The Trump Department of Homeland Security slammed the New York Times for publishing "sob stories" about deported criminal illegal immigrants while ignoring their victims. (ICE and Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The outlet wrote that "to Mr. Blair and his supporters, his life story was one of rehabilitation, nuanced and filled with qualities that they believe Mr. Trump’s deportation machine disregards as it flies out immigrants en masse."
Slamming The Times’ coverage, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin asked, "Why does the New York Times continue to peddle sob stories about criminal illegal aliens and ignore their victims?"
According to a statement by ICE, Blair entered the U.S. in 2004 and then violated the terms of his admission. A year after his arrival, Blair was arrested by the Mount Vernon Police Department for first-degree kidnapping. He was convicted of the crime and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The agency said that an immigration judge ordered Blair removed from the U.S. on Aug. 4, 2008. However, Blair was allowed to stay in the country after the New York State Department of Corrections released him on parole on April 9, 2020.
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U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., March 7, 2025. (Reuters/Leah Millis)
"That includes convicted kidnappers," she continued, adding, "We are restoring commonsense to our immigration system."
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In response to the DHS criticism, a New York Times spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "Mr. Blair's history is central to our reporting, and prominently described throughout the story."
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-admin-blasts-ny-times-over-sob-story-deported-kidnapper