DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin blasted a recent NBC News report that claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers used a five-year-old autistic girl as leverage to get her father, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, to surrender.
Shot.
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) September 24, 2025
Chaser.
Maybe @NBCNews should have asked @DHSgov before propagating these smears. pic.twitter.com/I92yzy7PJh
On Fox and Friends, she described the report as "a disgusting smear."
NBC’s reporter informed her of the allegations, which she immediately rejected, urging them to wait for official information. She also cautioned the reporter against spreading false claims that could vilify law enforcement.
"The truth… is that this individual who was a target of our law enforcement operation had past criminal convictions for domestic violence and strangulation. He was pulled over by our ICE law enforcement officers in a proper stop. He went off to flee from the vehicle, giving the double bird to our law enforcement and stranding his 5-year-old daughter," McLaughlin said."Our law enforcement conducted themselves with total professionalism. They stayed with that 5-year-old daughter to make sure she was okay until she was in proper care."
"Keep in mind, these men and women of ICE are fathers and mothers, and they are sons and daughters. These are people who just want to go home to their families at night and serve our great nation," she added.
DHS' Tricia McLaughlin SHREDS a fake NBC News headline that blatantly LIES, claiming ICE agents used a 5-year-old autistic girl as bait to apprehend her illegal alien father.
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) September 25, 2025
“He had past criminal convictions for domestic violence and strangulation. He was pulled over by our ICE… pic.twitter.com/NlFl0acIwq
NBC cited a video from Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra, according to Fox News, that captured the five-year-old girl sitting next to a law enforcement vehicle, encircled by several male officers outside her Leominster, Massachusetts, home last Tuesday.
They claimed that the father, Edwards Hip Mejia, told his wife he believed he was being followed, and started heading towards their home. According to his wife, once he got there, he ran towards the parking lot, but ICE agents "grabbed" their daughter.
The article was originally titled "ICE held 5-year-old autistic girl in Massachusetts to pressure father to surrender, family says," and later changed to read, "Video shows ICE with 5-year-old girl while agents attempt to arrest her father." A correction read: "An earlier version of this article mischaracterized the activities of ICE agents in the video. The article has been updated."
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
Help us continue to report the truth about the president's border policies and mass deportations. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member