On Wednesday’s Today, NBC offered up yet another sympathetic report for the Obama administration following Federal Judge Andrew Hanen’s decision to block implementation of President Obama’s controversial executive action on immigration.
Fill-in host Sheinelle Jones introduced the network’s coverage by playing up the “major setback for the Obama administration." Jones then turned to NBC’s White House correspondent Kristen Welker to lament that “the Department of Homeland Security was supposed to begin accepting applications from illegal immigrants seeking relief from deportation today.”
Welker began her report by proclaiming that the “Obama administration is gearing up for a major fight” before detailing the decision by a federal judge to block the administration’s implementation of Obama’s executive action:
Now, the President's action aimed to stop the deportation of more than four million undocumented immigrants, giving them the ability to obtain Social Security numbers and work permits. But on Monday U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen ruled the President had overstepped his authority, writing, quote, “Once these services are provided, there will be no effective way of putting the toothpaste back in the tube should the plaintiffs ultimately prevail.”
The NBC reporter continued to promote the White House response and hyped how a “defiant President Obama said Tuesday he disagreed with the decision and argued the law is on his side.”
While Welker did briefly note the GOP efforts to block the president’s unilateral action on immigration, she failed to mention that Obama had said 22 times he couldn’t ignore or create his own immigration law without approval from Congress.
In contrast to NBC’s pro-Obama report on Wednesday morning, CBS This Morning provided much more balanced coverage. CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett actually acknowledged the huge financial costs states will be forced to cover as a result of Obama’s immigration action:
But federal district judge Andrew Hanen's 123-page ruling said 26 states that have sued to block the president’s executive actions have raised important legal questions that higher federal courts must hear. Among them, states will incur millions of dollars in costs processing driver’s licenses for those granted legal protection. The administration rushed the rule-making process and it jeopardized other laws when it blamed limited resources for its inability to carry out deportations.
Welker’s sympathetic language towards the White House was similar to a report on Tuesday’s NBC Nightly News. Interim anchor Lester Hold Declared that “[t]he showdown over immigration” had taken a “dramatic turn" and Chris Jansing, NBC News senior White House Correspondent fretted how one woman’s “dream of working for the FBI may not come true.”
See relevant transcripts below.
NBC’s Today
February 18, 2015
WILLIE GEIST: Sheinelle Jones is in this morning for Natalie. Some new reaction to a big ruling on immigration.
SHEINELLE JONES: Yes, good morning. A major setback for the Obama administration. A Texas judge has blocked the President's unilateral action on immigration just as the program was set to take effect. That decision is leaving millions in limbo. NBC's White House correspondent Kristen Welker is live with the latest. Kristen, good morning.
KRISTEN WELKER: Sheinelle, good morning. The Obama administration is gearing up for a major fight. The Department of Homeland Security was supposed to begin accepting applications from illegal immigrants seeking relief from deportation today. But now that has been put on hold after a federal judge in Texas temporarily halted the President's immigration action. Administration officials are vowing to appeal and possibly seek an emergency injunction.
Now, the President's action aimed to stop the deportation of more than four million undocumented immigrants, giving them the ability to obtain Social Security numbers and work permits. But on Monday U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen ruled the President had overstepped his authority, writing, quote, "Once these services are provided, there will be no effective way of putting the toothpaste back in the tube should the plaintiffs ultimately prevail."
Twenty-six states sued the President, led by Texas. A defiant President Obama said Tuesday he disagreed with the decision and argued the law is on his side. Republicans are trying to block the President's immigration action by holding up funding for DHS, which expires in less than two weeks. At this point Republicans are signaling they will move forward with that strategy while they monitor the legal battles that are playing out. Sheinelle.
JONES: Kristen Welker, thank you.
CBS This Morning
February 18, 2015
CHARLIE ROSE: The Obama administration this morning plans to appeal after a Texas judge put the president’s immigration overhaul on hold. Major Garrett is at the White House where the president now finds himself fighting two border security battles. Major good morning.
MAJOR GARRETT: Good morning. On this topic President Obama has always said he's on solid legal ground. Now for the first time a federal district judge disagrees. The result, the president's executive actions on immigration and up to 5 million undocumented adults and children eager to see the fear of deportation lifted are now trapped in legal limboBARACK OBAMA: I think the law’s on our side and history’s on our side.
GARRETT: The administration argues its actions will bring some undocumented workers and their children into mainstream American life where they can work legally, pay taxes, and stay together without fear of deportation.
OBAMA: We should not be tearing some mom away from her child when the child has been born here and that mom has been living here for the past ten years minding her own business and being a important part of the community.
GARRETT: But federal district judge Andrew Hanen's 123-page ruling said 26 states that have sued to block the president’s executive actions have raised important legal questions that higher federal courts must hear. Among them, states will incur millions of dollars in costs processing driver’s licenses for those granted legal protection. The administration rushed the rule-making process and it jeopardized other laws when it blamed limited resources for its inability to carry out deportations.On this last point Judge Hanen wrote that such an argument could be used to, “cease enforcing environmental laws or the Voting Rights Act.” This comes as Republicans and the White House are at a standstill over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Republicans will provide the funds but only if the president abandons his executive actions on immigration.
TED YOHO: The right thing is to fund this, to pass this. The president signed into law and let's readdress immigration in the future the proper way.
GARRETT: Funding for the Department of Homeland Security expires February 27th. One possible way out for both sides: Republicans agree to full funding while the administration agrees not to implement any part of the president’s executive actions on immigration until all issues are resolved. Gayle?
GAYLE KING: Major, thank you.
