A deported immigrant whose story was profiled earlier this week by CalMatters did not disclose his criminal record or deportation history to the news organization, the outlet acknowledged Thursday, after federal immigration officials publicly challenged the accuracy of the report.
CalMatters learned of the man’s background not through its own reporting process but through a social media post from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that criticized the news organization’s coverage.
ICE’s account on X claimed that Luis Arreguin had been deported five times and had a criminal history that included aggravated assault with a weapon, firearms offenses and driving under the influence. The agency said CalMatters failed to include that information in the article it published Wednesday.
CalMatters Editor-in-Chief Kristen Go said the reporter who wrote the story, Wendy Fry, had reached out to ICE’s press office twice over a six-day period before publication but received no response. Fry also searched court records and public databases for Arreguin’s background, Go said, and found no record of the offenses ICE later described.
“We always want to believe what our sources tell us, but as journalists, we also take steps to verify that information,” Go said. “In this case, we ran a background check and contacted ICE on two occasions. It wasn’t until after our story published that ICE decided to provide us with the information we had requested.”
“We believe in transparency from the people we cover, and we hold ourselves to that same standard in our reporting.”
According to Fresno County officials, Arreguin was arrested a year ago on an assault charge, but prosecutors declined to file charges, a spokesperson confirmed.
Fry emailed ICE’s press team seven questions about Arreguin’s immigration history on the night of Oct. 21, asking for the legal basis of his deportation and basic details surrounding his detention.
“We found no recent criminal record for Mr. Arreguin. Did ICE or the federal government consider him a public safety threat? If so, why?” Fry asked in the email.
Her remaining questions sought to confirm details of Arreguin’s account of his detention and his removal from the country.
Fry sent a follow-up email to ICE the following Tuesday, writing, “We’re circling back on this. Our story is set to publish tomorrow.”
Go said Fry never received a response to those questions.
In her article, Fry quoted members of Arreguin’s family, who echoed his account of events. CalMatters has since reached out to the family and to Arreguin himself for comment but has not heard back.
When reached Thursday, Arreguin’s daughter said her father had focused on describing his harrowing experience during his interview with the reporter and had no intention of concealing his deportation history or prior criminal record.
On Thursday, a day after Fry’s story was published, a Fox News reporter wrote on social media that federal sources told him Arreguin had been deported five times. Exactly 30 minutes later, ICE’s account cited that Fox News reporter’s post in its own social media message.
“We’d like to believe government agencies act in good faith, but it’s fair to ask why ICE waited until after publication to share this information, and even then didn’t reach out directly to the reporter,” Go said.
ICE did not immediately respond to CalMatters’ questions about its handling of the matter, including whether its social media team has access to records unavailable to the press office that fields reporters’ requests. The agency still has not answered Fry’s original questions.
Edward Wasserman, a journalism professor and former dean of the University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, said it’s impossible to know whether a large agency like ICE “deliberately slow-walked the request.”
“It’s dangerous to speculate about motive,” Wasserman said.
From a practical public relations standpoint, however, Wasserman noted that releasing damaging information only after a story runs rarely serves an agency’s interests.
“It really doesn’t help their cause,” he said.
Original source: CalMatters
