Remember Twister, the game that ties you up in knots? That is a perfect way to describe Univision News’ ability to twist any good news related to the Trump Administration to fit its political agenda. One recent report about a new healthcare plan for persons in U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) custody along the Southwest Border is such an example.
From the outset, the network’s anchor made sure to include the words ‘death of people in immigration custody’; furthermore, in an attempt to substantiate their point of view, the network gave camera time to a criminal defense lawyer who, in the absence of reason, came up with a conspiracy theory (along with a major blooper.) Take a look for yourself:
TSI TSI KI FELIX, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: U.S. Customs and Border Protection formalized a healthcare plan following the mass arrival of migrant families on the U.S.-Mexico border. The aim is to improve medical care for migrants and prevent the death of people in immigration custody.
[...]
LUIS CARRILLO, LAWYER: The federal government did not implement these measures for humanitarian reasons. The federal government implemented them in order to protect themselves from lawsuits for lack of health care.
While the first half of the report explained the directive objectively and included a physician ́s support for it as “a perfect measure, very good for people who come as immigrants,” as well as citizens and residents in general in the United States, the second half of the report came out full-force against the Trump Administration, with not one but two major blunders:
One: That “The program starts when the measures taken in detention centers are in question, following the deaths of two seven and eight-year-old Guatemalan children in the custody of the Border Patrol in December 2018.” Absent from the report is the fact that on December 20, 2019, an investigation by Homeland Security found NO misconduct or wrongdoing in the deaths of both minors.
Two: Univision ́s supposed legal expert, Luis Carrillo, said “that any detainee in custody, migrant or not, is protected by the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which says, medical attention should be given if the detainee needs it.” Actually, the 8th Amendment states that “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”
Yep. That's how it goes at the nation's leading Spanish-language news network when they want to press their political agenda: To push their dislike for Donald Trump, anything goes regardless of it being true or not.
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned report, as aired on Noticiero Univision Edición Nocturna on Wednesday, January 1st, 2020:
TSI TSI KI FELIX: U.S. Customs and Border Protection formalized a healthcare plan following the mass arrival of migrant families on the U.S.-Mexico border. The aim is to improve medical care for migrants and prevent the death of people in immigration custody. Socorro Ortiz has the details.
SOCORRO ORTIZ: The year 2020 begins along with the implementation of new measures in the federal government. Customs and Border Protection has put in place a medical plan for migrants who are detained and transferred to detention centers. The goal is to increase medical care and effectiveness with emergency services, physical examinations including the respiratory system, instructions to isolate sick migrants to prevent contagion and vaccines for staff, as well as masks and hand sanitizers.
GRACIELA CALATAYUD, PHYSICIAN: This is a perfect measure, very good for people who come as immigrants. Diseases that people haven't even been diagnosed can be diagnosed here with a physical exam.
ORTIZ: Dr. Calatayud tells us that these measures will benefit not only migrants in detention, but also citizens and residents in general in the United States.
CALATAYUD: But they are also preventive for people who are going to be exposed, once they are free and exposed to society.
CRUZ: The program starts when the measures taken in detention centers are in question, following the deaths of two seven- and eight-year-old Guatemalan children in the custody of the Border Patrol in December 2018. And in May 2019, an outbreak of influenza affected more than 30 immigrants under arrest, and a 16-year-old boy died from the disease.
LUIS CARRILLO: The federal government did not implement these measures for humanitarian reasons. The federal government implemented them in order to protect themselves from lawsuits for lack of health care.
CRUZ: Lawyer Carrillo says that any detainee in custody, migrant or not, is protected by the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which says, medical attention should be given if the detainee needs it. Immigration officials participated in more than 20,000 visits to different hospitals during the year and worked with doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the creation and implementation of this program that aims to start as soon as possible. In Los Angeles, California, Socorro Cruz, Univision.
