CBS deserves credit sometimes for doing real journalism, even in the network’s reporters are shocked at what they find out. On Tuesday, CBS This Morning reporter Mireya Villarreal looked at the threat of Covid crossing the border in the form of illegals entering into Texas. She deemed it an issue that has “caught the attention of conservatives,” such as Ron DeSantis. But when Villarreal talked to a border mayor, she seemed almost stunned to find out that he agrees with GOP governors raising alarm about the threat.
Villarreal went to McAllen, Texas and a tent town where Border Patrol processes illegals. As she eventually noted in the segment, Covid-positive individuals aren’t detained. The journalist conceded, “Across the entire southwest border, 210,000 migrant apprehensions were reported for July, a 21 year high.” She added that this disaster has “caught the attention of conservative leaders across the country.”
Actually, it’s a problem for the whole country. But at least CBS is covering it. NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America had nothing on the crisis. Villarreal then played a clip of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: “You just want to hopscotch across that border? They don't care about Covid. They're letting you straight in.”
After attempting to minimize the threat of Covid spreading due to illegals, Villarreal talked to Javier Villalobos, the Republican mayor of McAllen. He shocked her by agreeing with governors like DeSantis and Greg Abbott:
JAVIER VILLALOBOS (Mayor, McAllen, Texas): Initially I didn't see it as a problem because it was under control. So I saw no correlation between the increase in covid within our community and the immigrants because they were isolated.
MIREYA VILLARREAL: But?
VILLALOBOS: Now I think there's an issue because now they're going throughout. Positive or nonpositive, they get picked up and they're going out and we have no authority to stop it.
VILLARREAL: So when you hear the governors talking about this being a problem now for the health and safety of the rest of America, am I hearing right, you agree with that?
VILLALOBOS: I totally agree with that.
Villarreal warned: “The city of McAllen, Texas, says more than 7,000 migrants who tested positive for Covid have been processed since February, including more 1500 just this past week.”
She closed by ominously noting that illegals who are Covid positive can’t be detained: “One of the biggest concerns these local leaders have is they can provide the shelter. They can provide the food and the Covid testing but they have no authority to keep anyone here, to force anyone to stay in these facilities.”
It seems as though the Covid claims of DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott are real. And other media outlets have a duty to cover them.
This example of journalism, even though it was biased at times, was sponsored by Ford and Colgate. Click on the links to ask for more real news coverage.
A transcript of the segment is below. Click “expand” to read more.
CBS This Morning
8/10/2021
7:30:27 to 7:35:01
DANA JACOBSON: Welcome back to CBS This Morning. The Covid surge in Texas is largely driven by unvaccinated Americans, but there is growing concern the migrant crisis may be complicating the issue. The city of McAllen, Texas, says more than 7,000 migrants who tested positive for Covid have been processed since February, including more 1500 just this past week. Most do go great into quarantine. Mireya Villarreal got exclusive access to one temporary emergency shelter set up to test and treat migrants who have Covid. She joins us from McAllen, Texas. Mireya, good morning.
MIREYA VILLARREAL: Well, good morning. This morning I’m actually standing under the Anzalduas International bridge that leads to into Mexico into a purpose. Because if you take a look from the sky and right behind me, you are going to see a makeshift processing site that is run by Border Patrol. So many people are crossing into the U.S. right now that they have no room to put them into actual buildings. And with Covid in mind, decision makers, this, what you are looking at, is the best option they have. The enormity of the country’s immigration issues is under full display under this busy stretch of highway. The site, run by Customs and Border Protection, measured well over the length of a football field with room to grow. Once agents process these migrants, most will end up here, a local park turned into a temporary tent city run by the city of McAllen and Catholic Charities. But the first thing that happened straight off the bus is covid testing. Catholic Charities director sister Norma Bibendel says migrants testing positive for covid has been overwhelming.
NORMA BIBENDEL: It got to the point where it's not even really that available. Because there are so many of them.
VILLARREAL: In the last three weeks, McAllen has seen over 1800 migrants a day prompting Mayor Javier Villalobos to order a declaration of emergency.
JAVIER VILLALOBOS (Mayor, McAllen, Texas): It is very burdensome for our county, our city and we don't budget for immigration. We don’t deal with immigration. We shouldn't.
VILLARREAL: Across the entire southwest border, 210,000 migrant apprehensions were reported for July, a 21 year high that's caught the attention of conservative leaders across the country.
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS: You just want to hopscotch across that border? They don't care about covid. They're letting you straight in.
VILLARREAL: A CBS News medical expert says the Covid positive cases from across the border are relatively small and attribute the latest surge across the U.S. to the delta variant, low vaccination rates and rolled back restrictions. But local officials in Texas are already growing concerned.
VILLALOBOS: Initially I didn't see it as a problem because it was under control. So I saw no correlation between the increase in covid within our community and the immigrants because they were isolated.
VILLARREAL: But?
VILLALOBOS: Now I think there's an issue because now they're going throughout. Positive or nonpositive, they get picked up and they're going out and we have no authority to stop it.
VILLARREAL: So when you hear the governors talking about this being a problem now for the health and safety of the rest of America, am I hearing right, you agree with that?
VILLALOBOS: I totally agree with that.
VILLARREAL: One city over, Father Roy Snipes leads Our Lady of Guadalupe.
FATHER ROY SNIPES: When we first started, it would be, the highest number would be 200 a day, now it's 300 people, that would be 2100 a week.
VILLARREAL: They were using their empty schoolhouse as a makeshift shelter for the overflow of families. When one of the migrants tested positive last week, they had to shut down. But with a steady band of volunteers, he's committed to reopening.
SNIPES: We have plenty of beans. We have got plenty of rice, we have plenty of room and we're doing fine.
VILLARREAL: There's no desire for a solution?
SNIPES: Of course there is, but that's beyond me. I'm a parish priest on the south side of Mission. If I could fix it, I would, but that's a higher science than I know about.
VILLARREAL: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will be here on Thursday to talk with local leaders and to take a look at everything we just showed you. One of the biggest concerns these local leaders have is they can provide the shelter. They can provide the food and the Covid testing but they have no authority to keep anyone here, to force anyone to stay in these facilities. Vlad?
