As Republican governors have recently shined more attention on the border crisis by sending illegal immigrants to blue states as the Biden administration refuses to stop their entry, CNN has been doing its part to spread misinformation to undermine the GOP on the issue.
Not only has there been inaccurate and misleading fact checking, but the liberal network even touted a flawed poll claiming only 29 percent support the GOP's efforts while a different poll highlighted by Fox in recent days found substantial support for Republicans.
Even the New York Times on Thursday contradicted some of CNN's recent claims, admitting that many of the asylum seekers swam across the Rio Grande and are not likely to even have their asylum cases concluded for years.
CNN weekend host Pamela Brown on Saturday twice highlighted a recent poll which allegedly found that respondents opposed the busing of migrants to blue states by a 40-29 margin. On screen, the chyron misleadingly suggested that the question asked was: "Do you think migrants should be shipped to blue states?"
Speaking with The Atlantic's Ron Brownstein, Brown asserted: "I want to point to this new poll by Reuters/Ipsos that shows only 29 percent of Americans agree with this policy of shipping migrants to blue states."
But the polling question she seemed to be referring to was very vaguely worded. According to the questionnaire by Reuters/Ipsos, on page nine, a series of questions is set up: "Do you support or oppose the following?" Under (b), the question continues: "Leaders of some states busing or flying migrants to other states or Washington, D.C.?"
But, a few days later, FoxNews.com and Fox Business highlighted a CBS/YouGov poll which found that those who support Republican governors sending migrants to blue states by a 51-49 margin. Question 39 read: "...some Republican governors have sent migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to other, Democratic-leading areas in the U.S. Do you approve or disapprove of these actions?"
In spite of the Reuters polling question cited by Brown not saying what she claimed, she also brought it up during a debate between conservative contributor Scott Jennings and liberal contributor Maria Cardona. Brown even joined Cardona in interrupting to incorrectly claim the asylum seekers Republican governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis sent to Democrat cities were not "illegal" even though even the New York Times admitted this week that many of them swam across the Rio Grande. From the Times article: "In August, he braved the turbulent waters of the river, up to his neck, to reach the U.S. side and request asylum. 'Here I can help my family more than from anywhere,' he said after being sent to Washington, D.C., in a bus arranged by Governor Abbott."
The article soon added: "Migrants who cross the border between the official ports of entry are detained and given a background check. Some are deported on the basis of a pandemic-era rule put in place by Mr. Trump. For others, the law requires due process before they are sent home."
The article further recalled that there is a backlog of 1.9 million immigration cases which includes 750,000 asylum seekers, "most of which have been pending for five years or longer."
On the same show, CNN's Daniel Dale did a lame fact check in which he insisted that the border with Mexico is not open in spite of the fact the many thousands who cross the border illegally and then claim asylum to avoid being deported after they are caught. In spite of the overwhelming majority of these asylum cases being eventually rejected, there is no easy way to force them to leave the country, as documented by Fox News. There are also estimated to be between 500,000 and a million illegals who evaded border patrol in the past year.
CNN's tendency to mislead viewers on the issue is no better than it was a couple of years ago.
This misinformation and spin for Democrats pushed by CNN was sponsored in part by Subway and ADT. Click on the link to let them know what you think.
Transcripts follow. Click "expand" to read more.
CNN Newsroom
September 24, 2022
6:26 p.m. Eastern
PAMELA BROWN: Immigration has roared back into the headlines in recent weeks with Republican governors busing migrants to Democrat-led cities up north and GOP candidates railing against so-called open borders in the south. But as Republicans try to make immigration a major issue ahead of the midterms, CNN's Daniel Dale their border crisis, that narrative does not paint the full picture.
DANIEL DALE: Pamela, some of the Republican campaign criticism has been misleading or lacking in critical context or just plain wrong. One common Republican claim is that the U.S. has an open border under Joe Biden. That is just not true. In right around half of the Biden era cases where the authorities have encountered a migrant at the southern border, this migrant has been rapidly expelled from the country, sent away under the pandemic-era policy known as Title 42. Even the people who authorities encounter, but are not rapidly expelled, still face court proceedings that often result in eventual deportation.
Now, of course, some migrants do evade detection and sneak into the country. Some other manage to stay despite deportation orders. Nonetheless, open borders is inaccurate. Republicans also keep citing the large quantities of fentanyl being seized at the border, but fentanyl being seized is more proof the border is not actually open. And here's a critical point almost never mentioned in GOP talking points, the vast majority of the seizures happen at the legal ports of entry where cars and trucks and buses line up to enter. In the vast majority of the time, it is being brought in by U.S. citizens or legal residents.
About 85 percent of the fentanyl seized at the Southwest border this fiscal year has been seized at legal ports, and the other 15 percent or so tends to be seized at Border Patrol checkpoints inside the U.S., not from migrants walking across. So the image Republicans are trying to create is a migrant trekking through the desert with a sack of drugs, that happens in some tiny percentage of cases, but it is certainly not the predominant story.
Now, of course, none of this is to take a side on whether Joe Biden is doing a good job or a bad job on the border or on immigration policy, but as these issues get debated, it is important for people to have their facts straight.
(...)
BROWN: You have red state governors that are sending these migrants to Democratic cities up north. Governor Ran DeSantis of Florida now says this is a frontrunner issue thanks to his efforts. But in using these people, including kids and families as political pawns, it's not really a good look for Republicans. Could it feed into a perception that Republicans lack compassion and humanity, Scott?
[SCOTT JENNINGS]
Maria?
[MARIA CARDONA]
And I wanted to get back to you on some of the points you made. But, Scott, you had brought up the poll initially about how respondents view Republican handling of immigration being stronger than Democrats. I want to throw another poll at you, though. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a majority of respondents say migrants should not be shipped to blue states -- 40 percent to 29 percent. Polls and politics aside for a moment, would it not be smart, Scott, to have the governments of red and blue states just work together on this?
JENNINGS: Well, I think it would be smart if the federal government would do its job. I mean, I think all these governors and all these mayors and everybody who's dealing with this influx of illegal immigrants, they're the ones who are being hung out to dry by the lack of a federal response.
CARDONA: They're not illegal.
BROWN: You say "illegal" immigrants these are legal immigrants that are -- that these governors are busing and flying everywhere. I just want to point that out. Go ahead.
JENNINGS: Guys, we've had -- guys, we've -- ladies, we've had 4.4 million people cross the border since Joe Biden became President, including 850,000, roughly, that have gotten away. This is an illegal immigration crisis. And, I mean, that's how the American people see it. I don't think anybody is going to see it any differently.
CARDONA: You know what, Scott? I think you need to look at the facts and understand actual immigration law in this country. The migrants that your governors are using and abusing as pawns for their own political plays are actually here legally and are availing themselves of processes that are available under American law, and so that's number one.
Number two, you all keep saying that the border is open. We just had Daniel Dale underscore that was absolutely not true. You complain about the millions of migrants that have been apprehended at the border. You can't have it both ways. If the border were open, they would not be apprehended. These folks -- these migrants you're complaining about that your governors are using and abusing are coming here through legal ports of entry. So if you are actually proposing that we need to close the legal ports of entry and close commerce to our second biggest trading partner, then I think you and your party's ignorance on immigration is bigger than we could all ever imagine.
(...)
CNN Newsroom
September 24, 2022
7:25 p.m. Eastern
BROWN: I want to point to this new poll by Reuters/Ipsos that shows only 29 percent of Americans agree with this policy of shipping migrants to blue states.
(...)
Fox News Live
September 5, 2022
1:44 p.m. Eastern
MOLLY LINE: We're looking at these incredible pictures that Garrett just brought us along with his crew down there in Eagle Pass -- people in the water right now as we speak. The largest mass downing of migrants, 13, but CPB numbers show that 200 have died just in the Del Rio section alone from October through July. So this is really an ongoing issue, you know, a terrible tragedy not only for the people that drown, but also for the people down there trying to secure the water and the border and to rescue people. Your thoughts on this ongoing enormous challenge?
BRANDON JUDD, NATIONAL BORDER PATROL COUNCIL: This is extremely upsetting, and it's upsetting to every single one of us that puts on a uniform and goes out there and tries to secure the border. When you look at what this administration is doing, they're encouraging people to cross the border illegally. They're encouraging people to put their lives in danger because these people know that they're going to be released. People don't listen to words -- they listen to actions. And this administration's actions are very clear. If you cross the border illegally, you will be rewarded. And if you do that, then they're going to continue to come.
And when you consider that, even though we're breaking records for the number of deaths -- when you consider last year, the Biden administration surpassed the previous high in number of deaths on the border -- they were at 500. Now, we are approaching 800 deaths -- more than double what we had before Biden took office. ...
...MOLLY LINE: When we see these numbers and these videos -- live videos coming in -- a real tragedy unfolding right before my eyes -- what do you think the Biden administration should be doing right now as they've just issued what they said is this warning of extreme importance?
JUDD: It's very simple what they need to do. They need to hold people in custody pending asylum or deportation proceedings. We believe in asylum -- we believe that people should have the right to claim asylum from countries that might do them harm. But you can't release them into the United States. The vast majority of these people never show up to their final court appearance. They'll be ordered (deported) in absentia -- or when they're not there -- and then the Biden administration doesn't allow ICE officers to execute the warrants that are issued for those people. They know that they're never going to have to leave this country. They violate our laws, never to leave again. And that's the magnet that draws so many people here. if this administration would end "catch and release," this problem would go away.
(...)
Fox News at Night
September 2. 2022
12:44 a.m. Eastern
GILLIAN TURNER: I want to ask you about rainbow fentanyl -- the drug, the pills that are colored in these sort of pastel, candy-looking colors to attract kids. Newsweek has this piece out today reporting that most of these drugs -- these pills come across the U.S. southern -- come across the U.S. southern border from Mexico into the United States. They say they don't -- they're not brought by individual smugglers coming, you know, walking across the border. They come in through these gigantic ships and cargo planes so this really has nothing to do with President Biden's border policy. Is that true?
TOM HOMAN, FORMER ACTING ICE DIRECTOR: That's wrong. That's wrong. Most drugs are seized at a port of entry. Why? Because every vehicle is stopped, and the inspector makes a determination of whether to inspect that vehicle. Between the ports of entry, no one is stopping them. Right now, 70 percent of Border Patrol agents are not on the line. So what's coming across that line where there's no Border Patrol agents? The criminal cartels are making record profits off fentanyl because the border is open. So people confuse -- and the left wants to use this purposely -- "most of the drugs come through the ports of entry." No. Most of the drugs are seized at a port of entry because it's manned 24/7, and every vehicle is stopped.
(...)
Fox News Channel
Your World with Neil Cavuto
August 24, 2022
4:22 p.m. Eastern
NEIL CAVUTO: So someone must give them a piece of paper or something about a court date. That's how it was traditionally handled at the border. I assume the same procedure is in place where it's up to the migrant to show up for that court date. ... How does that go? And how many show up for that?
BRANDON JUDD, NATIONAL BORDER PATROL COUNCIL: It is the exact same procedure. It's called a notice to appear. This is what we give these individuals. Now, it's a series of court dates. It's not just one single court day. It's a series. They first have to show up to Citizens and Immigration Service. And when they show up there, that's when they become eligible for work permits -- and then they get all of the benefits that any United States citizen could have -- all the social benefits that exist here. ...
CAVUTO: And they can't be deported, right? Brandon, they can't be deported at
JUDD: No, they cannot.
CAVUTO: Through all these various processes, they can't be kicked out, right?
JUDD: No, they cannot.
CAVUTO: Not until their final court appearance.
JUDD: And that final court appearance -- that's when -- that's when they have to prove that they have a legitimate reason to be here in the United States. That's when the vast majority disappear. They never show up to that final court appearance. And if they do show up to that final court appearance, and they're ordered (deported), they're normally released for about 30 days to get all of their affairs in order. And that's when they disappear. So the vast majority of these people will never leave this country. They will be ordered -- they will be ordered deported in absentia, or they will be ordered deported in person, but then they're released, and then they disappear.
