Telemundo News’coverage of the Iowa Caucus remind us all of how critically important illegal immigration is for the network. Correspondent Vanessa Hauc chose to insert drama -as if any more were needed given the voting chaos- to emphasize the subject of immigration, one that has been completely absent from the Democrat primary campaign (didn´t they love undocumented immigrants?).
Watch as Hauc interviews an activist from a liberal PAC, while standing in front of an aluminum fence imitating the “kennels” where children are allegedly housed along the U.S. Southern border:
VANESSA HAUC: And, now, I want to invite Lucia from the Raíces Organization who is accompanying us. You have a very important message for all the candidates and voters of Iowa. Tell us.
LUCIA: Yes, uh, we came from Texas. We came with cages, to install them all around Des Moines, to try to call each candidate and tell them that there was no talk about migration in the debates, there has been no conversation through the children they are, and the families that are still in cages. There was only one moment, where it was a period of one week, but then right now there has been no concentration with these families. This keeps happening at the borders. Many of us continue to go to the border to see these things and
HAUC: …. I want you to show a little bit because it's really harsh what you've done. You've set up a cage here with a tape recorder of the children's voices inside.
LUCIA: Yes, umm, the voices inside these cages are precisely the cries of recent children who are still in those cages and it shows, this is exactly a replica of what you see at the border, mostly in what you see at what they call kennels.
HAUC: So the minors are covered with the same paper they get as blankets, right?
LUCIA: Of course, because we saw, this is a city where it's very cold. Literally this is what it feels like in these cages to feel this cold and you see the children left here, so it's a pain to have to see that no one has yet been able to talk about immigration and how important it is to talk about it.
HAUC: Thank you very much Lucia for supporting the community and bringing this very important message. Well, I'll tell you, we will keep reporting all day on this election that's so important to our entire community.
The setup was equipped with a recording of children crying and a mock-up of a child covered in a Mylar blanket (referred to as paper by the reporter).
Hauc continued reminding the audience of the importance of Raices’ (the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) message, along with “how this election is so important to our entire community. “
What Hauc, or her subject, left out of the report was that the “kennels” they insist on blaming President Trump for, were in fact built by Barack Obama during his presidency.
Telemundo also used the “kennel” gimmick during their evening news edition, so as to not let the opportunity pass to inject fear and loathing among their captive – and dwindling – audience.
Click "expand" to read the full transcript of the aforementioned report as aired on Noticias Telemundo Mediodía, on Monday, February 3, 2020:
Noticias Telemundo Mediodía
2/3/2020 12:30:00
PAULINA SODI: Take note, today is a key day in the race for the White House, with the celebration of the Iowa Caucus that marks the beginning of the battle for the presidential nomination. And this year's focus is on knowing which one is going to be the Democratic challenger who will face Donald Trump next November. Vanessa Hauc is in Des Moines, Iowa, with more details. Vanessa, greetings, good afternoon. Tell us.
VANESSA HAUC: Thank you very much Paulina, it's a pleasure to greet you from Des Moines, Iowa, where the electoral precincts will open in just a few hours. There are 1,680 in total: six of which are completely bilingual. And in many others, there are also people who speak Spanish and English to do translations.
Iowa is extremely important for the electoral race because historically, the candidate who is elected here in Iowa more than half the time becomes the party's nominee. On two occasions, the candidate elected here in Iowa has become the president. Of course, the eyes of the entire country are on Des Moines and many of the candidates are here for last minute campaigning.
Also, activist organizations that want to deliver an important message. And, now, I want to invite Lucia from the Raíces Organization who is accompanying us. You have a very important message for all the candidates and voters of Iowa. Tell us.
LUCIA: Yes, uh, we came from Texas. We came with cages, to install them all around Des Moines, to try to call each candidate and tell them that there was no talk about migration in the debates, there has been no conversation through the children they are, and the families that are still in cages. There was only one moment, where it was a period of one week, but then right now there has been no concentration with these families. This keeps happening at the borders. Many of us continue to go to the border to see these things and
HAUC: …. I want you to show a little bit because it's really harsh what you've done. You've set up a cage here with a tape recorder of the children's voices inside.
LUCIA: Yes, umm, the voices inside these cages are precisely the cries of recent children who are still in those cages and it shows, this is exactly a replica of what you see at the border, mostly in what you see at what they call kennels.
HAUC: So the minors are covered with the same paper they get as blankets, right?
LUCIA: Of course, because we saw, this is a city where it's very cold. Literally this is what it feels like in these cages to feel this cold and you see the children left here, so it's a pain to have to see that no one has yet been able to talk about immigration and how important it is to talk about it.
HAUC: Thank you very much Lucia for supporting the community and bringing this very important message. Well, I'll tell you, we will keep reporting all day on this election that's so important to our entire community. That's all for today from Des Moines, Iowa, Vanessa Hauc.
