CNN’s latest information on massive illegal border crossings in Mexico, was mostly overlooked by national media networks over the weekend. Smerconish show stood out in joining right-leaning outlets like Fox News to inform viewers of the latest developments.
Not only did news break on Friday that an all-time record number of illegal immigrants were apprehended crossing the border in fiscal year 2021, but a large new caravan of migrants from countries all over the world trekked through Mexico trying to reach the U.S. thanks to the Biden administrations lax treatment of border security.
On Saturday morning, CNN host Michael Smerconish introduced the segment:
An estimated tens of thousands of migrants are assembling in the southern Mexico area in the mother of all caravans that may head north as soon as this weekend. And this follows the news that U.S. Border Patrol arrests have soared to the highest ever totals recorded. U.S. Border Protection data shows that more than 1.6 Million migrants crossed the border to Mexico from the United States during the U.S. fiscal year 2021. Although illegal crossings started to rise last year, they’ve risen since President Biden became president.
His guest was Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, who has frequently been seen on Fox News Channel over the last several years, but not so much on CNN. Smerconish started by asking, “What do you know about the caravan I just mentioned?”
Judd told viewers that illegal immigrants, from all parts of the globe are using this caravan to enter the U.S.
CNN host: “What account for that?” Is it almost like there is an attraction now where people from around the world see this as their opportunity to go into America? They’re gathering in Mexico and Central America.”
Judd recalled that the Joe Biden administration ended the programs that the Donald Trump administration had imposed to deter illegal immigrants from entering the U.S., leading Smerconish to follow up: “Are there significant tangible differences between the approach under President Trump and President Biden? Or is it a matter of perception on those people who are coming into this country or seeking to that it’s going to be an easier attempt to make?”
His guest explained the following:
No, there’s an absolute tangible difference between this administration and the last administration. This administration… This administration abolished every single immigration policy that President Trump put in place, such as the remain in Mexico program. Once that was abolished that was an invitation for everybody to start crossing our borders illegally. This was our main concern. In order to prevent them from being deported or asylum-seeking, you must keep them in your custody. They will come back if you don’t do this.
Fox & FriendsCNN has not only covered this story well over the last days but so have other networks like CNN.
CNN Neue Day show notably has a history of giving misleading coverage to the illegal immigration issue and trying to downplay such caravans. In 2018, co-host John Berman repeatedly showed a chart demonstrating that illegal crossings were lower than when there was a relative high in 2000, and did so without the context that those crossing in 2000 were mostly Mexican nationals who were easier for the U.S. to deport while many in recent years have been families from Central America.
Best Western was part of the sponsorship for CNN’s Smerconish. And Fox & Friends was sponsored by Safelite. Here is their contact information. Make sure to let them know how much you appreciate their contribution in covering such important topics.
Here’s the transcript:
Smerconish
September 23, 2021
MICHAEL SMERCONISH: An estimated tens of thousands of migrants are assembling in the southern Mexico area in the mother of all caravans that may head north as soon as this weekend. And this follows the news that U.S. Border Patrol arrests have soared to the highest ever totals recorded. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, more than 1.6million migrants were detained along Mexico’s border during the fiscal year 2021. The illegal crossings have increased despite the fact that they started rising in last year. However, this has been a trend since President Biden’s election.
(…)
Do you have any information, if any, about the caravan I just mentioned?
BRANDON JUDD, NATIONAL BORDER PATROL COUNCIL: What we know is that we have large numbers that are coming up. They aren’t just coming from one country. If you take a look at these numbers and consider it historical, then you’ll see that people are coming from places we have never seen — Russia, Ukraine, Senegal or Bangladesh.
SMERCONISH – What is the reason for this? Is it almost like there is an attraction now where people from around the globe see this as their opportunity to enter the United States? They’re gathering in Mexico and Central America.
JUDD : We deal with the principal magnet, which we refer to as the catch and release program. We don’t enforce law when people illegally cross our border. Instead, we allow them to enter the United States until they appear in court. It is this magnet that attracts so many illegal immigrants to our border. This is what we have to deal with today. When you take a look back at the 45-year lows we experienced just over two decades ago, it is because we either held every person crossing illegally, or made them wait in Mexico for their asylum proceedings. People stop coming to the United States once you remove that magnet. However, people will stop coming to the United States when they see a reward for crossing their borders.
(…)
SMERCONISH: Are there significant tangible differences between the approach under President Trump and President Biden? Or is it a matter of perception on those people who are coming into this country or seeking to that it’s going to be an easier attempt to make?
JUDD: No, there’s an absolute tangible difference between this administration and the last administration.
SMERCONISH: It is what? What is it?
JUDD: This administration abolished every single immigration policy that President Trump put in place, such as the remain in Mexico program. Once that was abolished that was an invitation for everybody to start crossing our borders illegally. This was our main concern. You have to keep people in custody while they await their deportation or asylum proceedings. They will come back if you don’t do this.
(…)
SMERCONISH: I thought the most interesting think he had to say is, these are not just those people coming from those countries Vice President Kamala Harris was charged with addressing the root cause, right? It has become an international magnet. It’s seen by many as a chance to gain entry into the USA, even if they don’t follow all the rules.
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