Resistance to the rule of the law is the order of the day in much of Univision's coverage of federal immigration law enforcement actions across the country.
The bias in favor of lawlessness is most recently illustrated by a June 1 story by correspondent Jaime García about the detention of a woman arrested in San Diego for unlawful presence in the country. Claudia Rueda had previously been arrested in Los Angeles, yet the enforcement of immigration laws is portrayed as ‘fascism’.
Anti-ICE protesters are featured claiming they “‘believe that the city has the power and the ability to tell the Border Patrol not to come” and instead of reporting on the fact that Rueda was arrested twice for violating immigration laws, she is presented as a political prisoner.
BETH BECKER, PROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, ANTI-ICE PROTESTER: We see her as a political prisoner.
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LEONARDO VILCHEZ, ANTI-ICE PROTESTER: If the city is not going to do anything to protect us, the community is gonna have to organize barricades, block the streets, and avoid that the Border Patrol takes these residents.
One of the interviewees comments on President Trump and his decision to allocate more resources to the expansion of the Border Patrol and states: “We don’t want them to expand their operations.” García totally neglects to present the views of city residents who are in favor of law and order, and who are, indeed, law-abiding citizens or lawful residents.
Although García reports on the fact that ICE agents were looking for drug traffickers in the neighborhood, he effectively sides with the protesters by stating that [ICE agents] “knocked on the doors of all the neighbors of spreading fear in this Hispanic barrio.” Someone ought to remind Mr. García that an officer’s job when looking for criminal activity is, among other things, to knock on people’s doors, so for him to portray that as a ‘huntdown’ to be fearful of is not only inaccurate but also unethical. As a journalist he should know better, especially considering that he is talking about someone's job description.
García states that the presence of federal law enforcement authorities in this Los Angeles neighborhood has prompted neighbors to call for action and self-defense. He points out that similar acts of resistance were carried out by residents of Queens, a New York neighborhood, a couple of days earlier, in which community members attempted to impede federal officers from arresting someone suspected of robbery.
In this report, as well as in many others, Univision’s skewed, one-sided narrative continues to openly aid and abet community resistance to the enforcement of the country’s laws.
Below is a complete transcript of the above-referenced report, as aired on the June 1, 2017 edition of Noticiero Univision.
MARIA ELENA SALINAS, NEWS ANCHOR, UNIVISION: Civil rights activists and advocates denounce that operatives and arrests against immigrants continue to increase under the pretext that they are looking for gang members and drug traffickers. But during those raids, they detain people who have not committed crimes, even young dreamers. Jaime García brings us the story of a dreamer who is at a detention center in San Diego.
LEONARDO VILCHEZ, ANTI-ICE PROTESTER: We believe the city has the power and the ability to tell the Border Patrol not to come.
JAIME GARCÍA, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: Residents of the Hispanic neighborhood, Boyle Heights, in downtown Los Angeles, protested the incursion of Border Patrol agents in this neighborhood located 140 miles away from the Mexican border.
WOMAN ANTI-ICE PROTESTER: As you see, Trump gave more money to expand the Border Patrol. We do not want them to expand their operations.
JAIME GARCÍA, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: In just one month, the Border Patrol agents carried out two operations in this neighborhood. In the last one, they arrested student, dreamer, Claudia Rueda under suspicion of drug trafficking.WOMAN ANTI-ICE PROTESTER: In our community, we have seen that they use the excuse of drugs and gangs to grab anyone, put him in detention and try to deport him.
JAIME GARCÍA, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: Testimonies indicate that in the search for the student, dreamer, the Border Patrol agents knocked on all neighbors’ doors spreading fear in this Hispanic barrio.TERESA MONTES, RESIDENT OF BOYLE HEIGHTS: Of course. I have a neighbor of mine, comadre, who is terrified. She doesn’t wanna go out.
GREGORIO IVAN, RESIDENT OF BOYLE HEIGHTS: You can not even leave your children in school thinking that this may be the last time I can see my son.
JAIME GARCÍA, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: Before her arrest, Claudia Rueda publicly fought for the release of her mother, also arrested in Los Angeles by Border Patrol agents. The mother was released, but the agents returned for Claudia, who is now in a detention center.
BETH BECKER, PROFESSOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, ANTI-ICE PROTESTER: We see her as a political prisoner.
JAIME GARCÍA, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: The presence of Border Patrol agents in this area of downtown Los Angeles, has already caused some neighborhood organizations to call for self-defense.
LEONARDO VILCHEZ, UNION DE VECINOS, ANTI-ICE PROTESTER: If the city will not do anything to protect us, the community will have to organize barricades, block the streets and prevent the Border Patrol from taking these residents.
JAIME GARCÍA, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: Two days ago, residents of the Queens neighborhood in New York, tried to prevent ICE agents from arresting an immigrant suspected of robbery, forcing federal agents to call for backup. In Los Angeles, Jaime Garcia, Univision.
