Bias by omission was highlighted Monday and Tuesday as CBS Evening News Plus and Fox News’s Hannity covered the 11 Iranians arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement this week, while ABC and NBC did not touch the subject on their lead morning and evening shows.
As the arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants across the country continue, criminals- many who pose a threat to the American people-have been detained by ICE. CBS Evening News Plus featured Homeland Security correspondent Nicole Sganga, who gave an in-depth rundown of three out of the 11 Iranian illegals, with alarming descriptions:
Three of these really stood out to me. ICE officials allege Ribvar Karimi is a former Iranian army sniper, and when federal agents arrested him near Atlanta, he was carrying get this, an Islamic Republic of Iran army identification card. Now, Yousef Mehridehno was arrested in central Mississippi just four months after he appeared on the National Counterterrorism Center Known or Suspected Terrorism Watchlist. And authorities say 56-year-old Mehran Makari Sahli is a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member with admitted connections to Hezbollah. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Minneapolis, where he was sentenced to 15 months in prison formerly, and an immigration judge ordered him removed in June of 2022, but he remained in the U.S. Illegally. That is, until authorities took him in in the Saint Paul area on Sunday.
Sleeper cell threats have been looming over Americans' heads over the heightened tension with Iran and Israel that led to the U.S. destroying Iran’s underground nuclear facility on Saturday. This is terrifying information and should be on national news, unless it’s ABC and NBC.
On Wednesday evening, Fox News’s Hannity invited border czar Tom Homan, who emphasized the terror regarding the recent Iranian arrests, stating:
This is the biggest national security issue this country has ever faced because not only do you have 700 and some released, number one, they can't be properly vetted. You know? Secretary Mayorkas said, “Everybody’s got vetted.” Do you think Iran would give us any information about their national security issues or the past or records of who these people are, or their involvement in any national security’s? Iran is not going to give you that information. And beyond that, you and I have talked many times about 2 million, more than 2 million got-aways that pay more to get away than cross the border, and we don't know who they are or where they came from or why they are here. That scares me more than anything.
Streaming platform NBC News Now made time a two-minute segment, and NBC News’s website had an article, but why is this headline not emphasized enough with the threat at stake? ABC has yet to publish an article or segment discussing the serious issue.
Why are left-wing media platforms avoiding segments that are a threat to public safety?
American citizens deserve to know the criminals who are living in this country illegally, and appreciate ICE’s efforts to arrest and deport major threats to this nation.
Click here for the transcript:
CBS Evening Plus
6/24/25
7:02 p.m. EasternJOHN DICKERSON: We begin tonight with the arrest of Iranian nationals. Eleven arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 48 hours. It is the continuation of the administration's effort to deport migrants it claims are a threat to public safety. Homeland Security correspondent Nicole Sganga joins me now. Nicole, what do we know about these 11 who were arrested?
NICOLE SGANGA: Yeah, John, among these Iranian foreign nationals, 11 men arrested in nine cities in eight states over, you said it, 48 hours. And the targeted operations began on Sunday. Now, five of those detained by ICE have previous criminal convictions. Three of these really stood out to me. ICE officials allege Ribvar Karimi is a former Iranian army sniper, and when federal agents arrested him near Atlanta, he was carrying get this, an Islamic Republic of Iran army identification card. Now, Yousef Mehridehno was arrested in central Mississippi just four months after he appeared on the National Counterterrorism Center Known or Suspected Terrorism Watchlist. And authorities say 56-year-old Mehran Makari Sahli is a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp member with admitted connections to Hezbollah. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Minneapolis, where he was sentenced to 15 months in prison formerly, and an immigration judge ordered him removed in June of 2022, but he remained in the U.S. Illegally. That is, until authorities took him in in the Saint Paul area on Sunday.
DICKERSON: Nicole, you mentioned this started on Sunday. That’s also when the military campaign started against Iran. Connection?
SGANGA: Yeah. That's right. And this is also when DHS activated its National Terrorism Advisory System that warns against retaliatory violence here in the homeland. And Iranian-sponsored or even inspired attacks are really a concern among Intel officials I've been speaking with. To be clear, John, ICE officials did not tie any of these men to a specific, credible terrorism plot against the United States. Instead, they said all of those arrested had criminal charges or convictions, meaning they were not just here in the U.S. Illegally and alleged they represented a threat to public safety. ICE officials have framed these targeted operations as part of the Trump administration's larger immigration crackdown. It's also the case, John, that national security, though, does not happen in a vacuum.
DICKERSON: Indeed. Nocole Sgnaga, thank you.
