National TV news media aired b-roll of scenes from the U.S. southern border in immigration segments entirely unrelated to border policy

In segments describing President Joe Biden’s actions to ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children would be able to keep their families together, broadcast and cable news programs confusingly showed b-roll from the U.S. southern border — despite the administration's new policies having nothing to do with border policy. This misleading imagery used as a backdrop for unrelated immigration coverage frames citizenship for long-term U.S. residents as a border security issue, rather than a story that fundamentally affects millions of established families across the United States.

On June 18, Biden announced a pair of actions relating to pathways to citizenship for noncitizen spouses, children, and college graduates who are long-term residents of the U.S. The policies, meant to address persistent issues with the immigration system, would “ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together” and provide stability for other long-term noncitizen students.

These actions applied to noncitizen residents who had been in the country for 10 years or more, and — importantly — had nothing to do with the border.

Media Matters reviewed coverage of the Biden administration's announcements and found b-roll footage of the U.S.-Mexico border was prevalent across much of national TV news, which supplemented their coverage of the new policies (which, again, would only affect long-term residents) by treating viewers to seemingly chaotic scenes from the border, including long lines of waiting migrants, seemingly treacherous crossings behind fences and barbed wire, and militarized enforcement. This border b-roll fixation feeds a skewed misconception that immigration policy is solely about border control rather than a larger issue that affects millions of people who have been in the United States for years.

Media Matters has repeatedly reported how Fox News leverages misleading b-roll in immigration-related coverage — but with these new administration actions, much of the national TV news made the same mistakes. The networks must avoid misleading their viewers by framing all immigration policy, especially actions relating to long-term residents, as an issue of border security.

ABC World News Tonight With David Muir:

CBS Evening News With Norah O'Donnell:

MSNBC's Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire:

NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt:

ABC's Good Morning America:

CBS Mornings:

Fox News @ Night:

Fox News Sunday:

Fox News Live:

Fox News' The Journal Editorial:

MSNBC's Ayman:

MSNBC's Chris Jansing Reports:

NBC's Today:

National TV news aired b-roll of the southern border when reporting on unrelated immigration news

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