CNN host tears into DHS official's denials: 'Let me just correct you right there'
January 16, 2026
CNN's Pamela Brown grilled Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin over videos showing immigration agents violently pulling U.S. citizens from their vehicles in Minneapolis.
Viral videos from the Trump administration's immigration crackdown have shown agents demanding proof of citizenship and violently detaining Americans in the wake of an officer's fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good, and Brown challenged the McLaughlin to clarify statements by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
"She told reporters yesterday that ICE mayask people to, quote, validatetheir identity when asked about Americans carrying proof ofcitizenship," Brown said. "Can you clarifywhat exactly that means? Do American citizens, as of now,need to carry their passports orother immigration documents toshow that they're citizens?"
"I am so glad you asked thisquestion, because I think thatthere's a lot of confusionthere about about this," McLaughlin replied. "We haveincredibly targeted immigrationenforcement operations, sowhat's happening there is thereis reasonable suspicion ifsomebody is in the vicinity ofthis operation of this target,then they could be asked fortheir identification. We'vebeen vindicated by this, by the Supreme Court, September of2025. You all saw a case out of Los Angeles where they said wecan use reasonable suspicion. Ithink I've seen a lot on thisnetwork and other places wherethey're talking about this isracially based, absolutely not.Racial animus is no place in DHSand is of course, not used.We're using what is protectedunder the Fourth Amendment ofthe U.S. Constitution."
Brown was skeptical and showed McLaughlin a video of a Minnesota woman who was questioned about her place of birth and asked to show identification by border patrol agents, and the CNN anchor asked her to explain that interaction.
"That video was filmed by awoman who, as you heard, saidshe is a U.S. citizen," Brown said. "Whyexactly was she stopped? Wasthere reasonable suspicion?Which is a legal bar, as younoted, that a crime wascommitted in that situation, andwhy was he asking her where areyou born? What was he basingthat on?"
McLaughlin defended the officers' actions, saying they were justified in stopping the woman and demanding proof of citizenship.
"Ihaven't seen this video before,so there could be twocircumstances here," McLaughlin said. "Either hethis is a targeted operation andshe's around the vicinity ofit, around the target. There'sreasonable suspicion becausethere might be a descriptor orshe could be 5'6 andthey're looking for somebodywho's 5'6. That could bepart of it, they're looking forsomebody that could be part ofit. The other piece of it is, itcould be, I don't know if shewas obstructing law enforcement,if she was assaulting lawenforcement prior to this, butthey either have those Title VIII authorities under the U.S.code, 1357 or they have thatreasonable suspicion."
Brown pushed back, saying the videos don't appear to show what McLaughlin claimed.
"But what do you say to tothose who watch that and othervideos that they're seeingthemselves?" she said. "I mean, this is notjust the mainstream media. Thisis, people are seeing thesevideos and they're concerned andthey're concerned that a placelike Minnesota is turning into apolice state, and they're goingup to U.S. citizens asking forID."
"I think that there's a lotof fearmongering going on, Ithink, by the media," McLaughlin protested.
"But holdon, let me just correct you right there," Brown interjected. "Letme just, they're watching thesevideos and using theirindependence of mind. It's notthe media."
"No, actually it is the media," McLauglin shot back, "and we're seeing it time andtime again by saying things likethe police state. What we'reseeing is rampant violenceagainst our law enforcement,highly coordinated. We have ourlegal authorities, whenindividuals see videos likethat, you have to ask thequestion, was this individualobstructing law enforcement,which is a federal crime? Werethey assaulting law enforcement,which is a felony, or any ofthose instances occurring beforethis video was cut, because yousaw a very short cut? Andthat's what I'm talking about.The media, there is not a lot ofcontext that's being [left] out there."
Leave a Comment
