Tipsheet

CBS Politicizes California Fires With Immigration Issue

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  February 04, 2025 1:45 PM

Nearly a month after the California fires raged for weeks, there's been some hopeful news, given that the fires have ceased. Even with such an update, it seems that the mainstream media just can't help themselves when it comes to never letting a crisis, or multiple crises, go to waste. On Monday night, CBS News put out a piece that combined the crises of the fires with illegal immigration.

"As Los Angeles rebuilds after fires, some fear Trump's immigration policies will make it harder," reads an article from Monday night, which received considerable attention over X, including a thorough ratio. There have been just over 500 likes, with 1,300 replies since the post was shared by CBS News.

As the X caption highlighted, the authors of the piece are concerned that "President Trump's immigration crackdown could create a shortage of construction workers."

The entire article reads as if it was written by someone involved with an organization advocating for immigrants, regardless of legal status. The piece also notably refuses to distinguish between those here legally and illegally:

The Palisades and Eaton Fires that destroyed thousands of homes are now fully contained, but as residents look to rebuild, they may face a problem — President Trump's immigration crackdown could create a shortage of construction workers.

"People like to work. They want to work. They want better lives as well," said Bernardo Osario, a crew boss for about a dozen workers who volunteered to clear debris in Pasadena.

Osario, who migrated from Mexico 36 years ago and became a U.S. citizen in 2021, believes rebuilding just won't be possible without immigrants.

In California, 41% of construction workers are immigrants, according to the National Association of Home Builders, some of whom are staying in the country without legal documents. Construction is among the top industries that depend on immigrant labor, along with agriculture and food service, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Center for Migration Studies of New York. 

Under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, deportation officers can remove most immigration violators, even those providing needed labor.

...

Gatsby estimated rebuilding Los Angeles could take 20 years, and maybe twice as long without the help of immigrant construction labor.

"We are essential workers, essential people, for the community," Osario said.

Just like rescuing L.A. from the flames, rebuilding it will take every available hand.

Curiously, there's no mention of the Democratic leadership and their failures in this brief piece, even with the article's concluding sentence, "Just like rescuing L.A. from the flames, rebuilding it will take every available hand." A whole host of failures existed from Democrats, with Mayor Karen Bass being away at an inauguration in Ghana, despite her previous pledge not to travel internationally. Further, there was also a preoccupation with catering to environmentalists and focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as priorities. Bass even cut the firefighter's budget, and equipment had also been sent to Ukraine.

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Even more relevant to Bass' latest moves is how she's made clear that rebuilding will involve an outside consultant, as reported first by The Los Angeles Times and also by conservative outlets such as Breitbart. It doesn't appear that CBS News scrutinized Bass in any way over this as they did when it comes to Trump and immigration.

Among those 1,300 replies included users who highlighted that CBS News was promoting the exploitation of laborers here illegally. 

The comparison from Democrats and the mainstream media likening illegal immigrants to slaves also came up in the replies.