Photojournalist Slams Biden for Giving Media 'Zero Access' to Border Facilities, Figures Out a Workaround That Makes POTUS Look Even Worse
Media representatives are longing for the good old days of former President Donald Trump as they bemoan the media blackout President Joe Biden’s administration has put in place at border facilities housing illegal immigrants.
“The President promised things would be different. Turns out he was right, but in this case not the way we had hoped. The Trump administration allowed journalists into juvenile migrant detention facilities. [Biden] must fix this immediately,” said Dan Snelly, executive director of the Radio Television Digital News Foundation, according to CNN.
“At a time when the southern border of the United States is undergoing a historic surge of migrants, it is more important than ever that journalists be allowed the necessary access to report accurately and independently on the Border Patrol’s response to the increased arrival of migrants and the wellbeing of those housed in Border Patrol facilities,” he said.
Shelley’s comments followed the same vein as tweets from photojournalist John Moore, who has criticized the Biden administration’s refusal to allow media representatives to observe Customs and Border Protection operations.
“I respectfully ask US Customs and Border Protection to stop blocking media access to their border operations,” Moore wrote in a Twitter post on Friday. “I have photographed CBP under Bush, Obama and Trump but now – zero access is granted to media. These long lens images taken from the Mexican side.”
I respectfully ask US Customs and Border Protection to stop blocking media access to their border operations. I have photographed CBP under Bush, Obama and Trump but now – zero access is granted to media. These long lens images taken from the Mexican side. @CBP #gettyimagesnews pic.twitter.com/cWa90TlfeS
— John Moore (@jbmoorephoto) March 19, 2021
“There’s no modern precedent for a full physical ban on media access to CBP border operations,” Moore tweeted. “To those who might say, cut them some slack — they are dealing with a situation, I’d say that showing the US response to the current immigrant surge is exactly the media’s role.
There’s no modern precedent for a full physical ban on media access to CBP border operations. To those who might say, cut them some slack – they are dealing with a situation, I’d say that showing the US response to the current immigrant surge is exactly the media’s role.
— John Moore (@jbmoorephoto) March 19, 2021
“The vast majority of river crossings by asylum seekers happen on federal land in south Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. The federal govt. controls access to those areas. The Border Patrol has been removing journalists who enter, including recently myself, CBS, others,” he wrote.
The vast majority of river crossings by asylum seekers happen on federal land in south Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. The federal govt. controls access to those areas. The Border Patrol has been removing journalists who enter, including recently myself, CBS, others. @cbsmireya
— John Moore (@jbmoorephoto) March 20, 2021
The photographs in this tweet string were taken with a telephoto lens from across the border in Mexico. Until now, US photojournalists haven’t needed to stand in another country to photograph what’s happening – in the United States.
— John Moore (@jbmoorephoto) March 20, 2021
Moore is no right-winger. He is is the photographer who took the picture of the 2-year-old crying near the U.S.-Mexico border in 2019 that was named World Press Photo Foundation Picture of the Year, according to Fox News.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has also criticized the White House, focusing on a Friday trip to the border by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas from which the media was banned.
“No press. No cameras. What is Biden hiding? Next week, I’m bringing 15 senators to the border,” Cruz wrote in a Twitter post.
“DHS said NO to our request to bring media. Outrageous & unacceptable. I will continue to fight for press access so every American can see this crisis for themselves!”
No press. No cameras.
What is Biden hiding?
Next week, I’m bringing 15 senators to the border. DHS said NO to our request to bring media.
Outrageous & unacceptable.
I will continue to fight for press access so every American can see this crisis for themselves! #BorderCrisis https://t.co/mKL58kQsPu
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 19, 2021
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has tried to push back against claims the administration was trying to prevent information from reaching the public.
“I certainly wouldn’t characterize it that way,” Psaki said, according to Fox News. “But if our policy is keeping people quiet, we are not successful, and it is not our policy to prevent people from talking.”
A DHS statement said nothing has changed, according to NBC.
“Across the federal government, certain employees are designated spokespeople for their respective agencies and public statements are vetted to ensure accuracy. This standard and process has been followed at DHS since the Department’s inception and across bipartisan administrations. Customs and Border Protection continues to publicly provide the same monthly data on the same schedule as it has since 2014,” the statement said.
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