With the upcoming Iowa Caucuses as cover, CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe took it upon himself to scold Gov. Ron DeSantis’ use of the term “illegal immigrant” in a report with enough immigration advocacy to lead reasonable individuals to conclude that the report was better suited to Univision.
Watch as O’Keefe suggests that the term “illegal immigrants” vilifies…illegal immigrants, and stealthily conflates legal with illegal immigration:
ED O’KEEFE: Here in Iowa, a top issue of concern for Republican voters is the future of immigration and border security.
VOTER: Yeah, the border is a big issue.
VOTER: An open border is not a good thing.
O’KEEFE: Candidates speak about it frequently…
DONALD TRUMP: The border is a disaster, the worst border in history.
O’KEEFE: …and offer solutions.
HALEY: Instead of catch and release, we are going to go to catch and deport.
O’KEEFE: Reporter: But some use terms that vilify undocumented immigrants.
RON DESANTIS: We have a program to transport illegal aliens to sanctuary jurisdictions.
O’KEEFE: Nationwide, Americans are increasingly concerned about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. Nearly half say it’s a crisis. The issue is a long-standing concern for Republicans, but there’s increased worry among Democrats and independents. The reality here is that Iowa's 3 million residents are overwhelmingly white, and the state's strong economy needs immigrant labor.
JOE ENRIQUEZ HENRY: Iowans, especially here, would have a very difficult time having anything to eat at dinner time without immigrants because immigrants are the ones who process the meat, who farm the fields, who cook the food.
If it is a vilification of those who entered the country illegally to refer to them as “illegal immigrants”, then there is implicit an unlimited, blanket right to immigrate to the United States that simply does not exist no matter how hard the left wishes it so.
O’Keefe offers “undocumented immigrants” as the alternative, which in itself is a linguistic illegal alien, given that it is a translation of the common-use term as it is used in its original Spanish. The term only came into existence a little over a decade ago. And “illegal immigrant”, used by DeSantis, was a softening of “illegal alien”, which is probably the best and most accurate descriptor of someone who did not enter the country legally. This underscores the extent to which language, and its policing thereof, is a big part of the immigration debate.
Next, there is the conflation of legal immigration with illegal. Noncitizen workers, in many cases, enter into the country with authorization to work at a specific farm or facility. This is a vastly different matter from the ongoing implosion of our southern border. Also, not all illegal immigrants that come here actually work the fields or meatpacking plants in pursuit of the American Dream.
Finally, there is the victim storytelling angle. In this case, the domestic violence survivor who’s been here for 30 years. Again, there is no mention of the flow of single, military-aged men coming in from China, Africa, and the Middle East.
One normally expects to see this kind of naked immigration advocacy on Univision, not CBS. To O’Keefe’s credit, though: he never used the term “anti-immigrant”.
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned report as aired on CBS Evening News on Thursday, January 11th, 2024:
NORAH O’DONNELL: Well, the economy is one of the main topics of conversation ahead of the Iowa caucuses now just four days away, but it’s not the only one. CBS's Ed O'Keefe is in Ames, Iowa, where he heard what’s top of mind in the Hawkeye State.
VOTER: The borders need to be closed.
ED O’KEEFE: Here in Iowa, a top issue of concern for Republican voters is the future of immigration and border security.
VOTER: Yeah, the border is a big issue.
VOTER: An open border is not a good thing.
O’KEEFE: Candidates speak about it frequently…
DONALD TRUMP: The border is a disaster, the worst border in history.
O’KEEFE: …and offer solutions.
HALEY: Instead of catch and release, we are going to go to catch and deport.
O’KEEFE: Reporter: But some use terms that vilify undocumented immigrants.
RON DESANTIS: We have a program to transport illegal aliens to sanctuary jurisdictions.
O’KEEFE: Nationwide, Americans are increasingly concerned about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. Nearly half say it’s a crisis. The issue is a long-standing concern for Republicans, but there’s increased worry among Democrats and independents. The reality here is that Iowa's 3 million residents are overwhelmingly white, and the state's strong economy needs immigrant labor.
JOE ENRIQUEZ HENRY: Iowans, especially here, would have a very difficult time having anything to eat at dinner time without immigrants because immigrants are the ones who process the meat, who farm the fields, who cook the food.
O’KEEFE: Brenda Rodriguez, who fled an abusive relationship in Mexico, has lived in the state for nearly 30 years.
BRENDA RODRIGUEZ: We did it so many years being under the shadows, and I'm done.
O’KEEFE: So when you hear these candidates who are running say that people who come here illegally have to go home, what do you think of that?
RODRIGUEZ: I deserve a chance to stay. If I am paying my taxes and I am not doing anything, I don't think I’m a, you know, a bad person that the people from Iowa don't want me here.
O’KEEFE: Could Iowa run without immigrants like you?
RODRIGUEZ: I don't think so.
O’KEEFE: With just four days remaining until the caucuses, the remaining Republican candidates like Nikki Haley and Ron Desantis will be holding big campaign events like this one, trying to find those last-minute undecided voters. Former president Donald Trump is set to be back here holding rallies by the weekend. Norah.
O’DONNELL: Ed O’Keefe on the campaign trail there in Ames. Thank you so much.
