Progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal laughs at news coverage of migrant who raped NYC 13-year-old girl
Something funny, Congresswoman?
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) had herself a good chuckle during an MSNBC interview this week in which she mocked news coverage of the case of an Ecuadorian migrant accused of having bound, gagged and raped a 13-year-old girl in a Queens park.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus chairwoman scoffed at a Fox News chyron during a Tuesday appearance on “The Reidout” that touched on the appalling June 13 attack by Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi, 25, who admitted to cops he recorded his sick deeds.
“There’s a lot of fear-mongering,” Jayapal told host Joy Reid after hailing President Biden’s executive order to extend permanent residency status to migrant spouses of US citizens who have lived in the country for at least 10 years.
Reid then turned Jayapal’s attention to a sample of Tuesday’s media coverage
“Here’s the three cable networks’ reporting of this,” the host said. “Our [MSNBC’s] banner said, ‘Soon: Biden announces legal protections for undocumented spouses of citizens.’ CNN’s banner said, ‘Biden announces new protections for some undocumented spouses.’”
“Here was Fox’s banner, ‘Migrant arrested for raping 13-year-old New York City girl,’” she added, inaccurately claiming that the cable news ratings leader did not cover the executive order on its Tuesday broadcasts.
“Ha! Yes,” Jayapal responded.
“And so I think that’s a part of the problem,” Reid went on.
“Exactly,” Jayapal agreed.
“You have a lot of fear-mongering,” Reid echoed.
A rep for Fox News confirmed to The Post that Biden’s announcement of the new immigration order was covered live by the channel.
“Unfortunately, Ms. Jayapal’s callous and heartless response to these tragedies represents how many on the left, including in Washington, view those impacted by the Biden administration’s open borders,” Homeland Security Committee chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) told The Post Friday.
“The truth is, they see only a political benefit in refusing to enforce our laws — the human devastation left behind is simply collateral damage,” he said. “I wish lawmakers on the other side of the aisle would take this crisis seriously, and that starts with admitting that, thanks to President Biden and [Homeland Security] Secretary Mayorkas, many Americans are now rightfully afraid.”
A spokesperson for Jayapal’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Inga-Landi illegally crossed the US-Mexico border into Eagle Pass, Texas, on June 25, 2021, and was subsequently released by Border Patrol — but was later ordered by an immigration judge in February 2022 to leave the country, The Post first reported Tuesday.
Judge Joanne B. Watters ordered the suspect Wednesday to be held without bail until his next court appearance on July 1, agreeing with prosecutors that he posed a flight risk given his “tenuous” ties to the US.
During the MSNBC interview, Jayapal advocated for allowing the millions of migrants who have entered the country illegally during the Biden administration to be allowed to work more easily.
“Why not let people work?” she asked, pointing to low unemployment rates.
Jayapal also repeated a White House talking point that the 500,000 migrant spouses who will be affected by the executive order have lived in the US for an average of 23 years.
Those families have an estimated 50,000 non-citizen children in their care who she said would also benefit from Biden’s executive action.
