On Monday, all three network morning shows admitted immigration arrests over the weekend appeared to be nothing more than “routine enforcement actions,” however, that did not stop the broadcasts from continuing to fearmonger on the issue and warn that the “threat” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement doing its job was “still not over.”
“Immigration officials delayed raids scheduled to begin in ten major U.S. cities yesterday, but the operation is expected to pick up this week,” co-host Gayle King noted on CBS This Morning. She then turned to correspondent Manuel Bojorquez, reporting from outside an ICE facility in Florida, and wondered: “I guess the question now is how are the immigration activists getting ready?”
Bojorquez touted how left-wing groups “spent this weekend informing undocumented immigrants about their rights and what to do if confronted by an immigration officer” while also “warning immigrant families that the threat is ongoing.” The headline on screen throughout the segment offered more alarmism: “ICE Raids; Expected Crackdown Sparks Panic In Immigrant Communities.”
“Immigration activists around the country are springing into action to help those threatened by the planned deportation arrests,” the reporter announced, before fretting that the “expected crackdown” of simply enforcing existing deportation orders was “causing concern in immigrant communities around the country and here in south Florida.”
After playing a soundbite of Acting ICE Director Matthew Albence defending the apprehensions as “targeted enforcement actions against specific individuals who have had their day in immigration court and have been ordered removed by an immigration judge,” Bojorquez predictably relied on the Trump administration’s political opponents to respond: “But some Democrats say publicizing the crackdown is the administration’s attempt to instill fear.”
A clip ran of Minnesota Senator and 2020 presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar ranting: “It’s not about getting people who are security risks deported it’s about scaring everyone in the country and it is also about changing the news.”
Bojorquez wrapped his report by parroting more liberal talking points:
The American Civil Liberties Union is trying to block the mass deportation arrests. The organization has filed a lawsuit alleging they violate basic due process procedures and that many of the immigrants targeted may not have received the paperwork to appear in court in the first place.
On ABC’s Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos declared: “...the President was touting these immigration raids in major cities that were supposed to take place yesterday. It appears that didn’t really come off.” Correspondent Cecilia Vega acknowledged: “Yeah, you know, ten large cities, this was supposed to happen around the country, 2,000-some-odd undocumented immigrants, they fell far short of expectation....We’re told by sources that they looked more like routine enforcement actions.”
Even so, Vega still worked to frighten viewers:
You know, we know that leaders in cities where these raids were supposed to happen say the President is purposefully trying to scare these immigrant communities. We know a number of people did not answer their doors. They were coached, essentially, and told not to answer their doors if ICE knocked and didn’t have warrants. But immigration advocates, George, tell us that this threat is still not over. They believe the raids could happen later today or later this week when people head back to work.
The headline on screen blared: “Immigration Battle; Growing Fear and Protests Over Trump’s Announced ICE Raids.”
Despite co-host Savannah Guthrie mentioning that the immigration law enforcement actions were performed “at a much slower pace than anticipated,” on NBC’s Today show, correspondent Gabe Gutierrez followed with a report hyping liberal politicians trying to block the effort: “Several mayors are defiant, refusing to cooperate.” A soundbite ran of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot promising: “What we are working on is doing everything we can to push back against what the Trump administration’s doing.”
The reporter went on to tout how “Volunteers in North Carolina even patrolled neighborhoods looking for ICE officers.” As if federal law enforcement officials were criminals that communities needed to be on the look out for.
To its credit, NBC was the only network to remind viewers of the record number of deportations that occurred during the Obama administration. At the end of the segment, Gutierrez explained: “A senior administration official says that the goal of arresting 2,000 undocumented immigrants can still be reached in the coming days, but it’s important to note that back in 2012, under the Obama administration, there were more than a thousand ICE arrests across the country on average, so a number that high is not unheard of.” Though he added: “Still, back then, families were not being targeted as they are now.”
Despite journalists admitting that immigration enforcement had so far been “routine” and even on par with actions taken by Obama, they still tried to paint the latest effort under Trump as a scary “threat.”
On Thursday, the network evening newscasts all spent time advising illegal immigrants on how to evade ICE authorities spreading “fear and panic.”
Here is a full transcript of the July 15 report on CBS This Morning:
7:10 AM ET
GAYLE KING: Those racially-tinged attacks on Democrats come as President Trump touts a large-scale plan to arrest thousands of undocumented immigrants with final deportation orders. It’s off to a slow start, you could say. Immigration officials delayed raids scheduled to begin in ten major U.S. cities yesterday, but the operation is expected to pick up this week. Manuel Bojorquez is at an ICE facility in south Florida with more on the story. Manuel, I guess the question now is how are the immigration activists getting ready?
MANUEL BOJORQUEZ: Well, Gayle, good morning. They spent this weekend informing undocumented immigrants about their rights and what to do if confronted by an immigration officer. Now, many of those groups believe that officials may have delayed those sweeps yesterday because of all that heightened publicity around them, but they’re warning immigrant families that the threat is ongoing.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ICE Raids; Expected Crackdown Sparks Panic In Immigrant Communities]
Immigration activists around the country are springing into action to help those threatened by the planned deportation arrests.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [IMMIGRATION ACTIVIST]: We know our rights and we are organizing.
BOJORQUEZ: The expected crackdown is causing concern in immigrant communities around the country and here in south Florida. Pastor Howard Harden says he’s encouraging his congregation to support one another.
HOWARD HARDEN: I think everybody knows someone who’s affected by this and I think every church is the same.
BOJORQUEZ: So far sources tell CBS News activity has been limited to New York City, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents knocked on doors this weekend, but there were no arrests. Immigration officials say about one million people in the country have removal orders. Acting ICE Director Matthew Albence said Sunday the operation targets those who pose a threat to public safety.
MATTHEW ALBENCE: We are doing targeted enforcement actions against specific individuals who have had their day in immigration court and have been ordered removed by an immigration judge.
BOJORQUEZ: But some Democrats say publicizing the crackdown is the administration’s attempt to instill fear.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR [D-MN]: It’s not about getting people who are security risks deported it’s about scaring everyone in the country and it is also about changing the news.
BOJORQUEZ: Some immigrants are seeking sanctuary in churches, including this one north of Los Angeles. This man didn’t want to show his face on camera. He’s afraid he’ll be arrested in a sweep.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN B [ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT] I come here like ten years ago, more than ten years. Now is a very hard time for immigrants right now with the administration.
BOJORQUEZ: The American Civil Liberties Union is trying to block the mass deportation arrests. The organization has filed a lawsuit alleging they violate basic due process procedures and that many of the immigrants targeted may not have received the paperwork to appear in court in the first place. Anthony?
ANTHONY MASON: Manuel, thank you.
Here is a full transcript of the report on ABC’s GMA:
7:09 AM ET
(...)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Meantime, this all comes, Cecilia, at the same time last week the President was touting these immigration raids in major cities that were supposed to take place yesterday. It appears that didn’t really come off.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Immigration Battle; Growing Fear and Protests Over Trump’s Announced ICE Raids]
CECILIA VEGA: Yeah, you know, ten large cities, this was supposed to happen around the country, 2,000-some-odd undocumented immigrants, they fell far short of expectation, these raids that the President said would happen. There were only a handful of operations that took place around the country. We’re told by sources that they looked more like routine enforcement actions.
The big question this morning, George, though, is did these actions, these raids not happen because the telegraph – the President telegraphed them in advance? You know, we know that leaders in cities where these raids were supposed to happen say the President is purposefully trying to scare these immigrant communities. We know a number of people did not answer their doors. They were coached, essentially, and told not to answer their doors if ICE knocked and didn’t have warrants. But immigration advocates, George, tell us that this threat is still not over. They believe the raids could happen later today or later this week when people head back to work.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Right, they could unroll all through the week. Okay, Cecilia Vega, thanks very much.
Here is a full transcript of the report on NBC’s Today show:
7:09 AM ET
CRAIG MELVIN: Also this morning, the Trump administration’s much debated raids targeting thousands of undocumented immigrants are underway, but there’s been a late change with how that operation is being rolled out. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez is in Atlanta, where – one of the cities where those raids are expected. Gabe, good morning.
GABE GUTIERREZ: Craig, good morning. The round-ups have begun, but a senior administration official says they have started slow. We don’t have solid numbers at this point, but so far, they appear to be much lower than what was initially anticipated and feared in immigrant communities.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ICE Raids Underway; Ten Major Cities Impacted In Slow Rollout]
After protests this weekend across the country, today, planned round-ups by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are underway, though apparently smaller and quieter than what was widely expected.
DONALD TRUMP: People come into our country illegally, we’re taking them out legally. It’s very simple. It’s not something I like doing, but people have come into our country illegally. We’re focused on criminals.
GUTIERREZ: Arrests had been expected in at least ten major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and New York. Small raids were reported in two New York neighborhoods on Saturday, but it’s not clear if they were part of the wider crackdown. Several mayors are defiant, refusing to cooperate.
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT [D-CHICAGO]: What we are working on is doing everything we can to push back against what the Trump administration’s doing.
GUTIERREZ: Volunteers in North Carolina even patrolled neighborhoods looking for ICE officers.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [ANTI-ICE ACTIVIST]: We are out today doing ICE Watch.
GUTIERREZ: On Sunday, a top immigration official refused to say whether children caught up in deportation raids would be separated from their parents.
KEN CUCCINELLI [U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES ACTING DIRECTOR]: I’m not going to say yes or no to anything like that because then certain people out there can write themselves off the list or find a way to play a loophole.
GUTIERREZ: It all comes as the battle over the border intensifies. This video inside a detention center in McAllen, Texas drawing outrage. Migrants shouting they had “no showers” as Vice President Mike Pence toured the facility.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN B [ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT]: I’m not a criminal.
GUTIERREZ: One journalist on the tour described a horrendous stench.
MIKE PENCE: You’re at your capacity here.
GUTIERREZ: A second facility in nearby Donna, Texas, was less crowded.
PENCE: I couldn’t be more impressed with the compassionate work that our Customs and Border Protection are doing here at this facility.
GUTIERREZ: A senior administration official says that the goal of arresting 2,000 undocumented immigrants can still be reached in the coming days, but it’s important to note that back in 2012, under the Obama administration, there were more than a thousand ICE arrests across the country on average, so a number that high is not unheard of. Still, back then, families were not being targeted as they are now. Savannah and Craig?
MELVIN: Alright, Gabe Gutierrez for us there in Atlanta. Gabe, thank you.
