While the Biden White House spent four years rolling out the red carpet for illegal immigrants, President Trump’s latest crackdown has brought immigration enforcement back into focus.
But now, the “fake news” media is doing what it does best: flipping the script.
Instead of reporting the facts about dangerous criminals being deported, the press is flooding the airwaves with sob stories – highlighting the few illegal immigrants who don’t have a criminal record, while completely ignoring the violent offenders being removed from our communities.
It’s no wonder support for mass deportation has dropped from 47% to 38% in recent polling.
When all people hear about are families being “torn apart,” or someone who “only” overstayed a visa, it changes the narrative.
But that narrative leaves out the public safety side of the story – something Nevadans and Americans everywhere should care about.
The Media’s Favorite Storyline
Turn on CNN or scroll through The New York Times, and you’ll find story after story about “hardworking” undocumented immigrants facing deportation.
They focus on people who’ve lived here for years, paid taxes, raised families – and yes, some of them have stayed out of trouble. These stories are designed to tug at your heartstrings.
What you won’t hear about?
The MS-13 gang member deported in June. Or the convicted child molester removed from Texas last month. Or this one from today…
NEW: U.S. Border Patrol in Michigan arrested an illegal alien and admitted MS-13 gang member who reportedly served 20 years in a Salvadoran prison for the m*rder of a rival gang member.
The MS-13 gang member was arrested at a hotel along with ANOTHER illegal. More than 5 grams… pic.twitter.com/7JbLpUjAUH
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 14, 2025
Or the man arrested in Nevada who had five prior deportations and a rap sheet including drug trafficking, assault, and burglary – all before ICE finally got him off the streets in May.
Where are those stories?
A 2024 Media Research Center study found that liberal media outlets spent seven times more airtime on “sympathetic deportations” than on crimes committed by illegal immigrants.
That’s not balance. That’s spin.
Nevada Knows the Cost
Don ‘t get me wrong. *Some* of the heart-breaking stories – like this one from my Nevada News & Views colleague Brittany Sheehan – are absolutely painful and unfortunate.
However, that’s an argument for Congress to finally fix the problem, not for stopping Trump from taking the mass deportation efforts his administration has been forced into.
Another Nevada News & Views colleague, Kristen Kniep, has an article up featuring such fixes proposed by Newt Gingrich well over a decade ago.
Meanwhile, here in Nevada we’ve seen firsthand what happens when immigration enforcement gets ignored.
In Las Vegas, local law enforcement recently arrested a man living in the country illegally who was wanted for multiple armed robberies across three states.
ICE confirmed he had entered illegally twice before.
He wasn’t working in a lettuce field. He wasn’t a “Dreamer.” He was a career criminal hiding in plain sight.
But if you only followed national “fake news” media, you’d never know cases like his are still happening.
What’s Really Driving Public Opinion?
Some say it’s not just media bias – it’s also the economy.
With labor shortages in construction, agriculture, and food service, some business owners are worried that strict deportation policies will hurt their bottom line.
There’s also the demographic shift.
A Gallup poll earlier this year showed that 79% of Americans now view immigration “positively” – the highest number in 25 years.
Younger, more progressive voters see immigration through a different lens, and they’re helping drive national attitudes away from enforcement.
Even so, many Americans still support secure borders and the rule of law. What’s missing is honest reporting.
The Real Impact
President Trump’s recent efforts to increase deportations have already removed thousands of criminals from American communities.
These are not just people who “forgot to file paperwork.” They include:
- A Honduran national in Florida arrested for rape and kidnapping
- A Mexican cartel member in Arizona tied to fentanyl distribution
- A Salvadoran gang member in California with multiple weapons charges
These are the kinds of people being deported. But you won’t find their names in glowing human-interest stories.
Instead, the media seems more concerned about someone who worked under the table and got caught during a traffic stop.
Critics Say It’s Not Bias – Just Reality
Some left-leaning pundits argue that since most undocumented immigrants don’t commit violent crimes, it’s fair for coverage to reflect that. Indeed, Pew Research says about 70% of illegal immigrants are non-criminals.
But that’s exactly the point.
The media is cherry-picking from that 70% to pull on America’s heartstrings – while completely ignoring the 30% who pose a real threat.
That’s not reporting. That’s advocacy. Sympathy shouldn’t come at the expense of truth.
While it’s easy to feel bad for someone facing deportation, the media has a duty to tell the whole story – including the stories of victims harmed by illegal immigrant criminals.
President Trump’s crackdown isn’t about tearing apart families. It’s about making America safer – one deportation at a time.
And if the media won’t talk about that, I sure will.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
