NewsNation journalists covering the immigration crisis at the southern border recorded apparent human smugglers in action. Following some provocative behavior from the smugglers, the news crew seemingly had no choice but to become part of their story.
Point phone camera here
According to the network, the news team was reporting from Lukeville, Arizona, when they saw a group of alleged human smugglers leading a family of migrants to the border wall. Once at the wall, NewsNation says the group cut a hole in the wall using power tools.
The network’s cameras captured the family making their way through the breach point — including a young child and an older man with one leg who needed help. The migrants told NewsNation they were from Peru.
NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley says she was then motioned over to the wall by the leader of the apparent smuggling group. Bradley asked him his name and how much he was paid to smuggle the migrants, however the man did not answer.
NewsNation says their cameras also recorded the group returning two hours later, cutting a new hole in the wall using an electric saw and a generator. Bradley recapped what happened during an on-air report on Thursday, Nov. 30.
While they were out there, they’re standing out there taunting us. They were blowing kisses at me, they were laughing, they just continued to cut through that wall. This is pretty much of a game to them at this point — a very lucrative game at that
Ali Bradley, NewsNation Reporter
“While they were out there, they’re standing out there taunting us. They were blowing kisses at me, they were laughing, they just continued to cut through that wall,” Bradley said. “This is pretty much of a game to them at this point — a very lucrative game at that.”
The NewsNation crew took action and called Border Patrol. Once an agent arrived on the scene, the network says the alleged smugglers retreated.
As news outlets continue to cover the ongoing immigration crisis, a study released Thursday, Nov. 30, by the Center for Immigration Studies, a non-partisan, independent research organization, says the foreign-born population in the United States is 49.5 million people. That is about 15% of the population, including immigrants in the U.S. both legally and illegally.
The center says the foreign-born population has grown by 4.5 million since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. The center estimates that over half of that increase is due to illegal immigration.
The study notes, however, that while a large share of recent foreign-born growth is due to illegal immigration, legal immigrants still account for three-fourths of the total foreign-born population.
Tags: Arizona, Border crossings, Border patrol, border wall, Immigration, Joe Biden, NewsNation, U.S.-Mexico Border
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
A PRINCIPLE OF JOURNALISM OFTEN CITED BY REPORTERS IS YOU SHOULDN’T BE PART OF THE STORY YOU’RE TELLING — LET THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES — HOWEVER IT APPEARS THE CREW OVER AT NEWSNATION COVERING THE IMMIGRATION CRISIS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BECOME PART OF THEIR STORY.
ACCORDING TO THE NETWORK, THE NEWS TEAM WAS REPORTING FROM LUKEVILLE ARIZONA WHEN THEY SAW A GROUP OF ALLEGED HUMAN SMUGGLERS LEADING A FAMILY OF MIGRANTS TO THE BORDER WALL.
ONCE AT THE WALL, NEWSNATION SAYS THE GROUP CUT A HOLE IN THE WALL USING POWER TOOLS.
THE NETWORK’S CAMERAS CAPTURED THE FAMILY MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE BREACH POINT — INCLUDING A YOUNG CHILD AND AN OLDER MAN WHO HAD ONLY ONE LEG AND NEEDED HELP. THE MIGRANTS TOLD NEWSNATION THEY WERE FROM PERU.
NEWSNATION REPORTER ALI BRADLEY SAYS SHE WAS THEN MOTIONED OVER TO THE WALL BY THE LEADER OF THE APPARENT SMUGGLING GROUP — SHE ASKED HIM HIS NAME BUT HE WOULDN’T SAY. SHE ASKED HIM HOW MUCH HE WAS PAID TO SMUGGLE THE MIGRANTS, BUT HE DIDN’T ANSWER.
NEWSNATION SAYS THEIR CAMERAS ALSO RECORDED THE GROUP RETURNING TWO HOURS LATER, CUTTING A NEW HOLE IN THE WALL USING AN ELECTRIC SAW AND A GENERATOR.
NEWSNATION’S BRADLEY RECAPPED WHAT HAPPENED NEXT DURING AN ON-AIR REPORT THURSDAY:
[ALEX BRADLEY | NEWSNATION]
“WHILE THEY WERE OUT THERE, THEY’RE STANDING OUT THERE TAUNTING US, THEY WERE BLOWING KISSES AT ME, THEY WERE LAUGHING, THEY JUST CONTINUED TO CUT THROUGH THAT WALL. THIS IS PRETTY MUCH OF A GAME TO THEM AT THIS POINT, A VERY LUCRATIVE GAME AT THAT.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THE NEWSNATION CREW TOOK ACTION AND CALLED BORDER PATROL, AND ONCE AN AGENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE THE NETWORK SAYS THE ALLEGED SMUGGLERS RETREATED.
AS NETWORKS CONTINUE TO COVER THE ONGOING IMMIGRATION CRISIS. A STUDY RELEASED THURSDAY BY THE CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES — DESCRIBED AS A NON-PARTISAN, INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ORGANIZATION — SAYS THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES IS 49.5 MILLION PEOPLE: 15% OF THE POPULATION – THIS INCLUDES IMMIGRANTS HERE LEGALLY AND ILLEGALLY.
THE CENTER SAYS THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION HAS GROWN BY 4.5 MILLION SINCE PRESIDENT BIDEN TOOK OFFICE IN JANUARY 2021.
THE CENTER ESTIMATES MORE THAN HALF OF THE 4.5 MILLION INCREASE IS LIKELY DUE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
IT NOTES, HOWEVER, WHILE A LARGE SHARE OF RECENT FOREIGN-BORN GROWTH IS DUE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION — LEGAL IMMIGRANTS STILL ACCOUNT FOR THREE-FOURTHS OF THE TOTAL FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION.
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