The notoriously dishonest practice of indiscriminately labeling any and all opposition to illegal immigration as ‘anti-immigrant’ reared its ugly ahead once again on Telemundo.
Despite the fact that the mission statement of the “We Build The Wall” organization is crystal clear that its sole purpose is to build and maintain “physical barriers inhibiting illegal entry into the United States”, it wasn’t enough to stop NBC and Telemundo anchor José Díaz-Balart from slamming the group on his newscast, for two nights in a row, as ‘anti-immigrant’:
JOSÉ DÍAZ-BALART, ANCHOR, TELEMUNDO: The private wall that is being built by an anti-immigrant group at the border has sparked a wave of repudiation, both from area activists as well as residents. Beyond the criticism, cranes continue to raise the fence which at this moment is half a mile long, and its authors do not seem willing to give up easily.
As can be seen above, the twisted Telemundo report also made it seem as if the citizen-funded wall-building group has absolutely zero support in the area of El Paso where it is being built, when that is also clearly not the case.
On both his May 28 and May 29 broadcasts, the veteran NBC and Telemundo anchor deliberately demonized the We Build The Wall organization:
JOSÉ DÍAZ-BALART, ANCHOR, TELEMUNDO: The leader of the anti-immigrant group ensures that they turned over all the documents and that two workers authorized the construction.
In addition, Telemundo correspondent Edgar Muñoz’s full report on the launch of wall construction by We Build The Wall was heavily lopsided against the project, with no quotes from Spanish-language supporters of the wall. Univision’s report, in contrast, featured wall supporter Anthony Agüero, of the Border News Network.
Muñoz allowed Gabriela Castañeda, for example, of the leftist Border Network for Human Rights, to repeatedly peddle bald-faced smears and lies on the air, as when, totally unchallenged, she affirmed that “the Congress, neither Republicans or Democrats, have approved a wall. Because we don’t need it.”
To see the complete transcript of the above-referenced report as aired on the May 28, 2019 edition of Noticias Telemundo, click on “Expand”.
JOSÉ DÍAZ-BALART, ANCHOR, TELEMUNDO: The private wall that is being built by an anti-immigrant group at the border has sparked a wave of repudiation, both from area activists as well as residents. Beyond the criticism, cranes continue to raise the fence which at this moment is half a mile long, and its authors do not seem willing to give up easily. Edgar Muñoz has the reactions.
EDGAR MUÑOZ, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: There is outrage among activists and concern by residents about the 20 feet high wall of over half a mile on private land in El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
GABRIELA CASTAÑEDA, BORDER NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: This is part of a political show that is part of a larger agenda, a racist, xenophobic agenda by extremist groups.
MUÑOZ: The former Secretary of Kansas Kris Kobach, identified as advisor to the Group We Build the Wall, said that the wall which is adjacent to Chihuahua in Mexico is nearly finished.
KRIS KOBACH: This is the first place in the United States where a private organization has built a wall, said Kris Kobach, whose organization collected $20 million to install barriers along the border.
MUÑOZ: According to media reports, the terrain belongs to Jeff Allen, a rancher married to a Mexican from Ciudad Juárez and the builder is Fisher Industries, from North Dakota. One of the members of the immigrant-hunting group identified as "Viper" dedicated to capturing undocumented immigrants in the area, was besides the metal structure.
CASTAÑEDA: But we want to remind this group that no one is above the Constitution and the Congress, nor the Republicans nor the Democrats, have approved a wall because we don't need one.
MUÑOZ: Various area residents reject the construction of this wall.
RAMIRO ACOSTA, AREA RESIDENT: That money that is being spent there, like what they spend militarily elsewhere, can be used to legalize undocumented people.UNIDENTIFIED MALE RESIDENT: That is not going to stop the flow of immigrants.
MUÑOZ: The Border Patrol told us that this project is not related to their efforts. The activists are wondering what happened to the permits to build this wall, what about the international treaties of water and vegetation between Mexico and United States, and all this they assure, in the face of the inaction of the administration of Donald Trump. In Texas, Edgar Munoz, Telemundo News.
