NBC News recently published a report alleging that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents used a young autistic girl as “bait” to coerce her father, Edwards Hip Mejia, into surrendering in Massachusetts.
The story immediately drew attention online, but DHS officials quickly challenged the reporting, labeling it inaccurate and misleading.
Officials said the article misrepresented the sequence of events surrounding the father’s arrest.
Federal authorities explained that Mejia, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history, abandoned his five-year-old daughter in a vehicle while attempting to evade law enforcement.
Officers responded promptly to secure the child and contacted local police to ensure her safety. The child was eventually placed in the care of her grandmother.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized, “ICE agents NEVER used a 5-year-old girl as bait. The criminal target abandoned his own child, creating a dangerous situation that officers had to resolve.”
The story stemmed from video footage showing the child seated next to an ICE vehicle.
NBC and Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra framed the scene as evidence that agents had intentionally put the girl at risk to lure her father.
Mejia’s wife told Telemundo that he had returned home believing he was being followed and that officers