OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Tile 42 has expired and the influx of migrants at the border has hit epidemic status.
Video from the border, both from independent journalists and the mainstream media, has shown an actual flood of illegal migrants and refugee seekers inundating the Southern border.
And in one case it appeared that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre straight lied about what was happening a the border.
At the White House Press Briefing on Friday Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich said to Jean-Pierre, “On the ruling in Florida last night against these releases….. What’s the back-up plan now?”
Jean-Pierre said, “So, let me just say on the ruling… Look, the way we see that, it’s sabotage, pure and simple. That’s how that reads to us. The claims that CBP is allowing or encouraging mass release of migrants is categorically false. That’s not what’s occurring.”
After that briefing Fox News reporter Bill Melugin tweeted that Jean-Pierre was not telling the truth.
“Karine Jean-Pierre just said during WH press briefing that mass releases of migrants aren’t happening.
“Here is video we just shot in downtown Brownsville where large amounts of migrants have been mass released and are getting NGO assistance with travel documents near bus station,” he said.
Karine Jean-Pierre just said during WH press briefing that mass releases of migrants aren’t happening.
Here is video we just shot in downtown Brownsville where large amounts of migrants have been mass released and are getting NGO assistance with travel documents near bus station pic.twitter.com/l06kHuxvMk
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 12, 2023
“We’ve been reporting on mass releases taking place at this spot in Brownsville for over a year now. It’s not new. Anyone claiming mass releases aren’t taking place is blatantly lying,” he said, sharing a video from December 2022.
We’ve been reporting on mass releases taking place at this spot in Brownsville for over a year now. It’s not new. Anyone claiming mass releases aren’t taking place is blatantly lying. https://t.co/1KqMhgcGP3
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 12, 2023
In another video he interviewed a Venezuelan man who gave advice to his fellow migrant not to worry because “you can make it” to the United States no matter what anyone says.
“Here is a Venezuelan man who was released this morning after crossing illegally who is all smiles and tells us the end of Title 42 wasn’t an issue for him. ‘My message is, it doesn’t matter, you can make it [to the US],’” he said in a tweet.
And then the reporter appeared on Fox News with Martha MacCallum where he, again, accused Jean-Pierre of lying.
Rush transcript.
MACCALLUM: “First to our correspondent Bill Melugin who is watching this all unfold day by day and late at night at the border in Brownsville, Texas. Bill, what can you tell us?”
MELUGIN: “Well, Martha, we heard Karine Jean-Pierre also say during that White House press briefing that mass releases are not happening here at the southern border. I can tell you, that is categorically false. That is not the reality of what’s happening on the ground here. We’ll show you the reality. Take a look at this video we just shot right here in Brownsville two hours ago, showing large groups of migrants, who had just been mass released, walking around the downtown area near a bus terminal. You’ll see some of them walking around with their folders, with their DHS paperwork. There’s an NGO nearby who helps them with their travel documents. These are predominantly Venezuelans who have been mass released, and it’s not new. We’ve been showing mass releases for over a year now. We caught up with one Venezuelan man who was released this morning. Here’s what he had to say.”
[Clip starts]
UNKNOWN [via translator]: “Title 42 ended yesterday. And my message, it doesn’t matter. You can make it to the U.S.”
[Clip ends]
MELUGIN: “And last night, we were out on the river’s edge with the Border Patrol Union and four GOP senators who got a tour of the area as Title 42 dropped at midnight. There were no mass illegal crossings at that time, but back out here live, Martha, you named those numbers off the top. Border Patrol reporting this week alone already more than 80,000 illegal crossings between the apprehensions and the got-aways. Record-setting numbers. We’ll send it back to you.”
MACCALLUM: “Alright. Bill, thank you very much.”
