What happens when Univision's go-to Member of Congress graces, as he does routinely, the network's Sunday show set? You get distortions, revised history, and pure partisanship. This time, though, Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) also acted as news director.
Here's how Jorge Ramos' favorite Congressman directed coverage of the upcoming "A Day Without Immigrants" march on the April 9, 2017 edition of Al Punto:
CONGRESSMAN LUIS GUTIERREZ: On May 1st, I know where your camaras are going to be. I know what you are going to be talking about that Monday, May 1st. Because we've already organized, in 33 states, 44 distinct activities. On May 1st, don't make plans in José Andrés' restaurant, because it is going to be closed, as are many others. And we are going to demand justice throughout this community, saying 'No more' to fear, 'No more' to terror in our community. It's a day for us to say 'We're here, and we're not leaving' and we are going to raise our voice throughout this country.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: That's May 1st.
Gutiérrez KNOWS where Univision's cameras are going to be, because the march was purposefully set on May Day, which already brings each of the elements of the radical Left out of the woodwork.
This year, though, the marxists, socialists, communists, Big Labor, and the antifa (which, in all fairness, is the new fa) will gain additional bodies and free media on the backs of the amnesty movement. There's always been talk of quiet, surreptitious coordination between left-wing politicians and the media. But here Gutiérrez dispenses with tact and convention, choosing instead to telegraph that he expects Univision to be all over this. Set your DVRs to May 1st, to see the extent to which Univision followed Gutiérrez' edicts.
By the way, it appears Congressman Gutiérrez also carelessly overplayed his hand in speaking about the extent of who is closing up shop on May 1 and who isn't. A representative for Chef José Andrés subsequently contacted NewsBusters to clarify that the Good Chef's multiple restaurants will NOT close that day.
The rest of the interview with one of the United States' Congress' leading leftists was actually a slight departure from the usual Ramos-Gutiérrez fare. The two, of course, are still very much on the same page in terms of U.S. immigration policy (note Ramos' very warm introduction of Gutiérrez for this interview in the transcript below).
But this time, Ramos dove into the Obama administration's deportation record. It should be noted that Gutiérrez had no real answer for Ramos' questions when it came to Obama's record except to appeal to Trump grievance and say "but at least Obama gave us (DACA/DAPA)".
This was also another one of those interviews that showcases Gutiérrez' snarling demeanor and pan-Latino nationalistic tenor when doing interviews in Spanish, as opposed to his conciliatory tones when addressing English-language media. His retelling of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' meeting with Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly would not be out of place on the lips of someone charged with enforcing a no-go zone in Europe.
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: Well let me tell you what he said to us. Yes. Because Jorge, we demanded from him: "Look, you say that you are looking for criminals. What are you doing in our churches? You say that you are looking for criminals. What are you doing at our schools? You say that you are looking for criminals. What are you doing in our hospitals? Those are not the centers to go looking for...our people, our streets are afraid to send their children to school, Jorge, this was not like that during Barack Obama's final years.
In short, more of the same from the preferred guest on Univision's Sunday talk show. Unfettered, uncontested progressive propaganda from one of the most divisive members of the United States Congress.
Below is a full transcript of the above referenced interview, as aired on Univision's Al Punto on Sunday, April 9, 2017.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: Let's be honest, it is true that there is much fear among undocumented immigrants here in the United States. There are reports of arrests in taxis, in homes, and even outside schools. But at the same time, there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of people arrested along the border with Mexico. Which is to say, there are fewer people trying to enter the United States illegally, in part, due to Trump's policies. In order to discuss this, we talk to a great defender of the immigrants, Democratic congressman Luis Gutierrez. This interview was prior to the U.S. attacks on Syria.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: Congressman Luis Gutierrez, thank you for returning to the program.
CONGRESSMAN LUIS GUTIERREZ (D-IL): It's a pleasure, Jorge.
JORGE RAMOS: Congressman, I'd like to see if you can speak nicely about Donald Trump when he does things well. We have the latest information that the number of detentions along the border decreased by 58,000 in December, when Barack Obama was president, to less than 17,000. Is that not a good thing?
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: The number of persons detained along the border had been decreasing for some time. That Donald Trump would take credit for that is -as we say over there- another twenty bucks. Look, I think the real issue here is those who live here in the United States. We know that fewer and fewer people have come into the United States from Mexico. In fact, more have returned than have entered. But the issue here, I think, is the millions that live among us. In particular, Jorge, the children that feel terrorized, that have a lot of fear, that don't sleep well. If you talk to them, Jorge, as a journalist, or me as a Congressman, or...human being to human being, the only think that they ask you is...
JORGE RAMOS: I understand.
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: ..."help me, I don't want to lose my mommy and my daddy."
JORGE RAMOS: Congressman, but speaking openly, Barack Obama deported two and a half million people, more than any other president. Is Donald Trump doing the same thing, or not? Are they not comparable?
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: It's...yes, I believe it is different, Jorge. For the following...
JORGE RAMOS: But what is the difference? But what is the difference?
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: I believe, I believe that it is different. Barack Obama never said that Mexicans were murderers, drug dealers...that they are bad people. He didn't (personally) criminalize them. He didn't tell our community that we didn't deserve to be here. He was mistakenly committed to a policy that, I believe, with false hopes that Republicans would be with him. Jorge, you know that I was in disagreement with this president. I was the one that objected the most to the anti-immigrant policy, but you know something, Jorge? We changed him, right? He gave us the Dreamers, 750,000 of them. And he tried to separate 5 million of our community from the expectation of deportation. So just as we started off on the wrong foot, our community taught this president a great lesson. And now we have a president that wants to erase all the progress that we've had with Barack Obama and who now wants to bring a new...look, Jorge, in the last two years of Barack Obama, there we no complaints regarding fear or terror from my community (to the extent) that we see today.
JORGE RAMOS: That's right, but...
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: It is a very different moment.
JORGE RAMOS: Congressman, and I want you to help me understand, then: what is the difference? Here I have a statement from the wife of a man who was deported. Here name is Rose Marie Escobar. This is what she told us:
ROSE MARIE ESCOBAR: My husband is not a criminal. You are breaking up a family...a decent family that is contributing to the economy. My husband is a man that gets up and works. He supports his home and his family, we are not dependent on the government. I'm American, my children are Americans. You said that you are taking care of Americans, but you are making me and my children suffer right now.
JORGE RAMOS: He was detained, handcuffed, and already deported to El Salvador. Is this the difference between Barack Obama's deportations and Donald Trump's deportations...
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: I think so...
JORGE RAMOS: ...that they are deporting people that don't have a criminal record?
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: Hmmm. And that's exactly, that's the point. there was a clear distinction between those who were a menace and a danger, and those who were (just) living here. In other words, priorities were changed under Barack Obama. That woman's husband was not a priority. I went, Jorge, with Mrs. Lino for twelve years. Her children are (U.S.) citizens, her husband is a citizen, and she went to her appointments for twelve years. This year, under the Trump Administration, they told her "pack your bags, but a ticket and scram to Mexico"-, destroying that family, and we see that, Jorge, the reports on your newscast are clear to our community. But beyond that, I sat down with the Secretary of Homeland Security...
JORGE RAMOS: What did you tell him? How was it? How was that meeting? Because it is my understanding that that was a tense meeting.REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: Well let me tell you what he said to us. Yes. Because Jorge, we demanded from him: "Look, you say that you are looking for criminals. What are you doing in our churches? You say that you are looking for criminals. What are you doing at our schools? You say that you are looking for criminals. What are you doing in our hospitals? Those are not the centers to go looking for...our people, our streets are afraid to send their children to school, Jorge, this was not like that during Barack Obama's final years.
JORGE RAMOS: You told him that, but what was Secretary Kelly's response when he met with members of the Hispanic group in Congress (the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)?
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: (It was) very good. He said that his agents, Jorge, would not do such a thing- they are forbidden from doing so.
JORGE RAMOS: But they are doing that.
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: Well...look, Jorge, absolutely. And we made it clear to the Secretary that as far as these people, there are immigration agents, especially within the deportation police force, that they get a kick out of deporting people. Unfortunately, they enjoy it when they catch (someone). In other words, they are devoted to their jobs, because they truly enjoy it. In other words, they are in fact devoted to their jobs, because the truth is that they enjoy it when people are deported. I'm not saying it's everybody, but there is an element that truly enjoys their work.
JORGE RAMOS, AL PUNTO: Congressman, General Kelly, who is, of course, the Secretary of Homeland Security, recently has a change of posture before the United States Congress. Some weeks ago, he said that if whole families arrive at the border between the United States and Mexico, that he would separate those families, but now General Kelly says that he will NOT separate those families. Is this not something positive? Is this not an important change?
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: It is an important change but let's be clear: He is following the law. He was misinformed the first time that he spoke. Federal courts have been clear as to how the government must behave when there arrive persons that are seeking refuge and asylum in the United States. But Jorge, let's look even beyond that: On May 1st, I know where your cameras are going to be. I know what you are going to be talking about that Monday, May 1st. Because we've already organized, in 33 states, 44 distinct activities. On May 1st, don't make plans in José Andrés' restaurant, because it is going to be closed, as are many others. And we are going to demand justice throughout this community, saying 'No more' to fear, 'No more' to terror in our community. It's a day for us to say 'We're here, and we're not leaving' and we are going to raise our voice throughout this country.
JORGE RAMOS: That is on May 1st. Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, than you for being here.
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ: Thank you.
