MSNBC as of Monday failed to include mention of suspected child labor in its coverage of Thursday’s raid by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on a marijuana farm, a Daily Caller News Foundation review found.
ICE executed a search warrant at a California marijuana farm, rescuing at least ten minors, eight of whom were reportedly unaccompanied. By comparison, during the timeframe covered in a keyword search of footage archived by Grabien News for the term “child labor” from Thursday to 11:00 a.m. Monday, CNN and Fox News mentioned the phrase a total of 70 times, the vast majority of which were by Fox News. (RELATED: ‘Have To Own This’: Jonathan Turley Says Democrats, Media Have ‘Bill That Is Coming Due’ Over Anti-ICE Violence)
The phrase aired 15 times on CNN in the context of news reports, segments, whether in panel discussions, aired video clips or from a direct comment by a host or guest. While the phrase was used mostly by reporters on Friday discussing an investigation (five out of seven mentions), but the term was primarily mentioned during panel discussions or by guests on Saturday and Sunday (six out of eight mentions), the DCNF review found.
During the Saturday morning discussion, former “Biggest Loser” star Jillian Michaels clashed with CNN host Abby Phillip over the discovery of minors at the marijuana farm.
“Here’s what people don’t want to see on the other side. They don’t want to see people throwing rocks into the cars of federal agents. They don’t want to hear that someone supposedly opened fire on them,” Michaels said. “They also don’t want to learn that there are a bunch of kids there that are undocumented or unaccompanied, and they think this is crazy talk, and we should be focusing on that. And I, for one, think, how did those kids get there?”
UPDATE on the California marijuana facilities operation: Our brave agents arrested at least *361* illegal aliens—including criminals with convictions for rape, kidnapping, child molestation, serial burglary, hit and run, and DUI.
At that same site, @ICEgov and @CBP law… pic.twitter.com/akXt6RFOJU
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) July 14, 2025
“I just want to add one thing. We do have to go, but the UFW, the United Farm Workers, put out a statement about this. They said, ‘The UFW can confirm farm workers were critically injured yesterday during chaotic raids in Ventura County, California. Others, including U.S. citizens, remain totally unaccounted for. Many workers, including U.S. citizens, were held by federal authorities at the farm for eight hours or more. U.S. citizen workers report only being released after they were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones.’ They also added that farmwork work is exempted from child labor laws. So —” Phillip said before Michaels cut her off, asking, “You’re telling me undocumented, unaccompanied kids can work at a marijuana farm?!”
Hosts and guests on Fox News used the phrase 55 times, with many of them directing criticism toward Democrats for attacking ICE’s operations.
“Where is the morality for these people?” Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton of California asked during a Monday morning appearance on “America’s Newsroom.” “Never mind the pot, you have child labor going on there!” (RELATED: ‘We Will Not Be Intimidated’: Federal Prosecutor Says Those Who Assault ICE Agents ‘Will Go To Federal Prison’)
A similar search for the term “minors” found eight mentions on CNN and three on MSNBC, with none of MSNBC’s mentions of the term coming in connection with the ICE raids. MSNBC’s only three mentions of the term came in connection with reporting over the Trump administration’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
“This issue goes far beyond partisan, transcends partisan lines,” Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told the DCNF. “And it’s about the welfare of children and the fact that MSNBC is willfully ignoring the potential exploitation, forced labor and even trafficking of innocent children is disgusting and they’re doing it in the name of partisan politics.”
CNN and MSNBC did not respond to requests for comment from the DCNF.
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