DHS Sec. Mullin Blasts Reporter’s Ploy: ‘This Is What I Hate About Fake News’

A tactic used by biased, agenda-driven journalists was exposed by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin during a press conference Friday morning called to address Thursday’s shooting of Oscar Belgal - a violent criminal illegal alien - by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York.

One after another, journalists at the press conference feverishly tried to portray the criminal illegal alien as a victim and ICE as a violent, villainous threat to the community. But, once Sec. Mullin set the record straight, the media switched tactics, prompting him to call them on it.

In a X.com post, DHS reported the facts of the incident, noting the illegal alien’s criminal history:

“ICE officers were conducting a targeted enforcement operation in the Bronx, New York, to arrest a criminal illegal alien from the Dominican Republic with a prior criminal conviction for grand larceny, and multiple prior arrests for assault, robbery, possession of drugs, and weapons possession. He has associations to the Trinitarios gang, the same gang who brutally shot a CBP officer last year.”

….

“During the incident, an ICE officer discharged his weapon and the criminal illegal alien was injured. ICE officers immediately rendered aid.”

“Mr. Belgal refused lawful orders to exit his vehicle. He then accelerated his vehicle, smashing into two of our government ICE vehicles, and then weaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate going towards other officers,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Associate Director Marcos Charles explained at the press conference:

“Our officers, using their training and believing that their life and the life of their partners and the general public were in danger, used their training and fired weapons."

During the press event, Sec. Mullin repeated stressed that ICE’s focus is on apprehending “the worst of the worst.”

Sec. Mullin reminded the journalists that, just last week, NYPD Detective Jose Mercedes was stabbed seven times by two illegal aliens - also from the Dominican Republic. Both had previously been apprehended and then released by New York despite ICE detainer requests, in accordance with the state’s illegal alien “sanctuary” policies.

“A year later, they almost took the life of an NYPD officer,” Sec. Mullin said, calling out the hypocrisy of stoking outrage over the plight of a violent criminal, while ignoring the attempted murder of an officer of the law.

Once Sec. Mullin had spelled out the facts about the threat of violent criminal illegal aliens, such as Belgal, one reporter attempted to change the subject in order to pursue a different accusation against ICE – but, Sec. Mullin didn’t take the bait:

Reporter: “As deportations continue, are you going to continue using the planes that were purchased during the prior DHS administration and are you?”

Sec. Mullin: “I don't know what has to do with the worst of the worst.”

“All you're doing here is you're trying to take this someplace else because you know we arrested the worst of the worst last night and you’re trying to bring up something controversial,” Mullin explained, letting the reporter know he was on to the tactic media use once their narrative has been debunked:

“This is what I hate about fake news.

“You guys, when we’re doing a press conference on something, you want to completely steer away when you realize that this is not someone you should be defending and you bring up something as ridiculous as that.

“I’m just saying. I not even going to entertain your question, because that's not what we're here for. That’s not what we’re here for. If you want to ask something that is pertaining to this press conference, I'm happy to do that. Okay? I’ll take this last question, because that wasn't even a question.”