CNN host tears into DHS official’s denials: ‘Let me just correct you right there’

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 may ask people to, quote, validate their identity when asked about Americans carrying proof of citizenship,” Brown said. “Can you clarify what exactly that means? Do American citizens, as of now, need to carry their passports or other immigration documents to show that they’re citizens?”

“I am so glad you asked this question, because I think that there’s a lot of confusion there about about this,” McLaughlin replied. “We have incredibly targeted immigration enforcement operations, so what’s happening there is there is reasonable suspicion if somebody is in the vicinity of this operation of this target, then they could be asked for their identification. We’ve been vindicated by this, by the Supreme Court, September of 2025. You all saw a case out of Los Angeles where they said we can use reasonable suspicion. I think I’ve seen a lot on this network and other places where they’re talking about this is racially based, absolutely not. Racial animus is no place in DHS and is of course, not used. We’re using what is protected under the Fourth Amendment of the 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 a woman who, as you heard, said she is a U.S. citizen,” Brown said. “Why exactly was she stopped? Was there reasonable suspicion? Which is a legal bar, as you noted, that a crime was committed in that situation, and why was he asking her where are you born? What was he basing that on?”

McLaughlin defended the officers’ actions, saying they were justified in stopping the woman and demanding proof of citizenship.

“I haven’t seen this video before, so there could be two circumstances here,” McLaughlin said. “Either he this is a targeted operation and she’s around the vicinity of it, around the target. There’s reasonable suspicion because there might be a descriptor or she could be 5’6 and they’re looking for somebody who’s 5’6. That could be part of it, they’re looking for somebody that could be part of it. The other piece of it is, it could be, I don’t know if she was obstructing law enforcement, if she was assaulting law enforcement prior to this, but they either have those Title VIII authorities under the U.S. code, 1357 or they have that reasonable suspicion.”

Brown pushed back, saying the videos don’t appear to show what McLaughlin claimed.

“But what do you say to to those who watch that and other videos that they’re seeing themselves?” she said. “I mean, this is not just the mainstream media. This is, people are seeing these videos and they’re concerned and they’re concerned that a place like Minnesota is turning into a police state, and they’re going up to U.S. citizens asking for ID.”

“I think that there’s a lot of fearmongering going on, I think, by the media,” McLaughlin protested.

“But hold on, let me just correct you right there,” Brown interjected. “Let me just, they’re watching these videos and using their independence of mind. It’s not the media.”

“No, actually it is the media,” McLauglin shot back, “and we’re seeing it time and time again by saying things like the police state. What we’re seeing is rampant violence against our law enforcement, highly coordinated. We have our legal authorities, when individuals see videos like that, you have to ask the question, was this individual obstructing law enforcement, which is a federal crime? Were they assaulting law enforcement, which is a felony, or any of those instances occurring before this video was cut, because you saw a very short cut? And that’s what I’m talking about. The media, there is not a lot of context that’s being [left] out there.”