WASHINGTON D.C. – During a tense White House press briefing on February 11, 2026, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized CBS News and several other outlets for what she called a dishonest read of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and deportations.
The back-and-forth put the long-running strain between the Trump administration and major newsrooms back in the spotlight. Leavitt argued that reporters selected the numbers that fit their preferred storyline, then used them to weaken support for the president’s hardline immigration enforcement plans.
The clash followed a CBS News report published earlier in February 2026. The network said fewer than 14% of nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by ICE during President Trump’s first year back in office faced charges or convictions for violent crimes. CBS said the figures came from an internal DHS document the outlet obtained.
The story suggested the administration’s promise to focus on “dangerous and violent criminals” did not match the results, because many arrests involved people with minor offenses or no criminal record at all. After the report spread, immigration advocates and Democratic lawmakers pointed to it as proof that deportation operations reached too broadly.
Karoline Leavitt rejected that framing at the briefing. She said the reporting treated “violent” as the only category that matters, while brushing aside other crimes that still hurt real people.
“Just because a crime is not violent in nature, doesn’t mean that crime is not victimless,” she said, based on transcripts and video from the event. She also stressed that the administration has said from the start it will remove illegal immigrants who break US law, not only those with violent records.
How CBS News Framed the DHS Numbers
CBS titled its story, “Less than 14% of those arrested by ICE in Trump’s 1st year back in office had violent criminal records, document shows.” The report highlighted several points from the DHS figures, including:
- Less than 2% of arrests involved homicide or sexual assault charges or convictions.
- About 40% of those arrested had no criminal history.
- Most criminal records involved non-violent offenses, including immigration violations such as illegal re-entry.
After the story ran, critics said the presentation gave readers the wrong impression. The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), for example, published a February 12, 2026, analysis calling the coverage misleading.
CIS argued that CBS downplayed non-violent crimes and also glossed over the fact that immigration violations alone can make someone removable under US law. The group said the reporting showed “a deep misunderstanding of immigration law,” because ICE enforcement depends heavily on legal status, not only criminal history.
Leavitt made a similar point in the briefing. She accused CBS of narrowing the discussion to one label to shrink the administration’s claims about progress. She also pointed to what she said were more than 622,000 deportations since January 20, 2025. Leavitt said many of those deported had records tied to crimes such as drug trafficking or burglary.
While those offenses are not always listed as violent under Bureau of Justice Statistics categories, she said they still cause harm in local communities. When reporters pressed her on the “non-violent” label, she responded, “Tell that to the victims,” a line that drew praise from supporters and anger from critics who said the administration was sidestepping due process concerns.
CBS has faced similar criticism before. A June 2025 CBS analysis claimed only 8% of ICE detainees had violent convictions. At the time, administration officials pushed back, saying the focus on “non-criminal” immigrants ignored wider border and public safety concerns.
Karoline Leavitt as the Administration’s Main Counterpunch to Unfriendly Coverage
Since taking the press secretary job in January 2025, Karoline Leavitt has built a reputation for combative briefings and quick pushback. At 28, she became the youngest press secretary in US history. Her earlier work as a Trump campaign spokesperson shaped a direct style that often challenges reporters on the spot.
Several moments stand out:
- January 15, 2026, briefing on an ICE shooting: Leavitt called a reporter a “left-wing hack” after he cited statistics showing 32 deaths in ICE custody in 2025 and questioned the agency’s handling of the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Leavitt shifted the focus to crimes linked to illegal immigrants, including the murders of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray. She argued the press highlights isolated ICE incidents while giving less attention to American victims.
- April 2025 questions about a dip in deportation totals: When reporters asked about March deportations slipping slightly from the year before, Leavitt said a Supreme Court pause on certain cases drove the change. She also accused the press of pushing a “fake story” by leaving out that context.
- February 2026 repeated disputes about enforcement priorities: Across multiple briefings, Leavitt corrected what she called misleading claims about who ICE targets. She said Trump’s supporters, including “80 million voters,” backed him to remove “criminal illegals” and tighten border control.
Supporters say Karoline Leavitt’s approach forces news outlets to answer for weak framing and missing context. Critics, including HuffPost and The Guardian, have described her exchanges as “meltdowns” or deflections. Either way, the confrontations keep the media divide front and center.
A Wider Complaint About Media Spin on the Trump Administration
The ICE data argument fits a broader administration claim that major outlets shape facts to make Trump look bad. Since Trump returned to office in 2025, the White House and its allies have pointed to many examples.
The White House even launched a Media Bias Tracker in November 2025. The tool flags stories it calls misleading and tags them with labels such as “bias,” “lie,” or “left-wing lunacy.” The tracker has listed more than 200 examples of what it describes as media malpractice.
Administration allies often point to a few major themes:
- Stories about immigration “overreach”: Beyond CBS, outlets such as The New York Times have faced accusations of overstating the impact of deportation operations. In January 2026, a Times fact-check said Trump exaggerated a decline in migration. The administration responded that the paper ignored context, including halted cooperation from Venezuela. The White House tracker later labeled the coverage a “falsehood-fueled” attack.
- Disputes over economic reporting: In December 2025, PBS and NPR faced funding cuts after reports that the administration said minimized Trump’s tariff results. PolitiFact labeled 2025 the “Year of the Lies” for Trump statements, while administration allies said that label showed political imbalance because most fact-checks focused on Republicans.
- Coverage of lawsuits as “press freedom” conflicts: CNN and MSNBC have described Trump’s legal fights with news outlets as threats to free speech. The administration has said the lawsuits respond to defamation claims. Officials and supporters cite a $16 million settlement with Paramount tied to a “60 Minutes” edit, and a $15 million settlement involving ABC and George Stephanopoulos. They also cite suits against The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times tied to coverage involving Epstein connections and stories about Trump’s rise to power.
- Changes to the Pentagon press setup and the press pool: In 2025, the Pentagon removed dedicated workspaces for NPR, PBS, and other outlets and replaced them with conservative-leaning organizations. Critics said the move punished independent journalism. The administration said it corrected long-running bias in defense coverage, and it pointed to reporting on ICE raids as an example of hostile framing.
- Claims of broadcast and social media bias: Trump’s 215-plus anti-media posts in 2025 highlighted coverage he described as unfair, including reporting by NBC and ABC on diversity programs. Fox News also compiled a “top 10 worst examples” list. The list included claims that protests were described as peaceful, while Trump’s policy wins, including job numbers, received less attention.
Administration sources often describe these trends as a herd mindset in major newsrooms, where negative angles win because they satisfy anti-Trump audiences. Meanwhile, a Poynter report noted journalists have faced harassment and legal pressure. Trump allies respond that the pushback reflects years of what they see as unfair coverage going back to his first term.
Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU and the Committee to Protect Journalists, have warned that the Media Bias Tracker looks like a tool that could chill speech. The Trump team answers that it serves as a shield against storylines it says twist public debate.
What the Dispute Means for Immigration Policy and Trust in the Press
With deportations reaching what the administration calls record highs in 2025, officials insist the goal remains public safety. Leavitt’s comments reflect that message, yet the constant fights with national outlets also deepen public distrust. Pew surveys from late 2025 found only 32% of Americans trusted national news, and the partisan split kept widening.
As legal battles over states’ rights continue in places such as Minnesota and Illinois, the administration and the press appear set for more public clashes. Leavitt has said she will keep defending ICE and the administration’s approach. “The brave men and women of ICE are making our communities safer,” she said, pushing back on coverage she believes distorts the results.
The larger debate remains unresolved. Some see the media as shaping facts to fit a political goal. Others see the administration as trying to avoid tough scrutiny. In 2026, the divide shows no sign of easing.
