NBC Admits ‘Frantic’ and ‘Relentless’ Border Crisis Not Stopping

May 5th, 2021 3:21 PM

Just days after Today co-host Craig Melvin surprisingly grilled President Biden about the ongoing illegal immigration crisis at the U.S. southern border, on Wednesday, the NBC morning show actually reported the “frantic flow of migrants” into the U.S. continuing to be “relentless.” The segment focused on state and local authorities in Texas being forced to police the border “because federal resources are stretched so thin.”

“Now to the continuing migrant surge at the southern border. We’re getting a firsthand look at a new push by local law enforcement to ramp up patrols there,” announced Melvin at the top of the 8:00 a.m. ET hour as he introduced the coverage. Reporting from the border in Hidalgo, Texas, correspondent Gabe Gutierrez informed viewers:

 

 

The Biden administration says that Border Patrol processing facilities are no longer as overcrowded, but that doesn’t mean that the overall number of migrants is slowing. Law enforcement agencies across this region say they are overwhelmed.

“Overnight, the frantic flow of migrants was relentless,” the reporter declared, making it clear that the crisis was far from over. Gutierrez explained that he toured the region along the Rio Grande river “not with federal border patrol agents but with rangers from the Texas Department of Public Safety,” who were “having to patrol more of this area because federal resources are stretched so thin.”

Turning to Texas Department of Public Safety agent Christopher Olivarez, the correspondent asked: “Do you consider what you see here a crisis?” Olivarez didn’t hesitate:

It is a crisis. It is. I mean, you see how easy it is for these smugglers to raft these migrants across. They have no fear of law enforcement because they drop them off, they’ll go back to Mexico, bring another group.

Gutierrez detailed the scale of the dire situation: “Since March, state officials say they’ve referred more than 28,000 migrants to the federal Border Patrol. They’ve also seized more than 5,700 pounds of marijuana, almost 100 pounds of cocaine, and more than $1 million in currency.”

However, he did parrot White House talking points denying that Biden’s immigration policies were contributing to the humanitarian disaster: “The Biden administration says much of this surge is seasonal and due in part to poor conditions in Central America, not a change in border policies.”

Wrapping up the segment, Gutierrez asked Olivarez: “Do you see this slowing down anytime soon?” He replied: “At this moment right now, I don’t see it slowing down.” The reporter concluded: “...we were with this group for hours overnight, and we saw virtually – almost no federal agents. They were just swamped.”

The report from Gutierrez actually mentioning Biden’s name was a significant improvement from Monday, when the broadcast covered multiple crises – including the one at the border – without mentioning the President even once.

The surprisingly decent segment was brought to viewers by CarMax and Target.

Here is a full transcript of the May 5 report:

8:07 AM ET

CRAIG MELVIN: Now to the continuing migrant surge at the southern border. We’re getting a firsthand look at a new push by local law enforcement to ramp up patrols there. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez has made his way to Hidalgo, Texas, for that story. Gabe, good morning.

GABE GUTIERREZ: Craig, good morning. The Biden administration says that Border Patrol processing facilities are no longer as overcrowded, but that doesn’t mean that the overall number of migrants is slowing. Law enforcement agencies across this region say they are overwhelmed.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Local and State Police Ramp Up Border Patrols]

Overnight, the frantic flow of migrants was relentless. We were there not with federal border patrol agents but with rangers from the Texas Department of Public Safety. This is what Texas DPS agents say they’re seeing more of each and every night, rafts full of women and children, making the dangerous trek across the Rio Grande. They’re saying they’re having to patrol more of this area because federal resources are stretched so thin.

Do you consider what you see here a crisis?

LT. CHRISTOPHER OLIVAREZ [TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY]: It is a crisis. It is. I mean, you see how easy it is for these smugglers to raft these migrants across. They have no fear of law enforcement because they drop them off, they’ll go back to Mexico, bring another group.

GUTIERREZ: Nearby in Roma, Texas, a simple traffic stop by state troopers led them to this stash house. Right now, authorities are starting to process these migrants. It’s not clear how long they have been at this stash house, but there are dozens of them, mostly young men, but a few women and children.

Since March, state officials say they’ve referred more than 28,000 migrants to the federal Border Patrol. They’ve also seized more than 5,700 pounds of marijuana, almost 100 pounds of cocaine, and more than $1 million in currency.

OLIVAREZ: We have a job to do, and our job is to protect the communities.

GUTIERREZ: The Biden administration says much of this surge is seasonal and due in part to poor conditions in Central America, not a change in border policies. Recently, there has been a sharp drop in the backlog of migrant children being processed at Border Patrol facilities.

JEN PSAKI: Migration is a dynamic and evolving challenge. But the President has a plan, and we’re working on implementing it.

GUTIERREZ: But along the Rio Grande, the rafts keep coming. Viola Torres from Honduras told us she paid a smuggler $8,000 to make the treacherous journey to the U.S.

Do you see this slowing down anytime soon?

OLIVAREZ: At this moment right now, I don’t see it slowing down.

GUTIERREZ: Critics argue that this isn’t their job, that state and local cops should not have to help enforce federal immigration laws. But, Craig, we were with this group for hours overnight, and we saw virtually – almost no federal agents. They were just swamped, Craig.

MELVIN: It’s quite the fascinating look there. Gabe Gutierrez for us along the border in Hidalgo. Gabe, thank you.