average rate increase on June 1, 2025.