The journalists at MSNBC might need a talking to by their Democratic bosses at the White House. On Monday's MSNBC Live with Stephanie Ruhle, NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns gave a report surprisingly undermining the Joe Biden administration's claims about the border crisis. One woman flatly told her: "He [Biden] would allow us to come over and live here legally."
She not only spoke to an illegal alien who admitted that she chose to come to the border because she thought President Biden would let her move into the country legally, but the NBC reporter also contradicted claims by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that Border Patrol is turning back illegal border crossers who are family units.
The segment began with a soundbite of Mayorkas appearing on NBC's Meet the Press: "The border is closed. We are expelling families -- we are expelling single adults -- and we've made a decision that we will not expel young, vulnerable children."
After a soundbite of Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) from the same show arguing that the border has effectively been made open for illegals, fill-in host Geoff Bennett brought aboard Burns, who immediately disputed Mayorkas's claims:
The Biden administration is trying to message that borders are closed -- only unaccompanied minors are allowed in. But here in the Rio Grande Valley, we are seeing a majority of families allowed to stay. in the United States. In fact, just on Saturday, there were 1,800 encounters with folks traveling in family units Border Patrol, and only 200 of those were expelled back to Mexico.
She soon informed viewers that illegals openly admitted that they chose to come now in part because President Biden made them believe it would be easier to get into the country: "And when we asked the question of why now, the majority of people we spoke with did say that this new administration -- the Biden administration -- gave them hope and played into their decision-making to come right now."
A translator was soon seen translating for one woman recalling how she reacted to President Biden coming into office: "I was very happy, you know, because we got word that he was going to help us, the immigrants."
After Burns followed up, "How did you think he would help? How did you hear about how he might help immigrants?" the translator related her response: "He would allow us to come over and live here legally."
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Transcript follows. Click "expand" to read more.
MSNBC Live with Stephanie Ruhle
March 22, 2021
9:38 a.m. Eastern
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, DHS SECRETARY: The border is closed. We are expelling families -- we are expelling single adults -- and we've made a decision that we will not expel young, vulnerable children.
GEOFF BENNETT: Now, that's unfolding as President Biden said he would be going to the border at some point as he returned to the White House yesterday. ... The Republicans are putting the blame squarely on the Biden administration,
SENATOR TOM COTTON (R-AR): The border right now is wide open because the Biden administration dismantled very effective policies of the Trump administration and the agreements we had with Mexico and other Latin American countries.
BENNETT: So lots of political rhetoric, but what's the real reason for this influx? NBC's Dasha Burns is at the border in Mission, Texas, where she's bee asking migrant families that very question. So, Dasha, what's the situation on the ground there? And what are you hearing from the people that you're speaking to?
DASHA BURNS: Hey, Geoff, good morning. Yeah, the Biden administration is trying to message that borders are closed -- only unaccompanied minors are allowed in. But here in the Rio Grande Valley, we are seeing a majority of families allowed to stay in the United States. In fact, just on Saturday, there were 1,800 encounters with folks traveling in family units by Border Patrol, and only 200 of those were expelled back to Mexico.
And we had the opportunity to speak to some of the migrant families that just arrived here, most of them taking shelter at places like this church, Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is where we had these conversations. Those migrant families -- most of them -- started traveling from Central American countries about two to three weeks ago. They surrendered to Customs and Border Protection, were processed and then released into towns like McAllen, and Mission, Texas, where I am standing right now. Most of these folks took a desperate journey to get here fleeing desperate and dangerous situations back home.
And when we asked the question of why now, the majority of people we spoke with did say that this new administration -- the Biden administration -- gave them hope and played into their decision-making to come right now. I wanted to hear from a couple of the mothers we spoke with. They both brought their young children here with them, both from Honduras. They asked to remain anonymous, so you won't see their faces, and we won't tell you their names. We spoke to them through a translator because they speak in Spanish. Listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN TRANSLATING FOR WOMAN: I was very happy, you know, because we got word that he was going to help us, the immigrants.
BURNS: How did you think he would help? How did you hear about how he might help immigrants?
MAN TRANSLATING FOR WOMAN: He would allow us to come over and live here legally.
