In a recent article, NBC News accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of detaining a five-year-old autistic girl in an attempt to coerce her father into surrendering to the authorities.
However, it was later revealed that the father had actually abandoned his child while attempting to evade law enforcement, even going as far as to gesture rudely at the officers.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, the initial headline of the NBC News article read, "ICE held 5-year-old autistic girl in Massachusetts to pressure father to surrender, family says." However, less than nine hours after its publication, NBC News retracted its tweet promoting the story and updated the article to clarify that ICE agents were merely present with the girl as they attempted to apprehend her father.
The news outlet also issued a correction, stating that the original story had "mischaracterized the activities of ICE agents." Despite this, a Facebook post featuring the original headline remained live as of Wednesday morning.
The false claim was further propagated by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), who continued to promote the story even after NBC News had deleted its own post. "This is vile and beyond cruel. Abolish ICE," Omar wrote.
The initial report by NBC News stated that Edward Hip Mejia, a Guatemalan national who has resided illegally in the United States for two decades, informed his wife that he was being pursued and subsequently drove home. Upon arrival, his wife alleged that Mejia ran to the parking lot, where agents "grabbed" their daughter. The updated article, however, states that when Mejia fled, his daughter was "left with the agents."
The reasons behind these changes and the subsequent correction remain unclear, especially considering that NBC News had already updated its story to include a denial and explanation from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
In a statement, McLaughlin clarified that Mejia "ignored law enforcement emergency lights to pull over and drove back to his house," before fleeing from his vehicle, leaving his daughter behind. "He abandoned his 5-year-old daughter in the car. Officers helped rescue the child and called local police to report the abandonment," she said.
McLaughlin also highlighted that Mejia had prior arrests for domestic abuse and strangulation, details that were omitted from the updated NBC News article.
"ICE agents NEVER used a 5-year-old girl as 'bait,'" McLaughlin stated. "Disgusting smears like these peddled by the media are leading to a 1000% increase in assaults against our brave law enforcement."
NBC News also included a video showing the girl calmly drinking a beverage outside her home in Leominster, Massachusetts, as law enforcement officers stood by. The original article described the girl as being "surrounded" by agents.
DHS reports that ICE agents are experiencing a shocking 1,000 percent increase in assaults as they perform their duties. A recent shooting at an ICE detention facility in Dallas resulted in at least two fatalities, including the shooter, and left at least two others injured. An unspent shell casing found at the scene was engraved with "ANTI ICE," according to FBI director Kash Patel.
"The obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE, must stop. I'm praying for everyone hurt in this attack and for their families," Vice President J.D. Vance wrote.
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