Governor Noem Criticizes NBC for Misreporting on ICE Incident

On Wednesday, Kristi Noem, the Governor of South Dakota, took to Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle” to call out NBC for inaccurately reporting an incident involving a five-year-old autistic girl from Massachusetts. The network had claimed that an ICE agent detained the child to pressure her father, who is an undocumented immigrant.

The original NBC headline implied that ICE was coercing the father to surrender his daughter, but this report was later corrected. During the broadcast, Laura Ingraham pointed out how Democrats frequently label ICE, prompting Noem to respond to the updated narrative. She asserted that NBC was misleading the American public, explaining that the father’s criminal behavior had put the child at risk. “He was a criminal who abandoned his daughter to protect himself,” she stated, adding that the ICE officers were actually acting to ensure the girl’s safety.

NBC later clarified its report after receiving video footage from Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra, which showed an ICE agent near the child. The girl’s mother recounted a dramatic moment when her husband, Edward Hip Mezia, had called her while driving with their daughter and eventually left her behind at home. NBC amended its story to reflect that the ICE agent was attempting to arrest Mezia rather than detaining the girl.

Noem further criticized the Department of Homeland Security’s ongoing need to refute incorrect media claims. “These networks are sold out to a lawless narrative,” she stated, implying that such coverage undermines efforts to maintain a secure and lawful environment. She emphasized the commitment to law enforcement and the ongoing need to strengthen border security.

The issue has sparked broader conversations about how politicians, particularly Democrats, often portray ICE. Notably, comments like those from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who labeled ICE as the “modern Gestapo,” and Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett, who compared ICE agents to historical slave patrols, have intensified the discourse. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also spoke against the administration’s actions, even producing a video in January advising undocumented immigrants on interacting with ICE.