One night after hyping “disturbing images” out of Florida during a Border Patrol operation, ABC’s World News Tonight was at it again on Friday. This time, anchor David Muir and correspondent Pierre Thomas labeled the videos “alarming” and “harrowing” despite each of the three examples having a perfectly reasonable explanation.
Muir kicked off the segment by declaring, “We move on to the alarming new images this evening. A woman seen being chased by federal agents near New Orleans, screaming to be left alone. She’s a U.S. citizen being chased by Border Patrol, but Homeland Security is now saying tonight it comes amid similar scenes playing out across the country as President Trump’s immigration crackdown grows. Pierre Thomas with the images tonight.”
Thomas began his report with “harrowing video showing a woman frantically running away from federal agents in Louisiana. President Trump’s nationwide immigration crackdown intensifies.”
As it turns out, the episode was just a case of mistaken identity, “Masked border agents chasing that woman on foot as she screams in fear. Running into her house as her stepfather races outside. Initially thinking she was being kidnapped. Demanding answers. That woman was a 23-year-old U.S. citizen. DHS saying in a statement, “All agents left the area as soon as they determined the individual in question was not who they were looking for.’”
Not deterred, Thomas tried again with the same video from Thursday’s show, “That incident comes after federal agents pulled this woman out of a car during a border operation in Florida as she screamed she was a U.S. citizen.”
However, that too had an innocent reason behind it, “Authorities placing her in handcuffs, briefly detaining her. Officials say she was driving her undocumented boyfriend’s car and refused to comply with orders to identify herself.”
Literally every person in America who is pulled over has to show law enforcement their driver’s license, but apparently this woman thought she was special and didn’t have to.
Still not ready to let the issue go, Thomas highlighted, “Newly elected Arizona Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva claiming she was assaulted by ICE When she joined protesters who blocked a street in Tucson. She released this video of the alleged incident.”
Grijalva herself then claimed, “This is the restaurant I come to literally once a week and was sprayed in the face by a very aggressive agent.”
Thomas then concluded by reporting, “But tonight, Homeland Security officials pushing back, saying Grijalva was not targeted, but near someone who was pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement. Critics say the immigration campaign has been too aggressive, but David, tonight Homeland Security officials are unapologetic.”
According to the video that ABC showed, it was DHS that was being truthful. The officer did not target Grijalva, as her fellow activists broke the law by blocking the road. As Thomas was forced to admit, each of the incidents he showed were not videos that showed an increasingly dystopian society of ICE and Border Patrol operations targeting U.S. citizens, but operations that either had legitimate goals or ceased once it was clear there had been a mistake. Therefore, ABC should retire the sensationalist “disturbing,” “alarming,” and “harrowing” labels.
Here is a transcript for the December 5 show:
ABC World News Tonight
12/5/2025
6:34 PM ET
DAVID MUIR: We move on to the alarming new images this evening. A woman seen being chased by federal agents near New Orleans, screaming to be left alone. She’s a U.S. citizen being chased by Border Patrol, but Homeland Security is now saying tonight it comes amid similar scenes playing out across the country as President Trump’s immigration crackdown grows. Pierre Thomas with the images tonight.
JACELYNN GUZMAN: Leave me alone!
PIERRE THOMAS: Tonight, harrowing video showing a woman frantically running away from federal agents in Louisiana. President Trump’s nationwide immigration crackdown intensifies.
GUZMAN: Leave me alone!
THOMAS: Masked border agents chasing that woman on foot as she screams in fear. Running into her house as her stepfather races outside. Initially thinking she was being kidnapped. Demanding answers. That woman was a 23-year-old U.S. citizen. DHS saying in a statement, “all agents left the area as soon as they determined the individual in question was not who they were looking for.”
That incident comes after federal agents pulled this woman out of a car during a border operation in Florida as she screamed she was a U.S. citizen.
WOMAN: I’m a U.S. citizen! Please help me! This is unfair, why are you doing this to me?
THOMAS: Authorities placing her in handcuffs, briefly detaining her. Officials say she was driving her undocumented boyfriend’s car and refused to comply with orders to identify herself.
And tonight, newly elected Arizona Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva claiming she was assaulted by ICE When she joined protesters who blocked a street in Tucson. She released this video of the alleged incident.
ADELITA GRIJALVA: This is the restaurant I come to literally once a week and was sprayed in the face by a very aggressive agent.
THOMAS: But tonight, Homeland Security officials pushing back, saying Grijalva was not targeted, but near someone who was pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement.
Critics say the immigration campaign has been too aggressive, but David, tonight Homeland Security officials are unapologetic.
