The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has accused KTLA, a news outlet in Los Angeles, of “dishonest reporting.” This follows allegations that the agency’s statements about recent immigration arrests were overlooked.
On Monday, KTLA reported that local residents were “outraged and devastated” over the arrest of a community member at North Hills United Methodist Church. The DHS referred to the incident as an “immigrant attack on church grounds.”
In response, DHS’s official X account stated that the U.S. Border Patrol did not target the church mentioned in the report, criticizing KTLA’s portrayal of the situation.
DHS replied, “This is a disingenuous report by @KTLA. They neglected to include our official statement which clarifies that the U.S. Border Patrol did not target the United Methodist Church. We look forward to an update on the story, but the original claims will be there indefinitely,” they posted on X.
According to DHS, the suspect arrested, Carlos Chavez Guzman, is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who had already been deported in 2016. He reportedly fled from police, leading them to the church.
DHS included a screenshot of the statement it sent to KTLA on that Monday afternoon.
Interestingly, archival data from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine shows that KTLA added the full DHS statement to the article only the following day.
The updated KTLA article included DHS’s complete statement, urging individuals to use the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home app for voluntary self-deportation.
“We encourage all undocumented immigrants to utilize the CBP Home app to manage their exits. The U.S. is currently offering $2,600 and a complimentary ticket for voluntary removal. It’s an opportunity to return legally if you wish to aspire to the American Dream, otherwise, you risk arrest and deportation without the chance to come back,” DHS stated.
